It has been hot, very hot: with temperatures in the shade in the back garden up to 28 C, very little gardening is being attempted, except watering, plus I have been watering a friend's garden. However admiring the gallop of plants through spring towards summer is in order this week, as I am sure it is for many gardeners that like me, write about six things in their garden, then link into Jim's post: Six on Saturday.
1. I am celebrating the deckchair today. The traditional type made in the UK: the hard wood and stripped cotton affair, the sort you can nip you fingers if you are not careful. I've liked them all my life, and last year on the Isle of Wight at Osborne House I spent a while just sitting there with my eyes closed listening to the waves lapping onto the shingle beach. This week I ordered my very own deckchair and to my amazement it arrived the next day. It has given me quite a different view of the garden. (Oops, I just realised I never wrote up about our holiday on the Isle of Wight! Maybe something to do next week).
2. Straight in front of me I have a view of Buddha under his shady Acer. For now it is a beautiful green and having misplaced its name my SOS sis who is the font of all knowledge and speaks several languages, so she tells me, named it Acer Wakaranai (Japanese for 'unknown')several years ago. I ought maybe to have repotted the acer this year. However the Deckchair gardener simply skimmed off the collection of little stones at the top, and before putting them back sprinkled some slow release ericaceous plant feed pellets. Most of my larger container plants have been moved onto this shadier side of the stony 'patio' on the north side of the conservatory to escape the glaring sun. Like most small back gardens we could have opted to have the paving slab some of patio or indeed decking, of which we had both in the previous garden, but having a small stone surface was an original design decision, as I love the sound and feeling of walking over small stones, and it allowed for excellent drainage during heavy rain periods.
3. From the low angle of the deckchair the garden looks evenly attractive, with the developing foliage hiding the early spring plants that are fading now. This is the view towards the gravel garden.
I did notice the sprinkling of dead leaves which have been drifting down from the overhanging Holm Oak, but really it is an effort to get out of the lovely deckchair. It is far too relaxing! If I had been sitting on any of the other chairs I would have been seeing something to do and jumping up and getting on with it.
4. I did get up finally, and went over to take of picture of this lovely Phlox bifida 'Ralph Hayward'. Each season I take some cuttings for insurance purposes as I love it so much.
5. Just where is that lovely scent coming from? I pan round from where I was relaxing, and it became obvious it was one of these two, but on sniffing them, I think it is delightful harmony of the two scents.
Firstly some Lily of the Valley: last year I had planted up a pot with these. I have a few plants struggling along the compost alley which is far too dry and really away from where it can most be enjoyed, and after growing them so nicely in my previous garden, resolved to have some that were accessible. After flowering this pot will spend the rest of the year probably in a shady spot under the gooseberries. The Nemesia 'Wisley Vanilla' are flowering in the same spot for the fourth year!
6. Also across the garden towards 'Gooseberry Corner' the Cornus controversa 'Variegata' is just coming into bud ready to flower. I am delighted I planted this tree in that spot. Towards dusk when we are still sat in the evening, it starts to glow, again this picture was taken from deckchair view with a little zoom, and cropping! We have had breakfast, lunch and dinner in the garden this week on several days, even before 1 May.
It is going to be cooler in the next few days in comparison, so maybe there will be different types of six items from the garden to talk about next week.
Cornus controversa 'Variegata' is looking lovely, as is the whole of your garden. However, the deck chair wins first prize today. It looks smashing. I remember those from my childhood - the trapped fingers and also the odd mishap when they hadn't been set up properly and collapsed!
ReplyDeleteThanks Graeme, Mr S also known as Mr H & S has designed a fold up and open out safely protocol, to ensure none of that happens. If I hurt my fingers that's it for cooking etc., and just more lounging around!
DeleteThe new low-level view of your garden is a treat. The view towards your gravel garden is my favourite - it looks so calming. I can see that your new deckchair has been an inspired idea that’s going to give you many hours of garden relaxation!
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty Deck chair, so nice to see the traditional version.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rosie, I liked that there were several different patterns to choose from.
DeleteJus sitting at what ever level is something we don't do often enough. Lovely to view the garden from a different perspective. That's a gorgeous phlox.
ReplyDeleteThank Chloris, that phlox is amongst my ten favourite plants in the garden.
DeleteWe're probably on our fourth year of buying and planting Wisley Vanilla, for its scent as it's so good. It's never shown any inclination to carry over from one season to the next.
ReplyDeleteI've planted my Wisley Vanilla in a deep pot in which a willow is growing. It gets fed and watered well, and is chopped to about three inches after the flowers start to fade, and that way it is flowering nearly all year round.
DeleteJust the mention of "shingle beach" and "Osborne House" transports me back a couple of years to a fabulous day when we visited Osborne House for the first time: my favourite stately home.
ReplyDeleteAnd your lovely picture of the lily of the valley has reminded me that I planted some, but they've disappeared!
I too rate Osborne House very highly. I shall be writing a post with several pictures soon. Lily of the Valley was started in the garden here several times, and each time they did not come to much, I think the ground is too dry. These in the pot are lovely, and I think I may try some more in the ground, when this lot is repotted up.
DeleteThis little acer Bonsai, is very pretty in its round pot. Will you be handling the pruning?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of deckchair, it's easy to sit down, but it must be difficult to get up in such a beautiful garden. Enjoy!
I had never thought to make this acer into a Bonsai Fred. It is just growing naturally. When I bought it from an Acer specialist who came to give my gardening club a talk, he said it was a very good one, grafted onto a dwarfing root stock, and that it should not be overpotted. How much of that is true or the salesman pitch I don't know.
DeleteOh that deckchair looks a grand place to be especially on a hot day Noelle - maybe with a good book to hand and a long cool drink. I remember nipped finger experiences. Your 'Wisley Vanilla' plant is doing most well - does it stay out all winter. I bought three new little plants of it about a week ago as I've never managed to overwinter it 😢
ReplyDeleteThe garden is very sheltered, and those Wisley Vanilla are in a big deep pot, which I would not be able to move. It is all right by the house, which probably explains why it has survived. Yes, the deck chair is my after lunch reading chair, and a snooze is not off the agenda either!
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