Of woeful neglect and lots of rain

This summer has been so busy for us that we have sadly neglected our garden and hence this blog too. In that time, our garden has just grown wild and not in a particularly good way. For the last four weekends all we have done is try to make amends and catch up with nature.

We started with fierce dead heading, filling the compost bin with spent mops of buddleia, alliums, hypdrangea, roses, geraniums and lavender. Was such a shame to bin armloads of such fragrant stalks but was reminded that I am too pressed for time to even think of pot pourri or anything similar.

Meanwhile, on the much-blogged-about back bed, a ferocious form of climbing weed had taken control of the walls, the shed and even the climbers we planted a few months ago. It was an arduous task pulling them out and all I could do was the lop them just below soil surface in most cases, knowing full well that they would make a nasty comeback. After we removed the army of weeds we had to install the trellis along the wall for the honeysuckle and passion flower climbers to grow on to. 

In another bed, clematis had run amok and had also been attacked by clematis wilt. Again, they were let down by our lack of care, with the climbing support provided, rather inneffective. So I just pared them down to ground level and decided to be better prepared next year.

At the end of each weekend, we would have very little to show for results but for some turned earth and clear space, but we had to plough on, quite literally.

I think I may have rescued a few crocusmia bulbs that had come unearthed and an anthurium that was struggling to survive. The anthurium had been planted four years ago, along with three others of its kind. They were crowded out by other plants in that bed, such as the fatssia and the viburnum, and eventually only one survived. Similar tale with the crocusmia, in the shade of the ceanothus. Pleased to have given both a better chance of survival by replanting them in pots. I also found some dahlia tubers in a packet in the shed, that had started to sprout. Potted them too. Several months late. Better in the soil than in the shed.

Another tedious task has been to pinch out aquilegia saplings from practically everywhere. As much as I am grateful for self-propogating plants, I do have to say, No Thanks, to this one.

Feel somewhat redeemed after four weekends of desperate claw-back maintennance work in the garden. There are some more tasks to be done. More next weekend.

On a more uplifting note, we have the most beautiful sedum bloom, pictured here in the midst of another downpour, and the cyclamen had started to make its appearance in a very fashionable pink - just what we need as the autumn takes hold.

Egg shells and tea leaves

For those of us who are unable to have a compost heap (and there are few compelling reasons for this, including laziness), I would recommend the shortcut of saving the egg shells and used tea leaves from your weekly consumption.

My grandma used to crush eggshells into her potted roses and I started to do the same last year. Eggshells are rich in calcium, add valuable nutrients to the soil and improve drainage. Strewn around the base of young plants, the sharp edges of broken egg shells also serve as a deterrent for slugs.

Recently, during a spring clean of my kitchen I found an old ceramic teapot that has a glued-up handle making it rather unsuitable for tea, but certainly could serve as a decorative storage for used tea bags in our pantry. Tea leaves break down to provide humus for the soil and they contain trace minerals that are good for plants.

Over the weekend, my tea pot and the egg-shell container were brimming, so I emptied the crushed egg shells around our roses and tore up the tea bags around the base of our peach tree. It is important to crush egg shells as finely as possible so that it breaks down more easily into the soil. Tea bags should be torn as most tea bags in the UK are not made of degradable material.

This weekend was the definite signal that spring is here. There are daffodils everywhere you look around the country and our garden is kicking into gear as well, with blooms of hyacinth and buds of cherry blossom and peach.

We planted three young climbers against the back wall, two yellow honeysuckle and a passion flower, supported by little tepee shaped stakes which should be adequate till we can create a trellis.

Have made first step towards growing our own veg. Sowed seeds for French beans, courgettes, basil, tomatoes, carrot and kale, and a few sunflower seeds too, and have left them to work their magic in little pots on a warm window sill.