Taking advantage of the Sales

I spent the morning planting hundreds of bulbs.  Earlier I had dropped by my local garden centre to discover that they had a sale on and packets of bulbs were reduced to just £1 each.  Now that is what I call a bargain for many packs had between 25 and 60 bulbs in them!

So back home it was out into the garden to start some planting.  I planted almost 300 bulbs in the long border alone, creating five clumps of Narcissus Bridal Crown spaced equally along the border at different points. I then planted 240 bulbs of Puschkinia Scilloides Linanotica in one long drift from one end to the other.  If they take well we should see a glorious display of white blooms in March through to April.

Then it was into the Orchard to plant 260 Snake's Head Fritillary 'Fritillaria Meleagris' bulbs.  These should work well in the semi-wild setting of the Orchard.  I planted lots of bulbs around the base of the Orchard Room and the effect should help soften the structure in April and May when they are in flower. 

But I also managed to purchase lots my old favourites - Alliums.  I was particulary drawn to an attractive and wildly expensive variety - Allium 'Silver Spring'.  These would have been too expensive for me to justify purchasing pre-sale as they were £3.99 each.  But now I have planted a clump right outside the kitchen windows in the main herbaceous bed.  Come late Spring it will be a joy to gaze at them each day and enjoy their white and deep purple display.  They should do well in this sunny, free draining spot and I hope that over time they will multiply.

For now it is time to take a break for I have spent too long on hands and knees planting today than is good for me.  The rest of the bulbs can wait.

Heavy digging and Tulip thieves

Two days before Christmas and the Winter Solstice has passed.  It may not feel it right now but the corner has been reached and the turn toward Spring has begun.  No doubt there will be more bad weather to endure but at least the days will begin to slowly lengthen. 

The weather has been wet and windy but today was a respite in the foul conditions and I was able to get back out into the garden. 

The allotted task was to continue to widen the long border that runs the length of our southern boundary in preparation for more planting.  We already have an assortment of shrubs in this border and last year planted more plus a scattering of Foxgloves.  A couple of days ago I had taken off the turf, which was heavy work, but the soil underneath was compacted and needed digging over.  This was quite a workout as it needed a pickaxe to break up the surface, then forking over and finally digging and turning the soil.  I finished off with a thick mulch of compost which not only looks good but will help to improve the soil structure.  The planting will be easy and we already have many plants grown from seed and cuttings to help fill the space.  But this can wait until after Christmas.

I will certainly not be planting Tulips.  Some form of rodent has had a field day raiding our pots and digging up pretty well all the Tulips we have planted.  The bulbs have been carted off to store somewhere or have been devoured, so we have decided to call it a day with Tulip planting.  Daffodils seem pretty resistant to this kind of problem and so I will plant out Narcissus 'Bridal Crown' in drifts next year.  We have it in pots already and the pesky rodents have left these well alone.  I also love the bubble gum scent of these late flowering Narcissus and they were a favourite of ours in the old garden.

But for now we can take a break, enjoy the garden in its naked finery, sit back with a sloe gin in hand and immerse ourselves in Christmas.

The great outdoors

One of the benefits of owning a garden on a hill and being on sharp draining chalk is that no matter how much rain Mother Nature throws at us, we can be out working in the garden within hours.

Today has been lovely.  Sunny and not too cold after a sometimes wet and decidedly chilly week.  Great weather to be out in the garden planting.  We have planted four Ligustrum delavayanum standards to help define our curving gravel path.  These are in addition to the eight we already have on other paths around the garden.  Their green heads look like floating footballs dotted around the garden and the effect is really pleasing.

In addition and to add screening, we have planted seven Ligustrum ovalifolium along our southern boundary.  While creating a screen they also provide a backdrop for the Orchard Room, our oak framed gazebo and their fresh green leaves are a real bonus.

But with two steps forward there is sometimes one step back.  During this last week holes have appeared where we planted Tulips in the border which divides the orchard from the vegetable garden.  Some form of rodent has obviously been at work lifting and no doubt storing our newly planted Tulips for Winter fodder.  Maybe this is a sign that a cold snap is on the way but having spent good money on the bulbs along with all the effort of planting them it is decidedly annoying none the less.  We had even soaked the Tulips in parafin as a precaution against just such an eventuality but still some bulbs have been taken.

As an insurance policy I have purchased more bulbs and planted these in individual pots in a gritty compost mix and hope to grow these on to plant out when they have shooted nearer the Spring.  It seems only to be Tulips that our small fury friends have a passion for.  Our Alliums/Ornamental Onions are unaffected so clearly they dislike the taste and aroma.

Maybe this is an indicator that next year we should just plant Tulips in pots and not the ground.  After all, they look just as lovely in a pot as they do in a border and pots can be easily carted off to the back of the potting shed when they are over and the bulbs lifted and stored.