Off The Edge Gardening

Another visit to a wonderful garden, The Round House in Ilfracombe.  It was as spectacular as ever, with its steep paths winding through borders stuffed with a myriad of horticultural splendors and views to the sea beyond, and it has been tricky to decide which plant to feature.  It would have been too obvious to feature the apricot, crimson and baby pink rhododendrons, or the exotic Geranium maderense dripping over the paths throughout the garden, or cut-leaved acers in gold and blood red, or the metallic shine of Elaeagnus “Quicksilver”, the ever flowering Fuchsia splendens, or even the sky-high embothrium and its slightly smaller offspring in full scarlet flower.    Instead I will show you Echium candicans; the perennial, bushier, multi-headed sister of the statuesque Echium pininana.   With flowers of gentian blue, contrasting with deep pink stamen it is as popular with bees as its fellows.  It is also very popular with me.  So, using all my powers of autosuggestion, coercive persuasion, the Vulcan mind meld and some delicate intimation I managed to obtain some cuttings.  It went something like this “I read last night that you can successfully take cuttings from this echium, as long as they are taken now, I mean right now, just this very instant.”  Big Hollywood smile, whilst saying “hint, hint”.  And it worked!  I came home with a plastic bag of bounty. They are now safely in place and I am using my new-found psychic abilities to assist in the rooting process.  It must of course be mentioned that the morning was further enhanced by the lovely hosts, a special guest appearance from my old (less of the old) friend Hero and some delicious lemon drizzle cake.  It’s a hard life, but someone’s got to do it!

I upset a lot of ants yesterday.  It probably amounted to several nests full and that adds up to a lot of grumpy critters.  This wasn’t done intentionally, you must understand.  I was quite innocently going about my business pulling weed out of a wall, as is my remit, when my unwitting faux pas occurred.  Little did I know this was not any ordinary wall, it was an ant metropolis, and the citizens were not happy.  Although I am not an expert in these matters I guessed by their reaction (the squirting and the nipping) they were indeed livid.  Risking their further wrath (from a safe distance) I took a few moments to study how they reacted to the blundering giant’s destruction of their home.  It was mesmerising to watch Ant Emergency Procedure (Invasion) being put into action.  To see how they efficiently mobilised their troops, some to ward off their attacker (little old me) and some to rescue the enormous eggs.  Nature is truly a wonderful thing, shame about the Blundering Giants.

Arrived at Spotty Dotty’s this morning to find a tree-top protest going on in the magnolia.  By the size of the bucket I would imagine Little Ted is planning to stay up there a long time.  Someone must have really upset him.

There is nothing better than visiting a garden.  When that garden is so beautiful that it is an education, an inspiration and heartwarming in equal parts it is even better.  If this little Eden has been created by good friends who ply you with homemade Bakewell tart and cheese scones (my personal favourite) then it adds up to a perfect morning.  And it was!

Today we had a Prunefest at  Lionel and Lavinia’s.  Camelias and azalias, forsythia and flowering currant were all under the knife, secateurs, pruners and saw.  A parade of green bins were filled, begged and borrowed from neighbours, and Lionel did his famous stomp to ensure not even one more leaf would fit in to the cavernous containers.  It was a fruitful and rewarding day and what is more I didn’t say “oops” once.  This controlled chopping was only halted by some heavy North Devon mizzle, fleeting but penetrating.  All the while we worked we were blessed by the scent of a philadelphus that had nipped over the fence from next door.  It is good to share.

A Play in One Scene

Me:  Hello Slasher would you please strim this area, the shrubs are obvious, the only things you have to avoid are these three plants (points to healthy Rudbeckia fulgida specimens that have  previously shrugged off attempts by the Easter bunny, Clara Cluck, a JCB and tree surgeon to do them harm).

Slasher Sid:  No problem, I will do that straight away.  Do not fear, your precious plants are safe with me.

Short Interlude

Mrs George (laughing in a totally inappropriate manner):  Has Slasher spoken to you yet?  He has strimmed the plants you asked him to avoid.

Me:  Oh dear, that is a shame.

Sound of wailing and gnashing of teeth as the horticultural ambulance approaches to take the victims to intensive care.

The End

 

Warm, a gentle breeze and a truck load of wonderful plants to set out and plant.  Definitely the best bit.

It was not a great day to be a gardener.  It was definitely not a gloating day, a day when I have to resist calling friends at their offices desks and hold my phone to the air, shouting “hear the birds, hear the breeze, hear the sea!”.  On the contrary, it was a day when a microwaved pasty, an unlimited supply of coffee and some idle gossip by the photocopier would have been welcome.  Perhaps not, on reflection, I think I will tough it out after all.

Like myself, this pollen laden bee supping from a lithodora flower was most likely in hiding today.  Our day will come, my little friend, they have promised.

A dismal day, weather-wise anyway. The wind blew, the rain hammered and it was chilly. Welcome to flaming June!  Rain did not, however, stop play. Myself and Mrs Beast sowed some seeds, stratified others and took cuttings of hydrangea, viburnum, rhododendron and several mystery shrubs. The new plants were allocated spots around the garden, to be planted later as homework. Undaunted by the torrents, Mr Beast worked like a demon outside.  After a monumental struggle, the likes of which have not been seen since Godzilla met King Kong, he managed to oust a dreary but persistent cotoneaster.  On the way home, when the rain had turned from steady to sheet, I stopped at the edge of the road to admire this hay meadow.  All in all, it was a pretty good day.

Dear Supermarket,

Last week I was in one of your store car parks and my other half said “what is that red flower over there?” pointing to something in the hazy distance.  Even without my specs on I knew what it was “I think it is an escallonia and I don’t like it very much”.  He replied “You don’t like anything to do with supermarkets”.   Yesterday leaving another supermarket (I am a glutton for punishment) I noticed two potentilla shrubs, standing alone in a large bed, the only survivors of monstrous neglect.   I love potentillas, but when I looked at these sad specimens I felt nothing but disdain.  Then I realised it was not the poor plants that I disliked just the horrendous design/planting/maintenance. Why do you bother spending all that money on landscaping for the plants to wither and die?  It is almost as if they have a death sentence on their heads as soon as they have been planted.  Either death or a life of tedious dullness for eternity.  Surely you can afford to employ someone who knows what they are doing to tend these outside areas?  There are plenty of us about.  It would only take a few hours a week, spend a few quid and you would be paid back in goodwill tenfold.  Let us go crazy now, let us hoppity hop to the next level.  With a little bit of imagination you could actually make a feature of these beds and borders.  Something colourful, inspiring, even edible.  Make people want to come to your shop because just walking through the car park is a joyous experience.  You sell cheap plants, you sell cheap compost, there seems to have been an enormous slip between cup and lip.  Really it isn’t rocket science.  Lets face it, you are not on first name terms with the Green Gang, not known for your conservation and nature loving ways.  So why don’t you make a stand, be the first of your kind, lead the way with environmental oneupmanship and get those marketing people on the job.  Just an idea …..

Your,

A well wisher