Readers’ gardens
A suburban garden in Surrey where not an inch of space is wasted, with year-round colour and interest.
There’s still so much spring colour in the garden, and it looks so fresh. My favourites are my pots of tulips – they’re gorgeous. The daffodils are over but the wallflowers are looking good and the scent when it’s warm is wonderful.
Pansies, violas and primroses are still flowering their heads off – I really think we’ve had the best spring show for a couple of years.
Amelanchier canadensis has
flowered and I’m looking forward to the new leaves and berries. Amelanchier ‘Obelisk’ has also flowered and both are good for a smaller garden.
Akebia quinata is in bloom and the fruit trees have been covered in blossom. I hope this means we’ll get a good apple and pear crop. The blueberries are flowering, too, and I’ve fed and
top dressed them. I’m a bit concerned about the blueberry that’s supposed to fruit in August, though. It doesn’t look well, so I’ll keep an eye on it. The ferns are starting to grow and they fascinate me.
I’ve been pricking out, potting on and sowing seeds in the greenhouses every day. The germination rates have been good for most plants but the asarina has failed for the
second year running – I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I’ve pricked out some didiscus and antirrhinum ‘Oriental Lanterns’ grown from seeds given away with GN.
I’ve several varieties of cosmos and my plug plants are doing well. The cuttings I took at the end of last summer have made lovely strong plants.
My auntie’s greenhouse is nearly full with sweetcorn, runner beans, French beans, courgettes, peas, lettuces, tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, chillies, cucumbers and different basils. Plants are starting to go outside to harden off and I’m planting up the pots and baskets with a purple theme – verbena, calibrachoa, petunias and brachyscome! Husband Barry has been busy in the veggie garden and on the allotment, too. It’s at this time of the year I realise how obsessed I am with plants. I just can’t stop it, and I love it!