Crops saved by our blackberry hedge
Acouple of unexpected late frosts affected our allotment site, which is situated on the brow of a hill. Quite a few neighbouring plots sustained severe frost damage to their strawberries and potatoes. However, ours escaped harm, due to protection from our blackberry hedge.
After a slow start, the peas, sweet peas and beans are germinating. Most of the dahlias have survived, having been earthed up like potatoes for winter, and are joined by some new lilies, cosmos and poppies as part of my plant trials. The lupins are looking spectacular.
Pittosporum and viburnum topiaries have been pruned quite radically. I took a big risk by drastically skirt-pruning them, but it has added a touch of formality to the current exuberant planting schemes!
Early spring-flowering shrubs Coronilla glauca and Spiraea vanhouttei ‘Pink Ice’ have been cut hard back to let the light into the herbaceous borders, allowing me to plug ever decreasing gaps with late-flowering perennials.
I’ve been enjoying creating summer container displays for the patio. With cannas as focal points, I’ve combined coleus (solenostemon) ‘Redhead’ and ‘Campfire’ with dark-leaved begonias ‘Nonstop Mocca Bright Orange’ and ‘Glowing Embers’ in containers and window boxes. The striking foliage of Ipomoea batatas ‘Blackie’ and ‘Caroline’, chartreuse-green heucheras and variegated hostas make unusual hanging basket partners.
Roses dominate at the moment. Climbers ‘Danse du Feu’ and ‘Étoile de Hollande’ are in full bloom, complementing the pink elderflowers on Sambucus nigra porphyrophylla ‘Eva’. Rosa odorata ‘Mutabilis’ has scrambled into the Clematis montana, with rose ‘For Your Eyes Only’ blooming at its base. ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ is in full bloom, and red, orange and cream ‘Flower Carpet’ roses are in bud. Thalictrum has come into flower very early, coinciding with wild valerian. Orange geum and erysimum mingle with pink Lychnis viscaria. Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’ and buttercupyellow ranunculus stand proud in the sunshine.
Work has finally been completed on our beach hut summer house and over the bank holiday we had a ‘grand opening’ barbecue to celebrate!
It seems strange not to be opening our garden for charity this June, instead we’re putting our energies into our local Horticultural Society villagestyle NGS Open Day in Hampstead Garden Suburb on Sunday, June 25.
For more info visit www.ngs. org.uk, or google NGS Hampstead Garden Suburb.