It’s out with the old and in with the new!
I’ve been continuing my epic border transformation with more pruning, weeding and reorganisation. I’ve lightly trimmed all the apple trees and removed the deadwood from the
Cotoneaster horizontalis. I was delighted to find several self-seeded cotoneaster and have moved them into gaps in the pruned parent plant and along empty edges of the border. It really is a fabulous plant, with buzzing spring blossom, plentiful berries and striking red autumn colour.
Pruning the shrubs well and moving them into more appropriate positions has really increased the size of the borders and given welcome space for planting. Grouping the hebes together really shows off their variegated foliage and I’ve taken cuttings from their trimmings and several other plants too, such as penstemon. Roses that weren’t growing well in containers are now incorporated into the garden, punctuated with groups of parrot and dwarf tulips and crocus. I’ve also added some new achilleas, eryngiums, physostegias and a deutzia ‘Mont Rose’ – all costing less than £1.50 each! While tidying, I found a tiny fuchsia engulfed in the broom bush and have planted it in a new spot to recover. This ‘excavation’ has given me the best opportunity to tackle the tangled tapestry of ground elder, creeping lamium, Michaelmas daisies and viola roots. What a job!
The children helped to make a festive bug hotel, and we’ve also cleaned and refilled the bird feeders and replaced the wires securing them to trees.
Sweet peas, phlox and other seedlings are growing well in the greenhouse and the Iris
reticulata are planted in terracotta pots, ready for spring. The cuttings look good and I’m hoping for a successful batch of young plants.