Getting ready for our charity days Caroline and David Broome
With the onset of warmer sunny weather, plans are being hatched for our two charity open garden days in July and August. We’re looking for ways of increasing the seating space, so shopping around for a sofa for the summer house. Now the likelihood of frosts is diminishing, we’ll be off to buy masses of summer bedding for the two dozen tubs and hanging buckets; after last year’s lack of
displays due to nursery closures during lockdown I can’t wait to go berserk with a riot of colour!
I’ve been holding my breath, but finally all the giant salvias are emerging from the soil so I’m gradually planting out the overwintered salvias now, too. As the borders start to fill out, I’m protecting new growth with plastic collars to stop the pigeons grazing. David has had to rig up a mesh cage over the herb trolley!
I’ve been dividing ferns and cannas for repotting on the patio. It’s been so dry that I’ve had to water daily as well as apply general fertiliser as a kick-start. Something is nibbling the leaves of my abutilons but at least the hostas, in their elevated pots, are safe from snail attack. The spent daffs have been lifted and replanted in plastic pots so they can be tucked away to die down naturally until next autumn. With April weather going from one extreme to the other, I’ve been playing Russian roulette with the irrigation system and greenhouse propagators! The parakeets have abandoned us since we stopped filling the bird feeders with peanuts to protect the fledglings from choking, allowing respite for all the small garden birds. A pair of
coal tits are nesting in our tree box and the pond is full of tadpoles.
In the greenhouse, cucumber, pepper and tomato plugs are growing on well and the trough has been filled with compost in readiness. I’ve managed to grow quite a few unusual Nicandra physalodes (shoo-fly plant) from seed given to me by a friend last autumn; the beautiful lilac flowers on dark stems are perfect for the purple, white and lemon border alongside the Cerinthe major ‘Purpurascens’ seedlings I’ve raised.
Although there isn’t much to see yet, the garden is bursting with promise. After most growth was stopped in its tracks during recent frozen spells, the coronilla has only just got into its stride.
There’s early flower colour from brunneras, pulmonarias and erysimum alongside a carpet of colourful foliage from heucheras. Pale pink tree peony buds are just about to open.
David has installed two more quirky water features and we’ve added another new find, a terracotta chimney pot, now home to an architectural fern. David is also joining me on the committee of The London Gardens Society.