Unexpected events can inspire colourful ideas in fertile minds
When a chestnut tree branch came crashing, it was no disaster, says our expert Agnes Stevenson, as it brought light and a chance for some fresh thinking
One blustery lunchtime during the recent monsoon season, the giant chestnut tree in the front garden dropped a limb. It hit the ground with such force that branches embedded themselves in the wet earth and leaves and unripe chestnuts were strewn across the grass.
During its fall, it brought down a couple of branches from the neighbouring willow and now both trees have raw scars that stand out brightly against the bark.
The chestnut tree has been ailing for some time, so this autumn I’m going to collect some of the conkers and plant them in small pots. That way I’ll have a replacement for it when it eventually topples.
I find I’m always planning for the future, working towards a picture of the garden as it could be that I carry around in my head. But achieving that vision is not what matters. It’s the getting there that’s fun.
I love watching seedlings grow and seeing cuttings put on fresh leaves. Finding a toad under the woodpile or watching a woodpecker hop around on the newly-mown grass add to the pleasure. And when something unexpected happens – like a tree falls over – it’s a chance to look at the garden in a new light.
That’s what’s happened in the front garden where the missing chestnut
branch has opened up a space for the early morning sun to reach part of the garden previously in shadow. Now I expect the azaleas that grow here to get bigger much faster. I’m going to add to the spring colour here by scattering seeds from a mixture of annuals and perennials flowering elsewhere in the garden. The primula seeds I sowed undercover last month have sprouted and I’ve promised to give away at least half of the young plants to friends and family.
And, despite being nibbled by deer, the climbing rose I planted to cover the bare branches of one of our large conifers is doing fine. The dahlias are not so happy. They’ve either been toppled by the deluge or their petals have turned to mush. I might find something else to fill the patio with colour next year.
More pelargoniums could be the answer. Despite their ability to withstand drought, my pelargoniums have coped with the wet conditions and thrown up lots of fresh buds. Good drainage has been the key – as long as their roots are planted in gravelly soil, they will keep doing their stuff, whatever the weather.
In fact the only thing that could stop them is a tree falling on them, but I’ve got my fingers crossed we’ve seen the last of those this summer.