My gardening DIARY

MONDAY Both climbers on the front of the co age have taken off in all directions. The wisteria, which was a piece from the original plant that layered itself, is growing on the corner on both the south and east wall. Time to prune it, taking all the extension growth back to two buds.

TUESDAY Potato time again. New potatoes with a knob of bu er and perhaps a mint leaf is one of life’s treats. You need space to be selfsufficient in spuds but everyone, even those with only room for a pot, can grow enough for a few meals.

WEDNESDAY At the bo om of the garden stands a big birch tree, it’s a

Betula jacquemontii (but not one with white bark) grown from seed by Mary Boundy, a wonderful local plantswoman. It’s more than 6m (30ft) tall and a rose, ‘Félicité Perpétue’, grows into its branches and needs a bit of help. We’re tying in some of the strongest shoots.

THURSDAY Two trays of trilliums grown from seed are seeing their third spring. This year they’re going to be planted out. Several are going in a shady bed in between the roots of the two cercidiphyllum.

FRIDAY We once went to Walney Island off the Cumbria/ Lancashire coast to look for Geranium sanguineum

striatum, pictured right. We found it growing in sand dunes. It’s one of the pre iest of cranesbills. We’re taking root cu ings with material from our best plants, chopping them into inch-long segments and pressing them down horizontally into compost, then covering with grit. They root and make new shoots from li le nodules.

SATURDAY Cardamine

quinquefolia never fails to give us a welcome surprise. It springs up, first with bright green leaves, followed by pale lilac flowers.

SUNDAY Clearing leaves can become repetitive; sometimes I feel like just leaving them where they are. I must remain true to our method of collecting them, making leaf mould and then applying it as a mulch.