Thursday 29 March 2018

Phase two

The gardener came whilst I was out this morning and manured the lower bed and then dug it over well.   After lunch I managed to put in the seven herbaceous plants I had ready = two perennial geraniums, two astrantias, two hellebores and a
tellima which I bought this morning along with a deep red aubretia for the rockery.    My friend and neighbour H and I were talking about tellima yesterday (I had one in the garden at the farm) and when I went to the garden centre this morning to pick up some alpine gravel I saw one so I bought it).

It is difficult to plant a completely empty bed because it is much better to plant it out on paper I suppose.   But I shall pick up plants as and when I see them so at present I have put them in in a random fashion, but as none of them are particularly tall I think I have made a good start.   The large patch of snowdrops can now be dug up and split up while 'in the green' and planted in amongst the plants.   They will die down long before any of the plants come to anything and will be up and in flower next year when the garden is empty.

Now there are thirteen rock alpines to be put in when the gravel has been mulched but that part of the garden is too high for me to go on to when I am here alone. 

But I have made a start and in the morning I shall buy some pansies from the market and put a couple of clumps in towards the front so that something is flowering now (the Helleborus Niger
is also in bloom and has lots of buds on).

Gardening is so frustrating when I have to walk with my stick.   It is something I have enjoyed all my life - but I suppose this is the stage everyone eventually reaches.   So what I am saying is that if you are still nipping about in your garden - make the most of it.

21 comments:

Rosie said...

You are amazing and put me to shame with all that you achieved since moving in. It looks like there will be a lot to look forward to in your plantings.

Bonnie said...

I'm excited for you! It is going to be beautiful!

donna baker said...

I simply can't wait to see all your plans and work come to fruition. That is the most beautiful garden spot around. Those stone walls - the gardens that have been there before...it is going to be beautiful.

angryparsnip said...

So wonderful. I can not wait for it to grow. It will be lovely.
I understand your frustration with your cane I go crashing around with my walker. I have dented my walls.

cheers, parsnip

Ruth said...

Isn't that the nicest blessing - to have some space to garden in without kneeling or bending over, at least the spot in your picture. What could be better than that - except to have good strong legs and knees!! It's going to give you so much joy when your things begin growing and spreading.

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

The hope of spring - planting flowers for summer. We are still having chilly, rainy, windy weather, it is going on far too long. I want my pansies to perk up and show some flowers but they just sit and mope in the rain. I suppose I would mope too if I had to sit out in the cold rain all day. Have a grand weekend.

Cro Magnon said...

I'm a hopeless flower gardener; I know nothing about flowers. I shall look forward to seeing the results.

Derek Faulkner said...

Wow, you have done well. I'd like to be nipping about in the garden but it's far too wet at the moment, with more rain forecast over Easter and early next week and I'm getting so behind. Tellima was a new one on me, I had to Google it. It looks lovely, although it's supposed to prefer shade or part shade.

Gwil W said...

We're in for good weather over Easter. It's a time when Austrian children find Easter eggs in parks and gardens. I think rabbits leave them under the bushes.

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

Looking forward to seeing the garden later in the year. When I looked after my mother's garden I always grew several begonias in pots and then put them in any spaces in the flower beds, digging a hole and putting the whole pot in it, I could then move them about the garden as I needed to.

Rachel Phillips said...

Progress.

Heather said...

I can feel your excitement at all the lovely things to come in your garden. I used to plant some things in pots as John mentions in his comment. It is often handy to have something to fill the odd gap that inevitably appears somewhere in the garden.
Looking forward to the next update.

Zaz said...

what a lovely start to your garden - here in Sweden we have earth that is packed with ice so its impossible to plant or dig anyhting yet! Our living room is full of small plants just waiting.......waiting for spring - like me.

Jennyff said...

Such a nice project to have, it will pay dividends and I think we are all ready for summer blooms after such a long winter. Well done.

Elizabeth said...

I never really had a plan - just stuck things in.
How exciting to have a new garden to plan and plant. Yes to hellebores.....
and to almost everything else.
I have a soft spot for wallflowers!
Happy Easter.

Unknown said...

Sorry with the frustrations of gardening with a stick but glad you are getting much pleasure from choosing plants for your new garden. Happy Easter

liparifam said...

We had a fine, slightly cool day a few days ago, so I went over to my daughter's home and worked in their little front yard for a solid 5 hours. It was in pitiful shape, nothing having been done to it since they moved in. I used a hoe and shovel to entirely reshape and edge all of the beds, weeded, laid new mulch and mowed the little lawn. I never got tired and felt perfectly fine at the end - but then I got home and sat down for about 15 minutes, and after that I could barely move!! Soooo sore and decrepit, LOL! But I will continue to work like that as long as I can. It's so rewarding to see the results :)

Minigranny said...

So much to look forward to there!

Tricky Wolf said...

It will all look fantastic when it blooms, the hard work will play off

Anonymous said...

Lovely to hear that you've been able to get some plants in to the lower bed.
Today, for the first time I felt the excitement of a new spring!
Here it's turned into a lovely afternoon after a grim start this morning.
Your comment about enjoying gardening is true of many other activities too.
I can remember my mother being sad that she was unable to row a boat any
more when she was 80.
Happy Easter
Sue

Doc said...

Perhaps you could have some handrails installed at the stairs to help getting to the upper level.