Finely Marbled Garden

The anemone really love the sun.

Yes, Pig has been reborn and is still smug.

This was as far as I was going in the morning.

Yo, Dear Reader, I was giving a tip that there was a big area fill with kerbing and off-cuts and thanks to a friend’s ever constant support managed to snag a good few bits, having everything be a hodgepodge of random pieces really helps hide any flaws, the disparity really makes it unique. The area was packed with so much, but I just took what I needed and after this I can say that I’m content and more importantly I’m finished with this part of the garden. It’s a good feeling to finish a project, not having to wait to see an end to something is always going to be preferable to a wait and with all the waiting I’ve been made to do I’ll avoid it as much as possible from here on. It’s amazing that there’s so much that is all waste because it can’t be used, sad it couldn’t be taken and remade somehow, but I’m grateful to be able to do with it what I could.

Oddly fitting, will look better between flowers.

It was so unique and just thrown away I couldn’t leave it to rot or be broken up.

he rockery continues to take shape, from all random pieces laid over lumpy junk.

The tree has always been an eyesore beneath, there’s an old stump beneath the planter, found and now ragged bottomed, but the pot settled over perfectly and with a bit of plastic plugging it the sand helped it settle, it’s way too shallow to plant in, but the gazing balls finish it and they’ve been just scattered about at random anyway. Up next I fill in, it’s matted already, repurposing old name and throwing away the old wooden edging, just old planks, but good for the time I had them, the chunks just slotted in and are tightly locked so no soil will fall out. I had to eyeball it all as I went and somehow managed to get it right. I can’t exactly return them and ask for another better fitting piece, can I, Dear Reader? All I have to really do is thank the people who helped, I never take for granted, Dear Reader, never forge a promise either. I forget plenty of other things so it balances out.

Needed a bit of chiselling and a lot of balancing to get them to stay.

By evening I had it finished up.

Even gave the dog a boost.

The garden is starting to really come to life, we’re being threaten with snow, but that’s almost a given at this time of year, the threat, Dear Reader, not the sow, the weather here is too unpredictable, yet hardly moves away from the wet and overcast for the most part. If nothing else I’m prepared for snow, but all I can do is watch and replace if needs be. The sand seems to be keeping more heat in the greenhouse, that might be imagination, but better a positive delusion than a negative one I suppose, and if nothing else the plants are tough. I’ll just roll with whatever season the day decides on, Dear Reader, I’m trying to be better at not planning too much or worrying too much, whether I’ll get better is hard to say, but if all else I’ll garden away regardless so there’s that. I’ll be back again later, Dear Reader, I’m off to rest my weary bones, more foo me for rushing with everything, until then stay safe and take care.

Who Thunk That Thought?

Seeing all the buds starting on the roses really is amazing.

Years later I still have no idea where this came from and it never grows much bigger.

Tulips and the ever present yellow strawberries.

Rough and ready, but if it works it works.

Yo, Dear Reader, it’s still cold and dark here, but the garden still has a few little spots of colour and I try to get out each day and at least shuffle things around, going out to take photos has always forced me to look for the small joys in the garden, whereas just going out without the camera I tend to look for tasks to complete, it’s been a good habit to develop. I have a lot of little plans that run through my head whenever I step into the garden, some will be years taking roots and may fail long before they bear fruit, others have come to fruition and beyond that even, the garden doesn’t have a clear plan and I prefer it that way, Dear Reader, I think it’s why salvage has fit so neatly into the garden’s design, finding something creates a problem where it now needs a purpose and a place and that set my brain ticking over on a sub level, I joking refer to it as garden brain. When turning compost today, there’s so much peel from all the vegetables and fruit we use, staggering sometimes to think how much waste there must be out there that isn’t composted, I thought about nothing much, but somewhere, Dear Reader, an idea formed and I picked up the hanging planters that have been all over the garden, currently filled with bee friendly perennials, mint a bird dropped and yellow strawberries in one, curry plant in another, two with bulbs, rambling? Me, Dear Reader, yes, sorry, but I picked one up and just walked to the poles I put up to keep the rose growing towards the back and undid the rope and popped the pot here, I did this before, but this works so much better. No clue when I thought of it, but it’ll be eaten by the rose in time and will bloom alongside it. Nothing much to today’s post, Dear Reader, the world’s on fire and to many refuse to even try to put it out, but we can do what we can at least, I’ll be back again later, until then stay safe and take care.

The rose is really gearing up to get huge this year. Huger.

Still the loveliest spots of early colour.

Bluebell never go away, don’t mind them, but I did need to take most out to replant elsewhere.

Rescues with a little care nearly always do well.

DIY Beach Stroll

Found cut branches of holly on a walk.

Found new friends in the supermarket.

The first bouquet rose flowered this time last year. Not there yet, but doing well.

Yo, Dear Reader, you can tell the season is starting to pick up as I’m back to daily posts for a while, good way to destress and to think about where the garden is heading. I mean I do hope others beside me enjoy these posts too, but I’ll carry on regardless. I take a lot of photos as a record and even then I still seem to need more from different angles, the garden has gone through a lot of alterations, I hope to never be finished changing things, but I did not have beach sand on my bucket list, Dear Reader. Even if I lived near a beach that wouldn’t be in my mind as an option, but then my friend’s luck struck and we found a huge heap of it discarded, might’ve been used for settling stones and the rest was just tossed and I was going to Google for idea, but instead let my brain just tick over and off I went.

Needs a few new flowers, but you can actually see the stones now.

Everything gets dirty in time, but that’s fine too.

There are three, but you get the idea.

It’s such lovely sand and I wanted to be able to walk on it, but not wanting to drag it everywhere, the rose garden is idea as you mostly walk around rather than through, for a few months the path is safe, but once everything starts you could be torn to shreds by the roses, so it was perfect. The path is bordered by old plants and is much deeper than you’d imagine, uneven too, though everything is, Dear Reader, so I took the stones, cleaned and reused already, and started pouring sand, didn’t take too much and after a rake, the pattern didn’t last five minutes, it made a nice contrasting walkway. I’ll need to be careful with the leaf blower, but it’s heavy sand that sucks up water without getting too soggy and the drainage is good. After I went to the front and used a riddle to make a circle within the stones by clearing a square, pouring sand and then pressing the riddle in and bringing the stones over to the edges. Then the rockery finally got a bit brighter and finally, no Jack never stops, Dear Reader, the cold-frame has a new possibly heat retaining floor. I have two bags still and I found more kerbing, raised the rain barrel, a hebe, was covered in fake snow, not any more, and some outdoor fairy lights. Not a bad days salvaging, Dear Reader, and with no extra materials there’s no waste in upcycling. I’ll think about the other bags next, I’ll have fun if nothing else. I’ll be back later, Dear Reader, until then stay safe and take care.

Fighting the good fight, not sure which cutting this is.

Spring’s Slow Thrills

Californian Lilac is still slowly budding.

All I know is this is a branch I stuck in there because it fell off something. That was years ago.

Hollyhock getting read to spread everywhere again this year.

RTC is all roots & RTC Jr. is mostly shoot.

The bottom is rooting the top die off isn’t an issue.

Noble Orchid is reblooming.

A sure sign Spring isn’t far.

The baby roses are getting more sun and loving it.

Yo, Dear Reader, it has been…what, not even a day? And yet you missed me, shush, so much I, quiet, had to return…let me believe the lie and share with you the coming of Spring. I took a wander out into the garden to see the snowdrops starting again, they were taken from another place and have really thrived here, never had as much luck with buying them as bulbs, naturalised is better I suppose. I’ll take another piece from these again and get them establishing in the newer beds. Overtime I’ve gotten more lax with how I’m planting everything, with experience I have a better understanding I guess and worry less about bare patches, they’re going to happen, Dear Reader, but it’s not hard to fill them as you go and it’s much more enjoyable to have a hodge podge of flowers than neat orderly rows that fail when one plant doesn’t grow.

Bros? Why, yes, yes we are.

Didn’t notice the other shoots until later.

Leaves and new shoots are appearing on the roses.

Going to need a lot more stones, but it’s a start.

So much green already.

I forget which is which for the most part.

In another month this is going to be flush with shoots.

There isn’t much to do yet, I have onions on the way, potatoes will be here in time and will need chitting first, so that means some pots need a refresh, but won’t be getting composted as the bins aren’t ready yet, they were doing so well I kept filling them up. One is resting and it’ll be ready in time, the soil in the pots has improved a lot over the years so I don’t need to add much to them, though you can see the difference when nothing is added, the soil becomes so dry and dead. Never thought I’d learn so much about soil conditioning, but here we are, Dear Reader. Right now I just need to decide what I’ll be growing in the vegetable bed and the greenhouse set up. Nice to feel nothing else beside that, this will be a unique year for me, Dear Reader, no surgeries pending, no waiting daily for letters or calls, just me trying to navigate the strange seasons we’ve been saddled with. I’ll keep you updated on the slow thrill of Spring, Dear Reader, until later, stay safe and take care.

Junior’s first bloom.

Good old RTC.

As long as they’re growing I’m happy.

Currants that need proper covering, every time I fic it the wind rips it off.

Pink Willow Catkins.

Only the tap was actually for a rain barrel, the rest is ad libbed.

I may see seeds with the second amaryllis.

Come Home Harlequin

Bathroom tradescantia is still growing.

Cheap rare (Comparatively that is) plants are surpringly common these days.

RTC Jr. last week, already past this, need a new photo.

Yo, Dear Reader, it has been a little (very) dead around here, the weather hasn’t been bad, but hasn’t be as pleasant as it was, so things are slow and I can’t do as much clearing of weeds as I’d like to, not that I like doing it, Dear Reader, I just have to, but if I have to I’d rather not get slowly saturated by the humidity. Still, I have started getting seeds in, I don’t have as many option as I used to and they cost more, but at this stage I have a good idea of what I need and won’t waste my time on pointless seeds, well, not unless I want to. I’m mostly going with the usual, I’ll just do two sets of peas, the other frame and that side will be for squash this year, a departure, but these days I’m realising that this way is more enjoyable, I’m not trying to optimise the year because it may be lost to a surgery or worse, so I can just have fun and do what I do pretty well. I have taken a gamble and bought squash from England, they may get returned, held in customs or just pass through unscathed, I have seeds a friend went to great lengths to get to me and I have uchiki kuri again as they did so well last year. Four varieties if all grows well. I hope I’ll get my harlequin, if anything that’s one crop I’d grow ever and always, last year felt empty without it if I’m honest, Dear Reader, I’m getting soft in the head these days, between that and getting choked up as RTC Jr. I may need to get out in the sunshine more. I’m doing better, Dear Reader, there’s still a lot to process and a lot of habits to unlearn, I’ll never be the same as if I hadn’t gone through it all, but as I did I want to do all I can to enjoy the year. I hope you’ll stick with me to see how things grow, Dear Reader. Until later, stay safe and take care.

Not that I have room, but I’ll always find it.

This is why I never fill in the depression in the path.

Tapped Out

These have rooted well, I think when they form the calloused ends in water a transfer to soil helps them root better.

Now twice as fast!

The Bouquet Rose, finally took a decent photo of it.

The Chinese Magnolia, still no fancy buds.

All from two inches of rose stem.

Hope it’ll flower heavier this year.

Yo, Dear Reader, it’s getting warmer, we haven’t really had much of a Winter bar like two days of mild frost and already the Spring and Summer bulbs are appearing and I’m just rolling with it, I could panic, but I can’t push them back into the soil. I mean I could, but I doubt it’d help. I’ve been meaning to move the monstrous hollyhock, that was still blooming and is re-growing at the base, I needed a tree loppers to take off the old stalks and found that the small finger sized roots have become massive curled chunks of root, they cost less than two Euro a few year’s ago, I have newer ones, but they’re another variety, I never grew it before this, but they’re great for bees and just taking over a chunk of the garden. Funnily the roots aren’t filling the pot, just one long swelling tube. Which meant a lot of soil was spilt everywhere, which marks the advent of warmer weather I guess, Dear Reader, usually does if I’m honest.

The back rose’s first year with full light.

Going to be amazingly fun to watch it expand.

Excuse the aurora borealis.

It had rooted into the matting.

Swap lilies are alive, may flower this year. May not.

New alpine strawberries have tiny flowers starting.

I have a few odd jobs I’ve been wanting to tackle since the back has grown so much, the rain barrel’s tap was a little high, which wouldn’t be so bad if the tap was faulty too, the barrel might be older than I am, yes, there’s a theme here, Dear Reader, lost of thrift in my family, but it’s sealed well and once I get it in position I can use the smaller barrel for a fertilizer brewer and use the freed up space for wild blackberry experiments. Which may take years to see whether they’ll work or not, they’re the blackberry cutting I got from the railway line, the really large and sweet berries, if it goes well I’ll fill a large pot I’ve had sitting around and I’ll pot them in there and let them intertwine with the laurel hedge. One thing in turn causes another, like a demented game of garden dominoes that never ends. Not that I’d have it any other way, Dear Reader.

Cuttings I didn’t really want, but that refuse to die.

Lots of new growth and strong roots.

Starting up again already.

No clue what variety they are to be honest.

For some reason there’s a lot of grass starting everywhere, wild grass, but also lawn grass, the birds have been busy I suppose, so I’m playing a game of Weed? Grass? Bulb! and hoping that whatever pops up will pop back down again. I’m moving plants around, repotting, mixing up and checking what has survived. I think my cherry blossom tree might actually be okay, I’ll need to wait a while, but I’ve learned to be very patient regarding plants. I am of course staying true to form I emptied a pot and was about to repot the single primrose when I found a dahlia tuber. Yes, Dear Reader, I did do this, but I remember it, I actually left it there to protect it, but forgot it, I found it in a clump of bulbs and dead begonias that has been tossed, no idea what type it is, but I’ve had luck with them before, so it’ll grow in the bed with the bulbs and I’ll forget about it until it pops up again. More fun that way, Dear Reader. I’ll be back again soon, until then stay safe and take care.

I have this inside too, may have to put it out, this one is much happier.

Two blackberries have rooted fast and one wild rose still lives.

Lots popping up.

Bonsai are just small trees and take so, so long to grow. Still I’m getting there.

Lovely to see all these shoots. No idea what half them are.

Pssst? What Secrets Have You, Wheelbarrow?!

Might see currants one year, but it’s good for the bees so I don’t mind.

So much deeper now.

It’ll be pretty later. Mostly pretty.

Yo, Dear Reader, no I’m not taking 2022 any more seriously than 2021. So, I didn’t want to mention it because anything to do with medical appointments puts my hackles up and I’m sure it’ll go awry, but thankfully my taking chances where I can made sure I go my booster quickly and with no hassle. Yes, Dear Reader, Jack is triply vaccinated and still has very little intention of being near people, but if I have to I’ll be safer. Naturally I did what everyone does afterwards and went salvaging more kerbing…no, just me, Dear Reader? Anyway, bless the friend that risks her car to help me out, we cleaned it out and by some greater power it was exactly the right length of materials to the inch. Though I did blow out my wheelbarrow getting them in from the car, swings and roundabouts I suppose. This time of year is cleaning up and setting up, dull in other words, Dear Reader, but I’m still glad I thought out the sloped part of the En Suite further, I’m letting it settle for a while, not that it’s likely to slip, those chunks are incredibly heavy and I don’t want to move any for a few weeks again…optimistic that I’ll find more, aren’t I, Dear Reader?

Depending on what level you’re on it looks like it’ll either falling or is perfectly straight and isn’t either.

Clean looking, but empty.

I’ll plug any gaps and fill it with soil. The whole area there has seen so much work, but it was the worst spot in the garden so it’s fitting I suppose. I’m just thinking low plants and low maintenance, the Wild Garden, never can see to drop that name even now, has been studded with bulbs and filled in again, the Rambler Bed, yes I’m bad with names, has been given a boost of bulbs and I finally realised that the big gap at the back of the plant stand is better the other way around so it’s open at the front. Mostly just standard Spring bulbs I bought half price with a gift card, but I’ll add more odds and ends as time goes on. I don’t do patient, or rather I do it too well at times, Dear Reader, but I want to double check the sloped bed because that area is rough, it’s where the invasive weeds are, now under boards and double matted, but at an extreme angle. I’ll leave it a day or two then fill in, it’ll just be nice to see it done. A lot of hauling and lifting has been done, Dear Reader, but I feel good so I can’t complain. Things will start up soon and the Winter Uglies will be forgotten until they start up again. I’ll be back again soon, Dear Reader, until then stay safe and take care.

Seasonal Smush

A rush of new growth has appeared.

This isn’t supposed to be here right now…

I did say no over-wintered onions, but I have to try for some reason. Masochism maybe.

First year for The Rambler sans hedge.

Daffodils. I have planted so many I have no idea how many.

Yo , Dear Reader, the weather is currently nearer Winter than it has been, we may even have snow so at least the garlic will get their perquisite frosting over, still sunny enough to get out and start clearing a little of the debris and generally getting an idea of what I want to do this year. I’ve received my last roses of last year, well, this year’s first I suppose, funnily a rose variety I wanted, had looked at and finally received has been in the garden already for a few years. In my defence it’s red everywhere, but actually is a pink and white rose. The one I have is a really old rose so it’ll be interesting to see how this one fares with the best care I can provide. Not sure where to put them, but currently they’re in the greenhouse as the pots were really wet, I’ll repot so I won’t have to transplant later in the year, I’d say they’re just newly potted bareroot roses. Everyone’s an expert if they know the terminology, eh, Dear Reader? I’ll do my best by them. The second is a striped orange and yellow and may end up being a favourite in time.

Enough sun to run this despite it being partly frozen.

Godspeed, way too early bulbs.

Happy Spring…*Throws up hands*

I forget the base is actually the main part of the rose. The top is all new growth.

Using up bits of things is a hobby or a passion at this stage.

I have bulbs starting late, plants in time with the season and plants that have no reason to be alive right now. The weather is so out of sync with the supposed seasons that I’m just going to keep doing what ever I can and hope it all works out somehow. I hope to maybe get more of the kerbing, I have the potential rockery plotted out, it’ll need a strong base layer of kerbing, if that can sit even on the slop in the En Suite Garden I’m golden, even doubling would be fine, I could them make shallow little nooks out of whatever concrete or stone I can salvage, building upwards in time. It’ll be simple, but will be unique in the garden. I’ve now started referring to the kerbing as “Reclaimed Limestone”. The white blobs that looks like the birds had an edge on it are possibly efflorescence. I’ve decided that a preferable feature. The pillars look neat, it’s unique to say nothing else. Just hoping my spring bulbs, ordered with a gift voucher that only worked on this one site where everything is slow and awkward, come before Spring has sprung. All things in time I suppose, Dear Reader, but it’d be better right now. Until later, Dear Reader, until then stay safe and take care.

Oh, first year for the new garlic pots too.

So, so many bluebells are crammed in there.

I spray my roes so I can’t use them, but I haven’t seen so many rosehips here ever.

Please be the vibrant red the flower was.

Camellia…not that I ever stop mistaking it for an azalea.

The butterfly bush is already way too large.

Lift and Run

Lambs ear I put in the pipe and somehow thrived in there, now potted and replaced with ivies.

Higher! HIGHER! No, that’s enough actually.

Didn’t forget my useless pipe either.

Yo, Dear Reader, I am once again back to my usual habits, a friend brought me off to see what the new year would bring and some kind soul had decided to leave a bounty of kerbing, might be limestone because it is incredibly heavy, you know what, Dear Reader? I don’t think they considered how much I can lift at a time or what the car can take, they should be more considerate of me. Thankfully I’m mostly back to my peak, as peak as I get, Dear Reader, and because the wheelbarrow needs pumping I had to carry them one by one and that’ll test my muscles. I then played jigsaw again with odds and ends, the pieces I took from one wall to make the new bed have been replaced and made better and the new bed beneath the rambler is being made higher so I can plant deeper in there. All going well I’ll get the rest later, finding the two pillars was worth it in itself, but why waste?

Only I see it as finished, same as only I saw it as incomplete.

They look so natural.

Two different sets of leftover parts are being assembled into tomato trellises.

The garden is Springing back to life, we did get some freezing, the garlic looks better for it already, it’ll root harder thanks to that stress, whether that applies to all bulbs I can’t say, but we’ll see, they’ve survived worse, as have I. I feel a lot freer in my mind, as if a schedule was there all the time, garden until the surgery as a running memo, but now what day only applies to everything outside of the garden, within it time has no need for such accuracy. It all need a good dry and clean up as you can see, Dear Reader, but I’ll get there in time with that too. Hop3efully I’ll get the last of the Spring bulbs soon and be able to plant those up in the newly raised bed, funny how things work out like this, Dear Reader, even the pillars found a plinth in the old corner stones I had left there. It’ll happen in time, I know that, Dear Reader, but I refuse to be too patient, take that as a new year’s resolution: Less Patience. I’ll be back later, Dear Reader, until then stay safe and take care.

Didn’t take much modifying either.

There’s a lot of stone in there.

I knew I’d find one, just not this fast.

It Ain’t Pretty, But It’s Beautiful

So much brighter now.

This is the extreme end of the house and the other end is the goal.

I won’t give up until they die.

Hauled compost too. Never ends.

Yo, Dear Reader, it’s year again the year’s end, now I do wish all my Dear Readers a happy new year and all the best for the coming year, and I say this with all my heart: It’s just a date, really I don’t care, but in as pleasant apathetic way, Dear Reader, no looming surgeries to crush my spirit and I’m probably in the best health I have been in decades, but I know right now the world is suffering, so much of it unnecessary and the idea that this time of year means much beyond a lot of selfish action isn’t something I can get behind. I’ll carry on doing all I can to be safe and to keep others safe and I’ll continue to keep these posts cheerful, but no t falsely so. As I say, Dear Reader, I do wish you all the best an I’m grateful for all the support I have found here and the friends I have made, but that doesn’t change with the date, that isn’t any more important because a new year is here. I’m giving up on time, Dear Reader, no long counting off the days. Next Year I garden and whatever else happens so be it, I’ll face it as it comes.

The berry area still has a little room yet.

Next up is an ever green climber for the firepit.

When the crocosmia grow they’ll fit it with greenery.

It’s less stressed now than it was, still no idea which rose it is.

Where the orange grass is is being eyed up for a rockery.

I think I mentioned that I was going to stone the back finally, I had to wait as each step necessitated a rest period to see if it sunk or collapsed, also I had to wait for the shops to open again, always waiting, Dear Reader, but I finally had my stones ordered and when they came I just couldn’t do it in pieces, I ended up hauling a ton of stones in the rain with a slightly busted wheelbarrow in one day and though I was exhausted the day after I feel stiff, but not so bad. I think the chest was causing a lot more pain and issues than I realised, much like the stomach, you only realise the scope of change long after you’ve been doing your best to forget about it. Even my arm is mostly back to normal, I doubt it’ll ever be 100%, but I schlepped bags of stones up steps and all over, by the end it was so dark I had to wait until the next day to see what it looked like. Somehow after nearly a full year’s work, including a break for, you know, surgery, I carved out two distinct gardens and made a double step up area that is almost entirely hidden from sight from below, an accidental side effect, but a fun one.

You can crunch around the loop now.

I really hope it’s red.

These stones are so expensive, I got them for free, but slippery, so I mixed it up.

In moving things I made more space by mistake.

Everywhere got stones so less dropping as you walk around.

So, coming into the first year where this whole area will see sunlight and new growth is exciting and you can be sure I’m not exactly done yet, Dear Reader, a lot of the money from the market paid for this, a lot is salvage too, the garden helps itself grow every year. I hope you’ll enjoy watching it flesh out as much as I will, I’ll continue to document it, you never have enough photos, Dear Reader, no matter how many you take, and we’ll see together where it’ll take itself. I even had the robin back to check on my work, also the crows to throw up more stones all over as is our tradition at this point. Things will pick up again soon, Dear Reader, when the days dry, it’s already abnormally warm here, I’ll be out cleaning up and getting ready and getting ideas. I’ll be back again soon, Dear Reader, until then stay safe and take care.