A WEEK IN MY GARDEN 25 APRIL - A LOT OF POTS AND UNWELCOME BUGS

I'm disgracefully late with this weeks post because - reasons (as the young ones say). I had a short debate with myself as to whether to just leave it until next week, but the garden moves on so fast at this time of year no doubt there will be a whole other set of things I would want to write about by then.

So here were are, and it's mainly about plants in pots, of which I seem to be amassing more and more.  Our house is surrounded by a sea of gravel installed by the previous owners to make it all low maintenance.  It is a little harsh though and pots are good for softening the whole thing up a little.  Besides I think I'm coming to like the sort of plants you put in pots - pansies, auriculas, pelargoniums and such like.

The auriculas are nothing fancy (I'm no expert grower) but I do think they are lovely and they are joined on the etagere by some herbs and a miniature hosta or two.

On the terrace the brightly coloured primulas have kept flowering on and on.

By the back door (and because we live in the countryside that means the main door everyone uses) there are pots of pansies and a few tulips.

In other garden news I've been planting some lily bulbs in the Long Border, which I think might be a bit late as the ones already in there are well up, and attracting the dreaded Lily beetle.  Although I'm a vegetarian, I will happily dispatch these critters by crushing them with my fingers (yukk).

View down the Long Border

The Iris pallida both the silvery argentea and the more yellow leaved version are looking good at the moment and will hopefully produce some flowers this year having succumbed to the slug-mageddon last year. 

I had to do more bug squishing when I discovered these fellas on a box plant.  We've not had to contend with Box Moth caterpillar before. Not good news.

On a happier note, the Knot Garden is beginning to get into its stride.  It's designed to crescendo in May, and already the Valeriana pyrenaica is flowering.  This has made itself very much at home in the damp clay soil and has self seeded enthusiastically.  It has large heart shaped leaves and fluffy lilac flower heads.

The yew topiary I grew myself, starting from some bare root hedging plants and trimming them once or twice a year.

That's all for this week though.  Thankyou for reading and hopefully next week I'll be back to my normal Friday night/Saturday morning time slot.  

 

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