New Things Growing

Let's kickstart this post with news of the latest new shoot to join the family. Amanda is now an auntie to her brothers first little package. Let me introduce Tristan, a tiny, cuddly, gorgeous bundle of baby!

Now, onto gardening matters, and something that was on show in London that I missed, but Amanda got to see, as she was meeting a dear friend there without me.

 Outside the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, there has been constructed a 'living wall' of plants, to bring to life a copy of Van Goghs 'A Wheatfield, with Cypresses'. Quite an achievement.

Back to our own garden, and the task of some sort of recovery from the devastation mentioned in the last post.

 We've visited various nurseries to start to build up a collection of new and replacement plants, and boy oh boy, what a selection has been amassed. The first job was to clear the cool part of the garden, so that we had a nice and relaxing place to set about sorting out all of the pots and hanging baskets. As you can see, sociable Hobie came down for the company and made himself comfortable on one of the tables.

 First job, the hanging baskets, and Amanda starts with filling them with compost before taking a selection from the table and planting them up. I in the meantime was working on some of the very large planters, taking out anything dead, tidying up the remaining, and replanting with new stuff where needed.

Misty decided to make a very brief appearance before deciding that it was all far too much and needed to eat and sleep again.

Various Rhododendrons that were quite frankly loking like they wouldn't make it, have over the last week been watered and fed, and have puffed up nicely. Can't really say the same for the Chrysanthemum just behind this one though!

Front of house is finally looking like gardeners may live here. Only common or garden Geraniums and Marigolds, but all is a bit healthier.

The Hydrangea petiolaris and Boston Ivy is rampant now, and will have to have a trim soon. The three stage ladder with stand off's has to come out for that though, as I have to get onto the house roof to cut some of it back.

And here we have the patio, covered in some of the revitalised pots. Everything needs placing properly though, but as it's now 8.30pm, we agree to go in and have some dinner and a celebratory glass of fizz.

There is still loads to do, but we're going to have another go during the first half of the week. Thanks for dropping by.