GARDENER'S WORD

The Thalictrum 'aquilegifolium' (Meadow Rue) which I planted in 2014 and which I moved to a new position in 2015, has taken off.  It's a beautiful plant with interesting leaves and fabulous flowers but it has to be noted that it is quite tall (about 90cm, 3ft), which means that it can cause some shade on any plant behind it.  Ironically, I moved it last year because it was getting swamped by other plants, and this year it is casting some shade on plants around it.  Don't misunderstand me though, it's not a dense plant, so is not causing heavy shade.  I do recommend growing it, it's quite lovely and goes very well near the chives which are in flower at the moment.  It is also going well with my clematis 'Dr Ruppel'  also in flower right now. Thalictrum 'aquilegiifolium' (Meadow Rue) If I had realised how tall it could get, I would have staked it, I should have staked it, and still will.  Now the wind has gone and blown it over....

When I bought and planted my border edging of the compact  lobelia 'Crystal Palace' the other week, I also bought a couple of trays of the white chrysanthemum called 'Snowland'.  It's a low-growing hardy annual and, like the lobelia, I just want it temporarily until I can put in more permanent plants, like perennials.  At first I was rather disappointed with Snowland as something is getting at the white petals.  I cannot see slugs, or signs of slugs, but I imagine they are what are nibbling at the petals.  Anyway, that problem seems to be easing off and now lovely white daisies, only about 2" (5cm) in diameter are attracting attention here and there along the borders of the lawn.  Chrysanthemum 'Snowland' The label says: Chrysanthemum 'Snowland' has masses of bright white daisy-like flowers covering a mounded plant throughout summer.  It is perfect for beds, borders, and containers.  It achieves a height of  30cm (12") and should...

I planted the white clematis 'Gillian Blades' in May 2014 and it is doing well.  I just love the crimped edges to her petals, and the flowers are much larger than they appear in the below image.  I have this climber growing on a more or less south-facing fence but its feet (roots) are in the cool shade of perennials and it makes sure itself that it has its 'head' in the sun by clambering up my summer-flowering  white Jasminum officinale and clinging onto the pink  David Austin climber 'Generous Gardener' .  White clematis 'Gillian Blades' - 2016 Sadly, I have had to say goodbye to the white clematis, Arctic Queen' .  I suspect my neglect of her over winter did her in!  Arctic Queen was growing in a terracotta pot on my front porch which is rather exposed to the elements in winter.  I moved the pot to a sheltered corner against my home's back wall, however, with the torrential rain we have been having I hadn't realised that the pot ...

Once again I have turned over the edges of my ever-shrinking lawn, increasing the size of my borders.  While a lawn is lovely, I want to be able to grow more things in my small garden.  Where I turned the turf over, with the grass facing down, I need to give it time for the grass to rot into the soil before I can plant anything of any depth.  So, for the time being, I have chosen to plant an edging on either side of a compact, non-trailing, annual lobelia: Crystal Palace.  The flowers are a lovely deep blue but not so deep that they don't dazzle along the edge of the lawn.  So pretty they are.  'Crystal Palace', a compact lobelia The label says: Lobelia Compact 'Crystal Palace' has dark blue flowers set against bronze leaves.  It has a vigorous but compact habit and can be used in beds, borders, and pots.  It flowers from summer to autumn, achieving a height and spread of about 10-15cm (4-6").  Plant in sun or partial shade in mod...

Sadly, after growing my lovely Prunus avium 'Stella' cherry tree for three years it has contracted a bacterial disease (identified by the Royal Horticultural Society) in a place that makes it difficult, if not impossible, to cure or control.  There is no (legal) spray for such a disease in the U.K. as such chemicals have been banned by the E.U.   My tree (as luck would have it) has developed the bacteria in the crook of the tree, right at the top of the trunk where the branches fork out.  Although attempts can be made to cut out such diseases, to cut out the disease on my tree would compromise the stability of the surrounding branches.  You can see the orange/brown gum exuded in the image below.  The first time I spotted the disease, however, there was a mass of bright orange at the infection sight.  I should have taken a photograph of it.  Sorry. Bacterial disease on Prunus avium 'Stella' revealing itself in the dischar...

In May I bought a miniature 'family' apple tree by Coronet .  'Family' means that it has two types of apple on it.  In the case of my small tree it is James Grieve grafted onto the top of Cox's Pippin.  Now that the beautiful flowers have gone, many small apples have appeared.  James Grieve 'baby' apples 21062016 on Coronet 'Family' miniature apple tree