SoS 11/01/19

Another Saturday, time flies!

We had to spend time in the city this week and so had three days messing about in the Matchbox garden. We trimmed the hedge that separates our townhouse from the row behind. It’s about 3 metres high and 25 metres long – made of awful shrubs that grow in weed proportions here. Things like the Cotoneaster Glaucophyllis and the New Zealand Mirror Bush which seed horrendously and choke our native species in the wild and our own gardens.

After the heavy work was done, it was possible to wander and note what was happening in the garden. My yet to be identified clematis’s around the garden are mostly slowing down.

Although one is turning the most magnificent bronze colour…

…and one is producing the loveliest most delicate green striped flowers.

OH has also cut out the rabid wisteria and I am gradually clearing the horrible weeds that came through the fence. This blank area behind the hellebores will have a clematis (not sure which yet) and a Madame Alfred Carriere rose planted to climb up the frame and do delicate things for me.

In my continued journey round the tiny garden, I also noticed the one rhododendron has had a hormonal shot or something, and is growing like mad and is also showing pink flowers at completely the wrong time of year. Not only that, it was supposed to be creamy white. It may have to be removed as my garden is a white garden…

Really exciting though, is the shade garden. This time last year, it was empty and sad and it’s now filled with life and variety. It is super happy and so am I when I look at it. The dicentra and the pulmonaria couldn’t be more contented amongst their friends.

The boxed beds that are a feature of this tiny garden are situated beneath massive paperbarks and consequently the white Hidcote lavender strains to get to light. The Body Corporate has agreed that these trees need trimming, and so we took advice from a tree surgeon and it will be a three-year project. The side over our garden first. The tops in the second year and the street side in the third year. The reasons for this are to reduce shock, but also to guarantee privacy in our little patch, which is one of the reasons we bought the property when we downsized.

And finally, one of my favourite books. I’ve had it since it was published and it is much read. OH and self once attended a lunch and guest talk by HRH’s head gardener at Highgrove at the time, and I was chuffed when I heard that HRH never minds broad-leafed weeds in the lawns because they’re tough, keep the lawn green and drink less water. Our lawns are filled with broadleafed weeds!!!

And that’s my blooming lot!

To see what others are doing in their gardens globally, go to The Propagator and check out SoS!