Dans le jardin ... early May

It's been a while since I did an update on what is happening in the garden, and as one of the main reasons I have this blog in the first place is to do just that, I was delighted to have some unplanned time for just that. 

I remember a couple of years ago in May commenting to my Dad that a particular garden was looking very well. His response was that if a garden is to look good, May will be the month for it.  

I think this is true for the freshness of growth we see, and the garden is really brimming with plant, insect and animal life. Waking up each morning, there is a chorus from the birds that would rival Pavarotti in melody and sound.

Looking around the garden, there is an abundance of colour just starting to emerge following a slight hiatus where the Spring bulbs finished and Summer colour is just not quite ready. 

Even with all the sunshine and recent warmth, mother nature has reminded us that we are still in Spring with a hailstone shower. 

 Some plants worth noting this week, include the Rosa 'Maigold' that I planted at the arch over Winter. It has come along very nicely and producing a fine show of flowers, with more to come. The Limonanthes opened a couple of days ago and are a fine sea of colour. One plant I particularly like in May/ June time is the variegated Weigela which has pink buds and white flowers. 

The picture I have here shows the plant at the back of the newly created bed. Last year I felt the colour was lost against the sea of green surrounding it, so we'll see how we get on this year. 

These pink flowers really look good on this Bistorta, and it's such a reliable plant for colour. Its is useless to pollen seeking wildlife, but serves a purpose none the less. The plant I am interested in is behind it, the yellow flowering Euryops. This plant, in combination with the nearby golden yellow flowering gorse, has brightened up the area no end over the past six weeks. I am going to do some pruning of it, and I'll expect it to be back in flower in about six weeks time.

Of course there is still plenty to do in the garden and I am finding that my decision not to do too many plants from seed or bulbs has meant I've a lot more time for the maintenance of the garden and house leaving the place looking a lot neater, which is one of my 2014 priorities. 

In the production area, strawberries have put on an abundance of growth. Now these are third year plants which means they'll be at their very best. I do have some more in pots to create a new bed for next year. 

We've enjoyed some nice rhubarb tarts and there is more to cut. One plant has produced a large flower stem, which should be removed, but I'll wait just a little longer. 

In the glasshouse, tomatoes are planted and coming along, with flowers just beginning to open. I still have a little tidying to do on the other side and I'll plant some peppers once the chances of frost are gone.

Speaking of production, my greenhouse is filling up primarily with Fuchsia and Hosta plants, that I have been reclaiming bit by bit.


There are a couple of other plants too, so we'll see what happens here. I have promised that I'd convert one of the shelving levels as an area for the tortoises to use during the Summer 

Onions are coming along very nicely indeed, and when I see this I know I made the right decision rather than use seed, which I'd still like to try, but not today.

The final few pictures are of three eye catching sights this week in the garden. A single Fuchsia flower on a bare stem, my pot grown Wisteria with an abundance of flower colour and scent, and a pot in the design of an upturned snail shell with a lovely Euphorbia polychroma in flower in it. 

Happy gardening.