Wednesday 6 June 2012

Seeing things more clearly....

 Removing many of the plants that struggled here,  seems to have been the best thing, for me and the garden.
 I have selected plants carefully, taking this damp environment into consideration.  Adding more ferns hosta and solomons seal was the perfect thing to do.
 So far, so good, all seem to be doing very well.
Aruncus Dioicus (Goatsbeard) is a graceful woodland plant that suits damp shade.
Viburnum Opulus (guelder rose) with its lovely flat heads of showy white flowers, followed by large bundles of berries, a food source for birds.
Lupins are a favourite of mine, for one reason, their lovely peppery scent.   I could sit amongst a bed of lupins and never tire of their perfume.
Foxgloves, bumblebee bedrooms, as Piet Oudolf once said :)
Clematis grow in most of the borders.   Cheap supermarket buys.....they scramble up any plant that takes their fancy.   I have added more to the beds.   They seem to take a while to adapt but get there in the end.

Rain for the last four days has left me feeling a tad dispirited.   With the longest day waiting in the wings, I feel that summer has not really arrived yet.    The forecast is a trifle grim, rain, rain and more rain.   The moisture loving plants should thrive in these conditions.    I think I probably will to :)                                                                                                                                                              

31 comments:

  1. Your garden is looking lovely. It obviously appreciates the rain, even if we don't. I'd like to grow Aruncus, but my shade is dry (normally)

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    1. Thank you Crystal,

      Aruncus was introduced to me a couple of years ago and I fell in love with it. It is such a beautiful, fragile looking plant and I have the perfect conditions for it here :)

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  2. Your damp shade garden looks so restful with lots of greens, whites and interesting textures. Love the sound of your scramblimg clematis - they look better than being forced to twine up trellis. All this wet is compensation for not being able to water ;)

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    1. Hi Laura,

      Thank you, It is a peaceful space, which was my intention.

      I have a couple of clematis climbing arches but like you, I prefer to see them doing there own thing. I have some in the hedgerow, also climbing up an old pear tree :)

      Indeed, heard this morning that we are still in drought :(

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  4. Dear Cheryl,
    I do hope you are out of the drought now! I am calling those rain dragons back to my dry Tall Grass Prairie! I love all your blooms even without very much sun you still have amazing flowers. I have lost all my ferns.....too hot and dry with our new climate....
    I understand the ease of growing what our climates like....even when the climate is in flux...I too must adapt. I will always grow food for the butterflies and bees...like you is it is why I do what I do....I love seeing your borders they look amazing.
    Enjoyed Concert for the Queen last night. Sir Paul is charming.....
    Sherry, who is happy being hot and tired

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    1. Dear Sherry,

      I heard this morning that we are still in drought:( The water apparently is not soaking through to the acquifers, so they are still depleted.

      Your lovely ferns, how sad. We will all have to make changes in our gardens....like you my priority is taking care of the birds bees and butterflies:)

      I am so glad you enjoyed the concert....I did too!!

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  5. What a fabulous garden you have. Without the rain it wouldn't thrive as it does even though you crave some sunshine!

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    1. This is true Jane. I live in the lowlands, so wet it should be .....
      I guess I am getting tired of gardening in the rain.......

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  6. Hi Cheryl,

    (my orginal comment has been lost again :( )
    Nice to see your garden looking so lovely, it's a shame you've had to give up on some flowers but I think we all have similar experiences!
    Also nice to see you Clematis collection is growing ;)

    Sorry to hear you've had poor weather again - it's been OK here, Sunday was grim but other than that it's been quite nice and I've been outside most days. Due to be nasty tomorrow though so I've had to put on hold planting up an extended border.

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    1. Hi Liz,

      Sorry you lost your first comment.....several people who use wordpress have complained:(
      I have removed many plants, I couldn't face another year of fussing around them. Also the rabbits wouldn't leave them alone, they had to go. I must say I feel much happier with the whole garden :)

      The weather really has been dreadful. We are expecting gales tomorrow, just what you need with damp soil. They are saying trees could possibly fall.......great!!

      Look forward to seeing your new plants :)

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  7. I like seeing the long shots of your garden. It puts me into your space. I love the idea of having bumblebee bedrooms. I must try to get some growing in my garden. We don't have the rain needed. Especially not this year. We are still sadly lacking rain. Our poor grass is about dried up.

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    1. Hi Lisa,

      I always love to see other peoples gardens. I agree with you, it does put us in the space.
      Foxglove, do need damp soil to thrive. They are a UK native. I just throw the seeds on the woodland floor and up they come :)

      I am so sorry you have not had rain. We were in the same situation a couple of years ago. Your grass will come back:) Perhaps it is time to think about a gravel garden ????? There is a beautiful one in Essex, Beth Chatto. You may have heard of her. The area in which she lives has very low rainfall....she never waters and still her garden thrives. It is putting the right plant, in the perfect situation for it :)

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  8. Hi Cheryl...my thing for seeing more clearly would be being able to get the foot high weeds out because of all this miserable rain...9 inch in 3 days a bit much!!
    A lot of my favorites you have here, and are in bloom here right now too!
    Love Lupines, Bumblebee Bedrooms ; } and clematis!!
    I have a yellow Foxglove and it is lovely!! I find clematis plants in my flowerbeds that start from seeds from my existing ones and transplant them!! I think I have at least 15 now with surprise colors from there original!!
    So much fun gardening when it isn't raining : }}}}
    Everything in yours looks so lovely and lush!!
    Grace

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    1. Hi Grace,

      Our gardens do seem to follow similar routes :)
      Yellow foxglove sounds beautiful, I have seen them, and they are stunning.

      I have many weeds, I gardened in the rain yesterday to try and get some of the larger ones out. It wasn't pleasant but I did manage to fill the wheelbarrow.

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  9. It is so hard to get rid of healthy beautiful plants, isn't it? This is true even when it is for the best - for your garden and the rest of the plants.
    nellie

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    1. Hi Nellie,

      It was a difficult decision but the right one. It has been much easier gardening with plants that love this situation :)

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  10. Hi Cheryl. It all looks lovely to me, you have obviously made the right changes, mind you it always did look lovely :-) Wonderful photos of your beautiful garden! The Foxgloves are such pretty flowers, unfortunately they don't grow very well in my garden but I do love them especially for their old fashioned quality.

    More rain here :-(

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    1. Hi Jan,

      Thank you for your very kind words.

      I planted foxglove when I moved here. It is strange, sometimes they disappear completely, then suddendly I have a good year and they will be dotted all around the garden :)
      I love them, especially because the dumbledores do to !

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  11. Beautiful! I love to see your elder and cramp bark. Two of my favourites. x

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    1. Hi Lucinda,

      It has been a wonderful year for elder. I havn't seen mine looking so healthy for a long time. I think the rain is doing them the power of good :)

      Cramp bark, now that is a new name for me.....would that be the guelder rose?? I am assuming that because it is a UK native and I know, like me, you love our native plants:)

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  12. It all looks so lovely, Cheryl. You've obviously chosen the right plants for your garden; I'm sure they're enjoying the rain, even though you might not be. I love the Goatsbeard; I just planted a start this spring, but it's not doing so well for me. Perhaps it doesn't like dry shade as well. We're in for another hot weekend; summer has definitely arrived for us.

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    1. Hi Rose,

      Thank you for your kind words.

      I believe Goatsbeard needs moisture at its roots.....I think it may possibly struggle if the soil is dry long term.
      I also find that planting in mid autumn is best. Autumnal rains help them to establish, and by the time spring arrives they have had a good start. Of course, it may be different for you, as our weather is very different from ours.....

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    2. I meant our weather is very different from yours....silly me :-}

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  13. Cheryl I have enjoyed this wonderful tour of your wooded garden!I have taken notes as I am now relocated to a woodland property and am planting a garden foreign to me..shade lovers..hostas and ferns are the answer but I search for appropriate blooming plants and you gave me some ideas..Thank you!Goatsbeard & Lupins..here I come!

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    1. HI Anna,

      Tku.....please note that lupins are in fact sun lovers. I planted them in dappled shade and that seems to have worked fine. I am sure they would not survive in dense shade :(

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  14. Hi Cheryl! For some reason this is the first time I see you garden in a large view and I really like it! Quite the opposite of mine, you have shady corners and damp there, that allows you to grow all those beautiful plants that I have to give up... Aruncus looks beautiful and I love the little tree you have near the trunk, what is it a rowan? an ash maybe? I think the best part is actually that large isle of angelicas and lupins! It looks fabulous. I tried lupins only once, ages ago, when I was a child, and never seen a flower, they all died of mildew. That marked my childhood, so I never grown lupins again, I dind't even know they are peppery scented??!

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  15. HI Alberto,

    If we are looking at the same tree....it is Acer negundo 'flamingo'....it was left here by the previous owner. It is a lovely tree.

    I can see you like angelica as much as I do. It does tend to seed around a little too much here but the seedlings are easily removed.
    I have to be careful not to let it take over. I like the lupins with it because they are so different in style. Yes, they do have the most lovely peppery smell......just thinking about it makes me want to run into the garden and enjoy the fragrance.

    Enjoy your weekend :)

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  16. Your garden looks wonderful! I think the rain and grey skies are getting a lot of people down, I know that I've had enough even though I keep telling myself that we need the rain.

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    1. Exactly Rowan,

      I keep reminding myself that we are still in drought in the SE.
      We have not had our hosepipe ban lifted:(

      After the gales yesterday, I am beginning to feel really fed up.....most unlike me !!

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  17. hi cheryl, I so enjoy looking around your beautiful garden .. I can understand how despondent you must be confined to barracks, as it were. Love 'bumble bee bedrooms', not heard that before! Really inspired by your angelica post.. its on my list of 'things I want to grow when I have space for really BIG stuff'!! We're on the list for an allotment, and hubby has promised me a great big area on it where I can grow what I want (have warned him that this will probably include a lot of 'weeds' lol!). lots of love to you xx

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