A quick post for the gardeners out there. With the steamy weather, it’s almost too hot to do anything. I mustered a little weeding this afternoon and after an hour I was completely lathered. I am more inclined to wafting round looking critically at “things in the wrong place” and making mental lists. Lovely as they are, the double orange hemerocallis need a bit of a cull. They flower so much better after splitting and, really, I think I have quite enough, so I shall have many spare divisions if anyone wants some. My white dotty achillea has also gone excessively rampant and become too much of a good thing. The firecracker lysimachia and michaelmas daisies are all rather in the same boat. I hate getting rid of plants, but something has to budge up if project make life easier for yourself with shrubs you are not getting any younger (MLEFYWSYANGAY for short) is going to get off the ground. Also, as a secondary consideration, I am most pleased with the big yellow lilies I bought earlier this year and think I really will have to find space for more. Can I count these as shrubs?
With the agapanthus, buddleia and purple loosestrife coming into flower we are now awash with butterflies, mostly white, but a few peacocks and red admirals have appeared. The blue lavender is fading now, but white varieties are just coming into bloom. Not everyone’s favourite I know, but I think white lavender has rather a serene charm and it looks perfect with purple sage. The biggest white variety I have also has the merit of coming well from cuttings so I have a raft of new plants coming along in the cold frame which will acquire homes somewhere (TBD) over the autumn as part of Project MLEFYWSYANGAY.
Our 3 new ginkgo trees have arrived and been planted up. On days when it isn’t tipping down mum and I are indulging them with large cans of water. They look a bit spindly so far, but healthy enough so I have high hopes. We have one dwarf (Witches Broom), one full size (Keith has forgotten its name) and one (Goethe) which is so new a variety it is as yet undecided, and could tip either way height wise. My two are in the hot garden and Keith’s is on the back lawn*. Obviously we will in no way be competitive over their growth. By way of other projects, Keith and mum (especially mum who has gone at it in typical Stakhanovite fashion) have done wonders replanting and weeding the lavender field and (drum roll) the relaying of the garden paths is well underway. I have high hopes that we will finally get on to the utility path round the bottom of the garden in the back end and maybe also set up a big utility sized fire pit for non-shreddables (around which we can happily cluster with appropriate beverages and look through the smoke at the fruits of our labours, grunting approvingly).
*I have a feeling I may have already told you this……If so, put it down to advanced age.
