High Days and Holidays

A1liums in George Smith's garden

This is but a a small part of the border in flower arranger extraordinaire  George Smith's garden last summer. The garden is a floral delight and is immaculate both in design and attention to detail - a perfect example of how an eminent floral artist plans his garden to accommodate his passion for flowers.

More alliums - this time at Newby Hall on my birthday visit there last June

I'm very fond of the flower and planted lots of Purple Sensation in Pablo's garden last year. As I write they are just beginning to show in the borders but have yet to unfurl and reveal their stunning lollipop heads.

Time for tea at Bradley Walled Garden

This charming table, set with teacups full of flowers, was a  delightful addition to this Victorian walled garden situated not far from Prudhoe.


New owners have done little alter the layout of the garden. The borders are full of colouful plants that mirror those for sale. In addition to tasteful garden sundries, Bradley Walled Garden boasts a fine restaurant - booking ahead is to be recommended as its  reputation grows.

Stunning display of foxgloves at Harrogate Show in 2015

Nearer home - gunnera at Durham University's Botanic Gardens

Still no time 'to stand and stare'

Despite everything slowing down growth-wise, this is such a busy time in the garden. I no longer ruthlessly cut back perennials, preferring to leave most plants to die back naturally, ensuring safe refuge for many over-wintering insects and leaving most seed heads for the birds, but even so there has been lots of shrubs needing to be pruned and mountains of leaves to be raked and swept. 

 

 

Epimediums before the frost

The first frost last weekend took its toll, fortunately I’d already moved tender geraniums and dahlias into the cold greenhouse and tucked them in for the winter. I’ve spent most of my spare time this week planting spring bulbs in the borders – all now half price at B & Q – especially tulips which mustn’t be planted before November or they may suffer from wilt.

The Christmas hyacinths are already under cover in pots in the garage and I still need to plant small terracotta pots with iris reticulata. I saw some for sale earlier in the year. They looked so pretty and were so expensive that I made a mental note to pot some up myself.

 

Late-flowering clematis with honeysuckle

I finally made the decision to have a small holly tree removed and the space this has opened up is extraordinary. I’ve had a semi-circle of paving placed under the old apple tree and, following two useful outings to Egglestone Hall Nursery, quite a few different perennials are now in place in the left border. Daffodils, narcissi, tulips and alliums have been planted and there is still room for more plant-buying expeditions in the spring - can't wait!                                                                                    

Food for the soul

 

After yet more wind and rain, the garden begins to look battered and almost uncared for with foxgloves leaning perilously, in conflict with yellow loosestrife and deep pink valerian. Leavings from the dreaded geraniums have begun to creep back into the shade of the borders and the dancing fairies have begun their summer striptease.  

Aquilegia - dancing fairies

The replanted border is beginning to establish but, like Thursday’s child, has far to go before it makes real impact, but its colourful promise is inspiring. Meanwhile, many and various clematis twirl and twine about the periphery of the garden fence. 

The alliums stand like purple lollipops, making bullet-like points of reference amongst the euphorbia and knapweed.

Purple Sensation alliums

Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed the soul     The Koran