Thursday 26 April 2012


 I finally managed to get out  into the garden this week, the girls were at nursery, the rain held off, the sun shone and gave me a peaceful afternoon in the garden. So where to start?

Well, officially we're in a drought.  I know, I know, as soon as the water companies cry "drought!" it rains as if we should be building an ark or sharing a bath. But as there is still a hose pipe ban and there's going to be one until the end of summer no matter how many animals start knocking at your door asking to come in, I've decided to hold off ordering any new plants and give the garden the summer to show me what it's got.  That's not to say that I'm not going to start designing and rearranging, oh no I couldn't sit that still on a project. 

I'm missing my peace pod, I mean my greenhouse. It is sitting forlornly in pieces beside the shed. I know where it is going to go in the garden, at the back right corner beside the hedge. It will get the morning sun but should miss the extreme heat of the afternoon, so everyting inside will warm up but not fry.  At the moment that area is, pile of bricks covered in ivy, weeds (including some brambles grrrr) and lots and lots of rampant strawberries. 
Wellies on, check; gloves on, check; garden tools, check. 

As I merrily got stuck in clearing the weeds (not quite whistling while I worked but along those lines) I came across a concrete slab lying on the ground. Some old brambles were growing up beside it, so I stuck in my fork, dug down, gave it a wiggle and a twist and a heave. But as you may know brambles are a bugger to lift,  so I got down on my knees and lifted the heavy  concrete slab on one side. I came face to face with two little wood mice.  I looked at them, they looked at me, and scarpered!  I then looked down and to my horror realized that I had disturbed their nest and there under the slab were a mass of squirming little babies, very young and not much hair. As soon as I saw them I quickly but gently returned the slab to its place and backed away. 
a wood mouse, not my mouse they scarpered 
the mouse house, doesn't look like much but it's home
What to do now?  Well being the modern girl that I am I quickly googled "Do parent mice return to a nest if disturbed?".  Good news - yes. Bad news - if they're very scared the mother may eat the babies!  Argh!  I put down some bread and bird seed next to the slab in the hope that this would encourage the parents back.   Apparently the mother feeds them for 22 days, that sound so precise, so I will look again on 18th May, hopefully there will be nothing there. 

This post is turning into spring watch rather than garden with mother!  After getting over my wild encounter I decided to concentrate on the strawberries. There were lots of them and were further away from the mice.  As I have said previously the garden hasn't been tended for a good few years, do the strawberries needed splitting, removing the dead, foliage and replanting or composting.   With the hose pipe ban, (the reservoirs are low you know) I decided to plant the strawbs in trenches to ensure that what ever rain does fall is channeled directly to the plants for maximum watering.
the strawberries are scattered across this area, mostly at the back
those are my potato bags, I'll tell you about them later.
I started at the back of the strawberry patch away from the mice, and worked my way forward. I know have six trenches of strawberries, much to the excitement of Holly who can't wait until the flowers turn into strawberries with a little help from the bees. 
strawberry trenches 

There are still dozens of strawberry plants to move as over the years the adventurous plants have been sending out triffid like tendrils in the search for world domination.   Hopefully this drought induced rainfall will stop soon just enough for me to get back out there, (can't work in the pouring rain as too much trampling over wet soil can damage the structure of the soil).   
I'm hoping they will be ready in time for Wimbledon.   Bring on the double cream and champagne!

random photo of my unnamed espalier apple blossom
when it has fruited I'll try to do an ident on it.
White Triumphator Tulips, ivory white with a creamy yellow blush on opening,
a long lasting classic tuplip

Thursday 19 April 2012

Precious things come in small packages

Before leaving on business for three days my best beloved bought me a leaving work present of a bonsai tree.  It is a four year old Chinese Elm tree, Ulmus parvifolia.  (I'd been with Hill Spink for four year). 

Now anyone who knows me will say that I love all things Japanese, sushi, tsubo niwa, aikido, manga.  But where did it all come from?













It all started many moons ago with Battle of the Planets, an American adaptation of a Japanese Anime "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman".  I had a crush on Jason, the dark and dangerous one.  (Yes my first crush was a cartoon character).  And would often be found in the garden shouting "G Force!" and saving the world from Zoltar.














When I had the opportunity to go to Japan with a Dance troupe I jumped at the chance and spent six glorious months in Hiroshima, with hordes of school girls thinking we were the latest British pop band and following us thoroughly the shopping malls taking photos and screaming. After high kicking throughout the evening we spent many a night drinking Kirin Ichiban and singing Karaoke.





My second journey East was to Yamanashi to train with Takeno sensei shihan 8th dan.  I spent a month training at his dojo learning aikido from the best and earning my brown belt, multiple bruising and eating the most fabulous food!




I have always been fascinated with the art of bonsai.  How do you keep those giants of nature so tiny!


here's the history bit
Bonsai which means plant in pots dates back to early 700's AD in china and was brought to Japan in the Heian period (794-1191) here it flourished and became popular with not only the noble but people of all classes.








All things Japanese became popular in western Europe in the late nineteenth century influencing many of the impressionist artists and in its way much of modern art. As seen in Hokusai's Mount Fuji  seen below a wave at Kanagawa.  The third exhibition of Paris 1878 introduced Bonsai to Europe and from there it has flourished. 














To be completely technical mine is not a bonsai but a pre-bonsai, a young tree that is ready to be trained as a bonsai.  It will take many years and patience before I get a wonderful shape to the tree and   I'm rather nervous about getting those shears out and butchering... errr I mean pruning the little fellow but as with everything if you don't try you don't achieve.

Thursday 12 April 2012

Old friend and gardens in the sky


Garden in the sky

Last night I bit the bullet and sent out my first post to friends and family, thank you all for humouring me.  My dear friend and head gardener extraordinaire, Becky Burns, reminded me that I had ventured into the realms of blogging once before in 2005.

We were working at the Roof Gardens in Kensington at the time, Becky was Head Gardener and I was her lowly assistant.  I had had my second design accepted at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.  It was a garden inspired by the  daring history of the roof gardens early years,"Garden in the Sky".  











Becky getting to grips with the mixer

As the Roof Gardens were sponsoring me, we thought we would write a blog about the excitment and fun of building the garden.  For me the build up of the show is the best part, it's early mornings, late nights, laughs, tears and great friendships made. Watching a dream garden spring to life in an instant, it's like someone waving a magic wand, (a very heavy,sweaty,dirty magic wand). 



















Early morning cheer with a builders tea


We had great aspirations for the blog, we took album full of photos, discussed late into the night what we would write, how witty we would be, and we were very witty at 1am in the morning!




the bare bones of the garden coming to shape

sedum growing between the paving

Garden in the Sky 
I loved this garden so much I cried when we had to take it down

2000 giant marbles glistening in the water

A well earned drink and dabbling our toes in the water

by the end of the week everyone was dabbling!


By the end of show week we'd been on Gardeners World 3 times, won a silver medal and answered unending questions about the marbles in the water.  As for the Blog.........

Not one post.

I'm hoping this one lasts a bit longer.