On Holiday

I'm in Cornwall. It rocks. I should have said so before I just disappeared, but ah well. I'm gutted that I'm missing Chelsea, especially as the boss has won a silver medal (still not telling you who they are...). But it's been great weather and the plants are wonderful. Back this weekend!

Quality Mother-Daughter Time

Last month Mum came to see me for the day, and it was so glorious that we went off to Syon Park for a walk. She didn't notice that the woman on the cash register charged her for a Senior ticket (Mum is not yet 60...), but when I told her she was happy to have saved £1!


We walked right round the lake, talking about her garden and its impending redesign, helping each other to identify plants (I have a much greater appreciation of azalea varieties now).


It was just as well that Hubster didn't come with us, as he would have been terrified of these Gunnera:


Mum brought with her some geraniums and lilies of the valley from Grandpa's garden, for me to divide and grow on.


The geraniums were a little difficult, being very potbound, but the lilies were no bother at all, and I got five plants out of the one clump.


Unfortunately, at some point during the potting up, I managed to plant my ace gardening knife in one of the ten pots I did. Firstly I don't want to undo all my hard work, and secondly I think the blade was still out and I'm a little nervous of slicing my fingers to bits! I shall have to invite Owen round with his metal detector!

We've Come A Long Way Baby

This was Jurassic Park back in April 2007:


Do openly mock Hubster's blue slippers...

And this was Jurassic Park last Thursday, just starting to come into its own:


It's doing alright isn't it?

Plant Rescue Service

Since I started the new job, I've become almost intimately acquainted with one of the local dumps. On a day when I was working alone, a member of staff came up to me and said "You've been here so long we're going to cook you breakfast". Sadly it was a joke, as I could have really gone for a bacon buttie at that point.

Anyway, on the most recent trip, I found a previous visitor had dumped a fairly decent-sized Rhododendron bush. Appalled, I "rescued" it.


I brought it home, soaked it for a good 24 hours, and then planted it out in the garden. It doesn't really fit in with the rest of Jurassic Park, and was rather on the large size for any of the pots I had available. So it is forming a new part of the shared garden, along with some Cyclamen, Erica and Azalea plants that have been pulled out of clients' containers to make way for summer bedding.


I've found myself quite surprised at how much wastage there is in the gardening business, and how many plants are dug out and thrown away when there's either plenty of life left in them (e.g. Cyclamen still mostly in flower) or when they're sturdy perennial shrubs that will last for ages (like the heathers).

But I'll keep saving rubbish as much as possible, and by the end of the summer the communal areas will look gorgeous and full to bursting with flowers!

Springtime Stocking-Up

As Owen mentioned, last weekend we joined lots of other HTUK members for the annual pilgrimage to Akamba tropical nursery. I completely failed to take photos - too busy buying plants!

From Akamba, I bought:

• Caryota mitis
  
• Blechnum nudum
  
• Acacia parissima
  
• Zamia furfuracea

Then a few of us went on to Fibrex, for some ferny goodness. I had to replace a Cyathea cooperi (sold to me as the hardier C. australis) which had turned to mush over the winter. And I managed to replace it for much less than the original had cost.

The Fibrex haul:

• Cyathea cooperi
  
• Blechnum penna-marina
  
• Polystichum neolobatum
  
• Polypodium australe
  
• Asplenium bulbiferum "Maori Princess"

And finally it was to old favourites Cotswold Garden Flowers, where I satisfied my new euphorbia craving:

• Euphorbia "Velvet Ruby"
  
• Hypolepis millefolium
  
• Agave neomexicana

I did manage to pick up a housewarming present for a friend, but shall keep schtum about that until I've given it to him, just in case he reads the blog!

And this was the haul last Sunday, when I'd spent the day potting it all up.


I thought I'd be in trouble for buying the Caryota (fish-tail palm) as it really is a big bugger, but Hubster loves it. Result!