Weeds And Plants

Does this beautiful flower look like a weed to you?


It would appear that it does to our groundsmen. Last week I had to launch myself through the window at them to stop one of them hoeing the bejeezus out of the front flower bed, which at the moment is full of Anemone blanda like the one above.

During my (brief) stint as a gardener, it was vital that one of us in the pair at least knew their plants. I was good on my plant identification and my partner was very good with all the equipment and quite strong. So he taught me how to use a petrol mower and hedge-trimmer and I taught him about all the plants we pruned, staked, tied in and planted.

The groundsmen are very much "mow-and-blow" (you may remember my previous issues with them), but you'd think they'd recognise a flower bed...

Free Stuff

Sometimes us gardeners are given incredible opportunities to acquire plants, and three weeks ago I had just that. The college where I lecture is being almost entirely rebuilt, and after the Easter break one of the old buildings is being knocked down. Along one side are (well, were) several big old plants: Washingtonia robusta, Cordyline australis and Magnolia grandiflora. The Estates department told us all that since these were going to be chucked out, if we wanted them we could just dig them up.

So I did. I selected a 3-metre tall Magnolia, and Hubster came into college to help me dig it up, before we wheeled it home. We nearly took out half a dozen ceiling tiles, getting it through the building to be demolished, but figured we were just helping out the builders.


As you can see, it's a bit too big to go in Jurassic Park, so we decided to put it into the ground - it's not as if we have any decent grass around there anyway! The groundsman said it didn't flower last year but had in previous years, so I'm looking forward to seeing what it comes up with in years to come!

Springtime

How long has it been? Over three months surely. I've survived my second term of lecturing (barely!), and am being rewarded with a nice long Easter holiday. It has been glorious weather, and Jurassic Park is really taking off. I swear I can almost see the Ginkgo biloba growing.


There were a few casualties over the winter - Banksia ericifolia and Protea cynaroides carked it, as did most of the succulents. I gambled with the weather by leaving José the Agave in the greenhouse, and - well, let's say it didn't really pay off:


I've been dosing it with anti-fungal spray, but there's a faint whiff of cheap tequila every time I walk past, and the fruit flies are out in force. I've been advised to get hold of some hydrogen peroxide, but I was practically dispatched to Guantanamo Bay when I asked for some in Boots...

There have been a few purchases: Sciadopitys verticillata, Adiantum aleuticum, Euphorbia myrsinites (yes, I know it isn't Mesozoic but it looks awesome), Pinus wallichiana and Blechnum gibbum - I do a good line in killing blechnums, but there's the triumph of hope over experience.

The allotment (well, nearer a vegetable patch) is doing well too. First and second early potatoes, onions and leeks are in. There's not a lot of space for much more, but Hubster is sorting out a smaller bed for all his herbs and medicinal plants.


So here's a gratuitous photo of Hubster with a cheap hoe. Notice the fork completely bent out of shape to the right!