I started planning what to write for my End of Year review a couple of days ago. I found it incredibly difficult to select images from the hundreds I had to choose from. The stark contrast to 2012 was evident by the sheer glut of images I had from around the garden taken this year. Despite the slow start come April onwards it was all systems go.
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| Iris reticulata March 2013 |
Two major disappointments in 2013 - A few good sized Rhododendrons succumb to Cushion Scale. The attack began back in 2012 and affording the time to individually treat each plant was not an option. I took the decision to remove 4 shrubs. I know not if there was a connection to the die back on the middle section of my Holly hedge. There was a few signs on the undersigns of the leaves but nothing as major as had appeared on the Rhoddies. I removed the complete middle section of hedge and replaced with new plants. My budget unfortunately did not allow to buy mature specimens therefore I am now playing a waiting game! Over the other side of the fence - Jim's weeds did not make this an easy task. A suit of body armour was required for those nettles.
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| Nettles, Willowherb and Snowberry in Jim's garden! |
The Acer bed was created early 2013 out of necessity really. I had a couple of container growing Acers that would fair much better in the ground. As my collection of Primula was increasing - I thought they'd make good companions. This bed has done really well in 2013. I've just purchased some P. denticulata Ruby to add to this bed for spring.
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Acer and Enkianthus along with a selection of Primula
June 2013 |
The long curved bed - now affectionately known as the Bumble Bee bed looks good. Now in it's 3rd year - a bit of thinning out will be required in 2014. It will be nice to have some of those plants to grow elsewhere in the garden.
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| The bumble bee bed |
The top bed lost many of it's plants in the flooding of 2012 - I added a few Astilbes in the autumn of that year - I'm rather chuffed with how this turned out in 2013. A couple of red stemmed Cornus replaced shrubs that perished. They put on reasonable growth this year but not quite enough to provide the height I wanted. I will cut them back once new buds appears but not quite so much as I did in March.
As Autumn approached it was still very dry. I had read that autumn colour might not be as bold as it could be due to the unseasonal warm weather. It was almost November before the Acers turned.
There was many unseasonal plants flowering at the tail end of the year none so strange as this Lupin throwing up a flower mid December The foliage leaves a lot to be desired though!
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| Picture taken 15 December 2013 |
Another thing that pleased me the whole year was a distinct lack of slugs and snails in my garden. My garden is generally over run with the blighters. Even doing the autumn clear up I was lucky if I found 4 slugs. Hosta leaves don't usually look as good as this come the end of September!
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| Hosta sieboldiana Frances Williams |
Those who read my
previous blog know that the year ends with another project - work has been hampered by the wind and rain. There are lots of spring bulbs poking their noses up and the hellebores have some flower buds not far from opening. I can't work in this.......
As my garden moves into 2014 - I am hoping it will be the year of the Front Garden. As you can see I made a start by painting the fence in September. I truly lack inspiration on what I want to achieve here. I will let the privet along the front grow taller - other than that, I don't quite know!
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| Front garden September 2013 |
2013 is the year I truly started to enjoy how my garden looked, I had more success than failure, for a change! I stopped becoming obsessed with weeding and I harvested seed for the first time so fingers crossed I will have some seedlings come spring time.
Please join me and other garden bloggers linking their End of Year review with
Helen over at The Patient Gardener's Weblog.
A guid New Year tae an ‘a’ a an mony may ye see!
A good New Year to one and all and many may you see!
