Helen's Garden Renovation Project

As soon as the hosepipe ban came into effect, we have had rain almost every day. On the whole I am pleased about this. It is my busiest time for tutoring, and so I have very little time available for doing anything to the garden, and it helps save time if I don’t have to water anything. The anti vine weevil nematodes that I applied a couple of weeks ago want a good supply of water, which has been arranged for me, and my newly-planted shrubs have not needed any attention. On the other hand, when my life gets almost completely taken over by work, it can make all the difference if I get to spend an hour or two in the garden.

Today has been no exception to the pattern of this April, with frequent showers but some sunny moments in between. I decided to take stock of the quick and the dead, hoping that there wouldn’t be anything in the latter category.

My neighbour said that the Residents’ Crinodendrons were dead, pointing out not unreasonably that an evergreen plant is supposed to have leaves on it.

Crindodendron in the communal planting area, looking dead

The Crindodendrons were both doing fine until we had a very cold snap in February, whereupon their leaves went black and fell off. However, on close inspection it becomes apparent that something is happening. Either the plant is producing some new leaves, or it’s been infested by a bright red pest that doesn’t move.

Crinodendron not dead after all

My neighbour also complained about my Camellia. I had to agree with him. The poor thing is very yellow this year.

Camellia looking yellow

I have given it some camellia food, both slow release and water soluble, and I will carry on feeding it this year. I think it has improved, but it may take time. This year I have noticed a general increased yellowness among camellias and I am wondering if the very dry weather has caused it. Camellias like moist soil, and perhaps even established plants have not been impressed with the low rainfall.

I was also very worried about the fuchsia Alice Hoffman who was a present from a student last summer. She is still not looking very vibrant.

Fuchsia Alice Hoffman looking dead

But she too is producing new leaves. At first I thought they were weeds or bits of marjoram (I overwintered her by burying her in the marjoram patch). It was difficult to get them in focus for a photograph, but here is my best shot:

New shoots from Alice Hoffman

It seems strange that these plants are only just beginning to get going now, at the end of April. Even the beech tree next door is slow off the starting blocks.

Beech tree next door, still leafless

We have lots of rain still to come in the next few days, but there may be some more settled weather as we get into May. I think that there will be a lot of catching up to do in the next couple of weeks.

I am happy to report that the alchemilla, cruelly buried by Roger the fence man, is now back in the land of the living.

The return of the Alchemilla

Today is the two-year anniversary of Dave’s death, so I went to Bourne Buildings to buy a stone animal to mark the occasion. Marty, who was a good friend of Dave and has now become my friend, suggested that a hedgehog would be appropriate, to commemorate all the hedgehogs which died a watery death in Dave’s ponds over the years. (Dave did not mean the hedgehogs to drown in his ponds; it was just that there was something about his ponds that they found irresistible).

And then I planted a rhododendron, just like last year.

The hedgehog and the rhododendron ' Marcel Menard'

And then it started hailing, so I went inside, and when the sun came out again I posed for a photograph. It was quite hard to compose a picture that didn’t have bits of magnolia in front of my face, but eventually I managed it.

The hedgehog and the rhododendron with me

I am pleased to note that last year’s rhododendron is flowering very nicely. I had been afraid that it was turning out to be as lazy^* as Dave, and wasn’t going to bother.

Hardworking rhododendron planted in memory of Dave in April 2011

The rhododendron that I planted today is one of the plants I ordered from J Parkers. It will get very big if I let it, and I think I may swap the frog, which is too big for its rhododendron partner, with the hedgehog, in due course.

^*For 'lazy' read 'laid-back and easygoing'.

There is no night without a dawning. No winter without a spring.
– Helen Steiner Rice

After our almost-record-breakingly hot March, we have had a chilly start to April. The early rhododendron and my magnolia have both gone brown. If the magnolia’s flowers were meant to be that colour, they would be quite pretty.

A frost-damaged magnolia flower

I have planted the Euonymus europaeus Red Cascade. The poor thing looks like a terrified sacrifice victim tied to a stake.

Euonymus europaeus Red Cascade

I have also planted the small bay tree. I am going to have to rearrange my black polythene compost bags to try and keep the weeds out as much as possible. Ultimately I need lots of ground cover plants, but while the shrubs are establishing I think they would appreciate not having the competition.

I repotted my three Callicarpa and the rhododendron into larger pots because they were getting too thirsty too quickly. I realised at this point that my blueberries, which are of four different varieties, do not have any identification on them. I think I could look them all up and place them in order of fruiting, and then decide from observations which is which. My dad thinks I should get a life.