MARCH 2009

Well, it is the last day of March, so technically speaking I am still able to label this blog March. The weather has been a bit wild and windy this week, after a lovely few days the week before. Very little rain to be had, so the garden is drying out very nicely. I have dug out a few more bits of the beds by the pergola and been watching the hostas closely to see if I can dig them up and divide them yet.

The bulbs from last year are starting to look lovely on the bank opposite the conservatory, so I am making sure I know where the gaps are; I may not forget by the autumn and end up bunging bulbs wherever - a plan perhaps? The large buddleia to the left of the picture is the yellow globe variety and I did not prune it properly last year - hence it is too big now. I will cut it back when it has flowered and give others a chance to shine. The large bush on the right was ENORMOUS when we first moved in, a lovely red escalonia. Unfortunately it was taking over the garden there and had to be cut back by about 3 quarters. Husband reckoned anything cut back that hard would never want to grow again, but grow it has and may even flower this year (it sulked last year and refused even one little flower). I stuck a couple of the "freebie" clematis plants around it, for a bit of company. The one in front got eaten by a rabbit last year, but the one nearest the steps had a couple of large flowers - maybe both will put on a show this year. I bought a job lot of pink heathers from the garden centre and one sits nicely on the slope with the mini-daffs (tete a tetes I think). The foxgloves will look pretty up the slope behind the escalonia and towards the sorbus. The little wood anemones are gorgeous and almost glow int he dark, which seems to be the only time I got to see the garden after work at times! I tried clearing some of the wild raspberries along the slope and the ivy, which seems to have roots of steel. Hard work when you are also trying to balance, then a large root gives and you are away down the hill!

There is a Gardener's World programme on about vertical gardening, so maybe I will get round to watching that this week and see if they have any saftey tips....