WINTER 2008

Well, as winters go, that was a cold one! We even has a deal of snow, although the children didn't get their desired time off school because they were already on holiday. I gave them lots of sympathy though. Obviously. Much fun was had with the toboggans on the slopies, for more information see youtube I understand.

I am now the proud owner of a pergola. Husband kindly used some of the materials left over from the bridge as the uprights and we improvised to get the "rustic" logs across the top using branches from some of the trees we have lopped.

The pergola was, of course, required because in one of the windy spells the cheap rose arch was not so much cheerful as completely horizontal. So, not being in the spirit of the vertical garden any more, it had to go. I also had a few of the pots I had brought from England which needed something doing with and this was the something. A beautiful dark pink rose, paired with a dark pink clematis is on the corner nearest the bridge, with a couple of day lillies and a kaffir lily (I did get to the point where I was bunging what I could into pots whilst packing so please don't frown). The pot with the honeysuckle and red clematis is on the side nearest the ladder. I have used some of the stone from the wall to build up the slope a little as the cherry tree roots made digging that section a bit of a struggle. There is also a pretty little abutilon mixed in with that lot and I am hoping it will survive there. The yellow rose and the jasmine with the pink rose and pink that were already there will need pruning properly and it should be gorgeous. I am apparently going to have another two poles, nearer the bridge but will have to move the clothes drier. Can't wait.

In the mean time, I have been extending the beds round the pergola, when fingers aren't frozen. My goodness it has been cold. Mind you, I am starting to see a resurgence of the slug so I have been ruthless in flinging the little b******s to the birds. Some of the "free" bulbs I got in the autumn are coming up now, and the ones I put in pots when I ran out of time/inspiration/inclination have been planted into this new section too - for the future. We'll see what they look like shall we! I have also been sowing like mad for the wild flowers on the bank and waiting for the plants by the bog garden to peep through so that I can lift and divide them. So many plans.....