April and May

How did nearly two months go past? Obviously things have grown amok in the garden and I have been busy dealing with some of those, as well as the rest of the family growing too and heading off into wild blue (or grey, or thundery) yonders for rugby and now athletics. Ah well, I do see lots of lovely gardens as we drive through some towns!

This weekend involved an athletics meet trip to Inverness and then a chopping down day on the bank holiday. There was a huge ash tree above the burn which was a) blocking light out from the bog garden and b) self seeding everywhere and driving me nuts.

So up the ladder the lovely boys went and cut it down... The main trunk is still lying across the burn and will be moved this week, but by the time the branches had been lopped off and put away the poor chaps were exhausted so I let them off the last bit. My plants, so lovingly tended (not) on the bank of the burn took a bit of a battering so I will have to do a bit of remedial work there - which obviously will involve a trip to the nursery to help get over the trauma!! There is a dark purple buddleia which was hidden behind the (ex) ash tree, so that should be better this year. We tried to prune it the first year we moved in, but never too successfully because there was so much in the way. I will leave it for this year and then give it a haircut next spring. The children's den is now more visible, so I have promised to plant stuff to cover it a bit more - how noble of me!!!!

I have also been moving plants in the bog garden which should flourish a little better with more sun. The hostas are coming up beautifully and the primulas are a treat. I moved the rodgersia further back a couple of weeks ago and that is coming on well, the fatsia has sulked a bit and thrown off a couple of leaves in tantrum, but is struggling through. So, the after the chop should give them all a good go this year. The bit on thebottom right hand side is a quandary because the spring trickles through the wall and onto the stone there and I am not sure how to deal with it. Thinking hats on.

The last part of the garden for today is bit in front of the kitchen and patio. The tree peony I planted there has just been magnificent, and if only we had smelli-net! The rosy scent is delicately gorgeous. It is surrounded by aqulilegias and has a lovely rose to its left so has a bit of shelter and has flowered itself in a frenzy this year, hurrah!