Blooms!

New Trees!

We now have 18 trees.  If you view the blog as the web page version (scroll to the bottomof this page and it gives you the option of viewing the full blog), I've created a list of our trees on the right, along with their care since the labels are discarded and names can be forgotten over time.

A few weeks ago we ordered 3 new pot grown trees from an online supplier.  Last week however I received an email to refund my payment as the order could not be filled.

Thankfully, the garden centre where we usually go reopened this week, so we decided that we would kill two birds with one stone, buy the trees and take Daisy with us to help with her socialisation.

We queued for about half an hour, spaced according to the social distancing measures.  It operated on strict numbers within the garden centre with a one-in-one-out system, and everyone in the queue around us were in good spirits.  I guess like us, pleased to have the garden centre open again.

This centre of choice is in the countryside, about 20 minutes drive away and was a lovely run out in the sunshine, giving Daisy a chance to settle on the journey.

Once in, we didn't dilly-dally,  like we usually do, and went straight to the trees. We were able to find 2 out of the 3 varieties I wanted.  The third was a similar variety to the one I had ordered online.

Straight back to the tills which are in a hut at the exit, again queuing as per the social distancing measures.  We pushed the trolley up to the lady behind the screen then stepped back to the box marked on the floor to allow the assistant to tell the cashier what to run through the till.  As we were having them delivered, the assistant then took our trees away, moving the trolley into the cleaning station to prepare for the next customer.

And off we went, allowing the next people to enter.

I suppose now would be a good time to show you these new additions.

The Man that Can set to planting them up straight away. 

With a little help from Daisy who wanted to play with the pebbles. 

On the Terrace and patio, prunus Stella and prunus Athos, both in large green glazed pots.  There is fruit already on Stella, albeit small and green.  Both of these varieties are self pollinating. 

The third tree is p. Fragrant Cloud, an ornamental cherry with, as the name suggests, scented blossom in white that ages to pink.  This has been planted in the Long Border. 

Of course the blossom has passed but next year should be a real treat.

If we're lucky, and beat the birds, we may be enjoying our own cherries come July!

Stay safe and enjoy your garden. 

May - a foot each in winter and summer

"Don't knock the weather: nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while."

-  Kin Hubbard

May is such a fickle month.  One day the garden is bathed in glorious warm sunshine reminiscent of halcyon days of our youth...

...the next, out come big coats and gloves, and we're scraping car windscreens!

There is much truth in the old wives' tale ...ne'er cast a clout till May be out.

This week we have had night time frosts; -5c is definitely enough to blacken fresh foliage and kill delicate bedding plants.

Most of the plants in our garden are either trees, shrubs, evergreens, herbaceous perennial or biennial like the foxglove above, which seeds itself around and we just weed out those we don't want. 

This beautiful blue ceanothus is c. Italian Skies which is just coming into flower now in the front garden, and is a magnet for bees.

Deliciously scented pink r. Gertrude Jekyll over the arch on the patio. 

And growing up over the other side of the arch is the peach coloured r. Shropshire Lad.

There are a couple of jobs that need attention this week.  The wisteria is growing at top speed and needs tying in, and the wishy washy aquilegias need removing before they set seed.

These ones however, can remain.

So watch out for those night time temperatures.  Anything below 10c, and I pop fleece over anything tender, or bring it inside.

Keep alert, stay safe and enjoy the flowers.

Don't say I didn't warn you

But May does have some surprises up her sleeve, and if you have bought your bedding plants and do not have a greenhouse or cold frame, ensure you do have some fleece...or even some newspaper to cover them over at night.  We've had some chilly nights (and days) this week.

I had an appointment at a local nursery earlier this week and was able to buy our bedding plants, along with those for the in-laws.  Since I don't generally buy my plants so early, I bought some fleece too as I don't have a greenhouse or cold frame. 

Today (Wednesday 13th May) the winds of change move in.  Prime Minister Boris Johnson has declared that the English should now be allowed out to play...but only with one other person outside your household, and social distancing remains in place. We are allowed to venture further afield to exercise, just in time for our new puppy, Daisy, as she is 12 weeks old on Thursday and can then venture out into this new world on her first walk.

Just like Daisy, I'm thoroughly enjoying seeing what each new day brings.

Daisy

I was going to tuck this into the end of the previous post but I think Daisy deserves her own entry.

Daisy was only with her previous owner for 2 weeks before he decided to rehome her.  She has had all her checks and injections, all the paperwork done. We are just waiting for our own vet to check her over.

She has learned sit and down, and is now realising that she will not be fussed if she doesn't have all four paws on the ground. 

We have had her for a little over a day and a half now and she has fitted in so well.

She takes herself off to her bed to nap.

She loves to play of course.

She has been in the car and been to the store to get a new bed and toys, along with a harness so she will be ready for her first walk late next week.  She has met her groomer (who can't wait to have a cuddle when the restrictions lift).  And is getting used to Ellie our Yorkshire terrier, who tolerates her high energy playfulness but isn't yet willing to join in and is quite happy just to watch, thank you very much.

She has a huge crate to sleep in at night and we've had no accidents at all yet (although it's only been 36 hours or so). She goes to the patio door to let us know when she needs to relieve herself. 

Today she is joining Ellie on a walk, but will be carried.  This is to help her confidence with all the sights and sounds she is likely to encounter in every day life. 

Daisy and Bumblebee are already inseparable 

PS: all social distancing measures were adhered to.