Friday 19 April 2013

A New Lavender Hedge . Replacement Plants . The Heron Saga

Spring has finally arrived, and suddenly everyone has something to blog about.  At this time of year I just can't keep up with commenting and reading other people's posts, they are coming thick and fast, so I apologise if I haven't been able to visit you recently.  There is just so much to do in the garden and greenhouse which has been limiting my computer time quite considerably. Now if only the gales we have been having would go back to where they came from I would really like to get on with organising the garden.

I mentioned last week that my Lavender was looking the worse for wear after the harsh winter so I decided, in the end, to replace it with new plants.  Homebase were selling 3 for £9 - healthy looking and bushy, so I bought two lots.  I have put them in a new position and they look so much better than the scraggy old ones.


I lost quite a few plants over winter so I have replaced those too.


l to r:  aubretia / lavatera (barnsley)/ dianthus / erysimum

It seems that the plants fared better that disappeared underground - those on the surface perished.

It has been an expensive week in the garden - at the weekend we bought bamboo fencing to act as a windbreak at the top of the garden (pictures next week hopefully) and three bags of shredded bark to top up the paths plus a new grow-house cover.

I like to add a new fruit tree every year and decided on a patio peach as my choice for this year.


I have never tried to grow a peach treee before, not sure how long it will take to fruit - if it ever does - but there are plenty of buds on it so I will just have to wait and see.

Elsewhere in the garden there is definitely an improvement, lots of spring things have come into flower - so at least the garden doesn't look quite as bleak as it did a couple of weeks ago.


And I have been sowing lots of flower seed to fill in all the gaps that are bound to appear as the year wears on - quite a few have already germinated.



Sorry that this has been such a long post - but there seems to be a lot to fit in this week - things are moving along quite nicely.

Memory Corner

I thought I would show you a picture of my gorgeous red-haired boy Dusty aka Dustyboots - he died a few years ago now but is still greatly missed - our neighbour christened him SCUD 'cos when he saw a cat in the garden he was out through the redundant cat flap like a SCUD missile.


A Book to Read

They forget that their wives had an important meeting that morning;
they forget to pick up the dry cleaning;
some of them even forget their wedding anniversary.
But Vaughan has forgotten he even has a wife - her name, her face,
everything they ever did together - it has all gone, mysteriously
wiped in one catastrophic moment of memory loss.  And now he has
rediscovered her - only to find that they are getting divorced.
Is it too late for him to turn back the clock and reclaim his life?

I am always moaning that my garden looks pretty dull in winter
so when I found this book for £1.50 in a charity shop
I snapped it up - maybe I'll see an improvement in the garden next winter now.

and finally
The Heron Saga

You remember I had to cover the pond because I had spotted a Heron at the top of the garden - well, my husband took the net off at the weekend whilst he was cleaning out the pump or something and didn't replace it. 
DISASTER
The Heron must have been down early the next morning and this happened

I don't know whether you can see this clearly but the fish, our largest,
has a big bruise right around the eye - but the eye socket is
empty.
The Heron must have attempted to catch it and pecked its eye out.
GRRR.
We are just hoping no infection will set in.  The fish seems okay for the moment.
And guess what - the beloved soon put the net back on.
Talk about shutting the door after the horse has bolted.
Hey ho!

34 comments:

  1. I bet your other half had an ear bashing - hope your fish survives.

    I need to trim our lavender edging around the fruit beds on the plot. Our peach fruited (not lots) in its second year. It doesn't look as though it is making an effort this year yet though!

    Dusty's photo is lovely - they do leave a big hole don't they?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No I didn't give him an ear-bashing - he felt guilty enough! I shall be watching the progress of your peach tree with interest this year - I shall have to find a sheltered spot I think as our garden is pretty exposed to strong winds. Dusty was a very handsome chap and very small which made him all the more cute.

      Delete
  2. Poor fish.

    the lavender looks lovely and Dusty was so beautiful :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know - I was horrified when I saw the damage to it - you wouldn't think you could get fond of fish would you - and something I forgot to mention is that one day when my husband came home from work he found the very same fish in the middle of the road - we think a cat had hoiked it out of the pond then got fed up with it. How it survived out of water for so long I'll never know.

      Delete
  3. Poor eyeless goldfish! I hope he survives. What a nice mosaic of spring flowers Elaine. Come summer I am sure the investment in lavender will seem well worth it. I have a very sad looking lavender in my cold frame. If it does not perk up soon, I may have to replace it. I have decided that one lavender plant won't be impressive, so I will probably be investing in some new plants anyway. What a adorable eyes Dustyboots had. I have always wanted to have this exact breed of dog. ( Just ask my husband how I go on and on about how sweet their faces are whenever I see one!) Have a wonderful weekend in the garden Elaine!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't imagine the garden without lavender - one bush in the front garden survived which I could have taken cuttings from but it would have taken them too long to establish.

      Dusty was adorable we adopted him and he fitted in perfectly, he and our other dog got on like a house on fire.

      Delete
  4. Your peach tree looks really healthy, I hope it will do well.
    Oh it's so wonderful to see things sprouting at last!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh it would be wonderful to pick our own peaches - here's hoping.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I can never keep lavender plants alive here for some reason. Hope your fish gets okay. Have a wonderful weekend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't think they have a very long garden life Lona - mine were only three years old and already they were starting to go woody.

      Delete
  7. I hope your peach tree is lush and full. Peaches are one of my favorite summer fruits. After our miserable, too-long winter it seems that spring is quite literally exploding around me. It seems to be doing the same with you. :o) It's wonderful to see color on garden blogs again. I'm glad you replaced the lavender. A plant that fragrant would be missed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have been working outside all day today - so many jobs still to get done - the winter has taken its toll on the garden and a lot of plants have suffered. Thank goodness for the spring bulbs.

      Delete
  8. That's the problem with gardening blogs!
    I'm hoping for better things from my lavenders this year having moved them all at least twice in the past year or so.
    It's good to see so much colour at long last, and like you I'm now sowing lots of flower seeds.
    Dusty was a fine looking, and I'm sure much missed, boy.
    Val Bourne is one of my favourite gardening writers so I'm sure that book will be interesting and helpful.
    Flighty xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My lavender was just too far gone to save, even the cuttings I took from the plants last year perished. I am not sure if the new plants will flower this year - let's hope so.

      Delete
  9. Oh noooooooooo....the POOR fish, I do hope it's o.k.

    Dustyboots does look such a sweetie, it's really hard to part from old friends isn't it.

    Goodness, it's all happening thick and fast for you isn't it, the lavender looks lovely and I'm amazed your bluebells are up, I haven't any yet.

    Here's to good weather without the gales.xxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They aren't bluebells Snowbird they are the outdoor hyacinths. When they are planted outside after being raised indoors the flowers are not so close together as they should be - they smell just as sweet though.

      Delete
  10. What a shame about your poor fish Elaine, those heron are a right nuisance! I'm trialing something new in my pond at the moment that are supposed to stop them, but I'm sceptical.

    The rest of your garden is looking great, full of spring lushness :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We are keeping the net on for the time being - and the fish is doing ok. It is good to see a bit of colour in the garden I agree - we seem to have waited a long time.

      Delete
  11. We had a full size peach in our polytunnel in Arigna. I kept it well pruned and we got lots of Peaches from it. It flowers early, usually February, when there are few insects about so I always pollinated it by hand using a tiny brush.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Bridget - I'll bear that in mind.

      Delete
  12. I look forward to seeing how your peach tree grows; it will be wonderful to have a crop of peaches from it. Dusty looked adorable; it is lovely to remember him. And the heron was crafty waiting for that opportunity, I hope your poor fish survives the ordeal OK.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am growing the peach tree in a container so that if necessary I can move it into the greenhouse for winter - not sure if my garden is warm enough to produce peaches - but it would be great if it did.

      Delete
  13. I think it was a good call to start with fresh pants especially they grow so fast and do tire out. Those are some beefy buds on your peach tree. Good luck with that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for visiting and for your comments.

      Delete
  14. Eek. Bad luck, Elaine. Herons visit the Priory too but luckily the ponds are too deep (I think) for them to catch much. Hope you're fish pulls through. Dave

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Dave - it is doing ok but we are still keeping an eye out for naughty Mr. Heron. Oh I think I cracked a joke without realising it. Ha.

      Delete
  15. I agree, it's such a busy time of year. I find it hard to manage all the things to do come Spring. Your lavender and other plants are lovely. Its nice to see seedlings coming up too - I'm awaiting mine. Hope your peach tree does well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It might be a busy time but I am enjoying being outdoors making the garden look good again, aren't you

      Delete
  16. Poor fishy! Yes, hope it will heal. And well done on those lavender! I've always loved the look of your blog and it's due to those sweet lavender blooms :-) Lots happening in your garden.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love this time of year with so much bursting into life.

      Delete
  17. So nice to see some colour back in our gardens. My lavender is looking a bit worse for wear to this year, I might follow your lead and give it up and get some more. Will be interested to see how your peach tree progresses and how amazing will that be growing your own peaches.
    That fish has survived a lot I hope it recovers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The fish is still going but the eye area looks a bit gungy so we put some stuff in the water to try and heal it.

      Delete
  18. Yikes, poor fish - bet that was a interesting "discussion" with OH. Know what you mean re keeping up with blog reading and writing - hence me commenting on this so late in the day! Lovely fat buds on that peach tree, if it proves a successful experiment I may emulate it. At the moment I am kicking myself for not being sufficiently organised to get a gooseberry bare rooted.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm a bit worried about the peach tree those fat buds just haven't done anything - I hope it's not dead.

      Delete