Plants and New Aquisitions for the Back Garden

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After getting the front garden underway now, I need to turn my attention to the back – umm, a huge space of some mature, some unkempt and difficult, the soil has a pan and it all seems rather daunting!
I have been busy planting and mostly buying new interesting and wonderful specimens, some are things I have saved my pennies for and some are ones that I picked up in the ‘sin bin’ at B&Q. If anyone has any suggestions, I would be most grateful…
The garden is south east facing and gets the sun for most of the day apart from one fence which stays shady.

These photos also show some of the new plants, there is the Dicksonia antarctica (tree fern) which has a simbiant Acacia growing in it, an olive which I will put in the middle of a stone circle in a patio garden and the phyllostachys nigra (black stemmed bamboo) which needs a special spot.

There is my collection of Antipodean specimens, mostly Coprosma ‘Pink Splendor’, one Evening Glow and 3 Leptospernums.

These are my Summer bulbs, Tigridia, Lillium Henryi, Crocosmia Lucifer, Eucomis Octopus, Nerine Bowendii, Dracunculus Vulgaris and some others which I can’t remember!

Cordyline, growing strongly, this will make a good tree for a hot bed.

These are a collection of plants which I have brought with me from Nottingham when we moved, ebay had a few visits as did a man who i found down a dusty track who sells the rather exotic ( and yes I do mean plants!!!) I got my 5 and a half foot tree fern from him for £80 plus a Grevillea ‘Mount Tamboritha’, a prostrate rosemary, Mahonia, Tetrapanax papyrifer, Magnolia grandiflora, a red cordyline, different varieties of large ferns, 2 rambling roses, one red (red rambler)the other cream(Bobbie James), 2 musa basjoo and some Skunk Arums or Cabbage (Lysichiton Americana)

3 Astelia silver spear, BRUNNERA MACROPHYLLA ‘DAWSONS WHITE’, WALDSTEINIA TERNATA, vinca minor and EPIMEDIUM X PERRALCHICUM ‘FROHNLEITEN’, CHONDRPETALUM ELEPHANTINUM, RHODOCOMA CAPENSIS

These are plants which I bought as small plugs or roots and are Verbena Boneriensis, Erynigum planum, Physalis franchetii and one french bean! Also standing in front is a trachyacarpus fortunei

Then we go into the greenhouse which has a few tender bits and bobs in it, plus ones which I really don’t want to lose until the Sunny weather and warmer nights take hold.

A new shoot on the Chlorodendrum bungii – this was very difficult to get hold of but I found a great company on ebay called Hot Plant Company which has some great specimens. there is also a glimpse of the Cestrum Elegans as well

This is Abutilon megapotamicum KREUTZBEGRA, I have been warned that it is best to grow them in pots in a greenhouse for 2 years before hardening them off and putting them in the garden.

First shoot on my canna General Eisenhower I think this variety is called. I also have Dahlia Bishop od Llandalf and some Peruvian daffodils, 3 other tree ferns 2 Acacia Purpurea and a Brugmansia packed in the greenhouse

We inherited this greenhouse and the door is missing, it has algae over the glass and is a general mess but I will give it a new lease of life when the plants are in the ground.

Every garden needs trees, this is a Mexican Weeping Pine Pinus patula, that really does need to go in the ground this year as it managed to survive the bad weather in its pot. It needs a treat xx

Other trees I have accumulates are Ginko Biloba, Monkey Puzzle and Paulownia Tomentosa, plus behind them are a load of Photinia red robin earmarked for a hedge.

This garden is the biggest I have ever tackled and I am going to start on it this Easter. The plan is to mark out beds and areas for planting and hire a mini digger for the weekend. When we tried to dig the soil in the front we hit a dead pan and my husband had to get a post drill and drill through the whole area just so we could get a spade or fork in it.
The asbestos shed in the back has to go and we will probably have to pay someone for the privilage. We have our eye on another one but their customer services are rubbish and we need the weight and dimensions to get it delivered to the Isle of Wight which aren’t too forthcoming from the company! At the moment we have been charged more than £190 just for delivery

Watch this space, things will be slow but rewarding I hope over the next few months, I have enough plants (so my husband likes to tell me) to make a start and a few instant specimens which in their pots already make the space look more mature and established. Wish me luck!!

• 5 Apr, 2009
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