Lady's Mantle Anyone....

By rose1949

29 comments

For those of you who have seen my walk round the garden blog,you will know about all the lavenders in my path borders..

..and because of all the trees, no borderd are in permanent sun, except the path border.When we came hereI thought,traditional cottage should have cottage borders, so over the years this is what I created…

..Lavender and Lady’s mantle (Achilla Mollis) surrounding roses. How much more traditional can you get! 13 years later ,the lavender has grown huge and the lady’s mantle has self seeded everywhere.I do like it but I also needed space for other plants,namely flowers, to give a bit more colour to the garden.I created a flower border on my allotment next door to the house as this does get alot of sunshine being the other side of one of the bigger trees..

But, no, that didn’t satisfy me.Brainwave! Some of the lavenders were 16 years old which I had grown from cuttings at the last house and were passed their best so why don’t I dig them up and then will have room for flowers.Some of the lavenders were as big as the border width anyway. So day 1..and its a really hot day when I could have been relaxing in the sun , I make a start. Each lavender fills the barrow and its a very slow job as I am taking them ,one by one to the compost heap and the ones that are any good are going to another part of the garden just outside the back entrance.There are 12 lavenders altogether.Sorry, didn’t take any pictures at this point as I am too hot and tired.Why do I always find myself big jobs!Next its the lady’s mantles to go, but ( I think to myself) what if I move the malus tree, It’s only about 5years old and It’s only blossomed once.That would create quite a large space.Hubbies quite happy in his train room ,so I mention that I might do this , but as usual doesn’t take alot of notice when he’s so occupied (phew,got away with that one then!),so I start to dig it up …..one hour later , I.m still digging,so in the end decide to cut some of the tap roots off thinking ,well its got one or two chances.Hubby comes out to see what I’m doing ,and says,“thats a good idea, why didn’t you tell me and I would have come and helped you”!So I reply,“piece of cake,hasn’t taken me long!”After our cup of tea ,which I badly needed by this time, I managed to get it out and planted in the allotment.

Oops, better paint that bench! Day 2 ..Another hot day.Today the lady’s mantles are going.Not a long job (spoke too soon).Up to now ,I have filled 2 barrows and 2 buckets and still have left some in.Don’t want to lose all of them.Now all I have left is the few remaining perrenials.Wow, I can’t believe how much room I have in the borders now….

Now what can I put in here!It would have been much easier if my dear hubby didn’t love his lawns so much.He can’t do alot now but does cut the grass when he can.Before we lived here, we never had any lawn and gradually over the years I have been pinching a bit more garden,well,flowers and shrubs are much nicer ,aren’t they!

4 Sep, 2011
9 likes

Comments

Stickitoffee

That is a lovely chatty and interesting blog Rose, you made me smile ~ taking on a job ~ and they always seem more difficult and take longer than i first imagine!!
you will have fun filling those new borders ~ heucheras? geraniums, mombretia ~ will all grow in shade!! i have forget me nots that grow everywhere!!!

4 Sep, 2011

Oliveoil

Rose that is so open now, what on earth are you going to fill it with, you will have a list as long as your arm I am sure remember to choose plants which flower at various times of the season so that you have colour all through the year. Have fun list making. lol.

4 Sep, 2011

Lilcrawford

What an incredible job Rose!!! Part of me envies your new palette. Looking forward to your updates.

4 Sep, 2011

Marshmallow

I hope you had some cake (or at least chocolate) as a reward after all your hard work. It looks great and you will fill it in no time. I agree about the flowers and lawn. Our lawn gets smaller every year and I never regret digging any of it up.

4 Sep, 2011

Rose1949

I am a bit naughty , marshmallow as I love belgian chocolate lollies especially the white ones and always have one after a big job (or for no reason at all) Thanks Lil, Stickie and Olive for those kind words. I'm not going to rush into anything this year incase I make a mistake, but at the moment have got sweet williams and wallflowers to transplant so may put some of these in, but Stickie I do get a fair bit of sun on this border so will definitely be putting dahlias and rudbeckias next year as I really want a big splash of colour.

4 Sep, 2011

Stickitoffee

oooh lovely!

i wish you would grow those belgian chocolate lollies!!!

4 Sep, 2011

Marshmallow

Yum yes please:)

4 Sep, 2011

Rose1949

Its a good job you can't Stickie and marshmallow otherwise I'd be on a permanent diet!

4 Sep, 2011

Stickitoffee

so would i.

i have tried to google them but i cant find them.

4 Sep, 2011

Lincslass

You have had a good clear out Rose and now have lots of space for the new plants, you`ll have a completely new look next springtime, I always think a lot of enjoyment comes from choosing new plants for the different seasons.. Your allotment looks very colourful and next year you`ll have some as you say in the front borders.
Well done on getting the tree moved, hope it does alright for you after all that hard work, I guess you deserved a treat and anyway you also needed an energy fix.

4 Sep, 2011

Rose1949

Thanks Lincslass, I love this time of year for that reason. I love to change things around .

4 Sep, 2011

Grannyb

How lucky you are to have your own allotment next to your house. If I had that no one would ever see me. Love the flower border, lots of colour.

I took a Lavendar border out last year, but have replanted it last week with plants I grew myself as I missed the scent and the bees.

Rudbeckia is a good choice, my only one Goldstrum has been in flower for weeks and shows no sign of stopping yet. I shall get some more for next year.

5 Sep, 2011

Stroller

You might have an aching back and sore muscles Rose but by the look of it its been well worth it and as they say after the pain the gain of thinking and studying of what to plant in your spanking new borders. Looking forward to the pics.

5 Sep, 2011

Marshmallow

Grannyb I have Goldsturm and it divides very easily. I now have it in 3 places from one plant in just a few years. They are quite big clumps too. Saves a bit of money!

5 Sep, 2011

Grannyb

Thanks Marshmellow, would you divide it this year as it only went in a few months ago and is not really established
yet. Will make a note though to split next year.

5 Sep, 2011

Rose1949

Noone ever does see me, plus hubby,but as long his dinners on the table on time( which isn't often) he's happy that I'm happy. It is lovely living in the middle of an allotment Grannyb but it does have its downsides, one of them being that people on here tend to forget about us and lock the gate in the day ,inspite of the fact we have our own keys as do family ,every day trade people and emergency services don't.But the good outways the bad.Yes , it is worth all the hard work Stroller,but I do love to have a new project and challenge.

5 Sep, 2011

Libet

WOW!! Rose! If you were connected up to the national electricity grid, you could supply power to a small town! Where do you get the energy from! And I'll tell you what, I've been taking alchemilla mollis out of the garden in the past, and I have to get Keith to wrestle it out with a big spade! Maybe it's the heavy soil, but it holds on for grim death...and then grows back again!! It's amazing, well for one, the number of years you have been able to keep those lavenders going without them getting all leggy, and two, the amount of space they eventually took up! That'll be great fun to have a ponder over, and see what you can put in. And, well, ahem, you do have peach and white foxgloves coming...;0)xx

5 Sep, 2011

Hywel

Yes I agree about flowers and shrubs being nicer than a lawn. Your garden is very prettty.

6 Sep, 2011

Rose1949

tell my hubby that Hywell , thanks for your comment.Elizabeth, my friend, if you could have seen me digging these Lady's mantle out ,you would have laughed your socks off. No wonder it took me all day! I sometimes wonder where the energy comes from.What I want to know, is why am I not skinny! I have just the place ready and waiting for my lovely new foxgloves.

6 Sep, 2011

Hywel

You'll have to keep stealing bits when he isn't looking :o)

6 Sep, 2011

Hywel

You'll have to keep stealing bits when he isn't looking :o)

6 Sep, 2011

Rose1949

I've done that lots of times and usually got away with it.Before our hedge grew,the old boy on the allotment next door ( mine is there now as well) used to love to wind me up and when I was doing the border and hubby was in another part of the garden , he used to shout"She's taking the grass again Rick!", even if I wasn't, but he has cottoned on now so I have to be a bit more crafty Hywel. Its a good job he doesn't understand the computer!

6 Sep, 2011

Hywel

Poor dab lol - well you could leave him a bit ... a tiny little bit :D

6 Sep, 2011

Rose1949

I could Hywel , couldn't I !

7 Sep, 2011

Shirley_tulip

Well done on removing the Lavender and Lady's Mantle, Rose ... hard work indeed ... will you be planting any
spring bulbs to give you some colour early next year?

10 Sep, 2011

Rose1949

I keep saying I'm not going to put any more bulbs in because as quick as i put them in, the squirrel takes them out!But I am a glutton for punishment ,so I probably will.Thanks Shirley , I appreciate your comments.

10 Sep, 2011

Shirley_tulip

I have read that Chilli powder may deter the Squirrel ... anything's worth a try to keep the bulbs in place . . . . .

10 Sep, 2011

Rose1949

I will have to try this Shirley, thanks.

11 Sep, 2011

Shirley_tulip

Chilli flakes or powder ... either seem to deter them! . . . . .

11 Sep, 2011

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