Atrocity corner and other pleasant things.

16 comments

The far corner of the front garden was a real mess [the rest of the garden was just a mess] when we moved in 24yrs ago. It was a good few years before I got to it and I ignored the Ramsons, Spanish bluebells, ivy and brambles. All my life there has been a bit of the family garden that was the ‘trouble maker’ weedy/dark /mainly clay and it is affectionately called atrocity corner. The one in my childhood home is now full of ferns and hostas and is tended lovingly by my eldest brother. When we talk on the phone he and I still call it atrocity corner.

When he first came to visit us here he took one look at my patch of British natives [weeds though Spanish bluebells are not native] and said ‘’you got one too then?’’ Looking at him puzzled he said ‘an Atrocity corner’. The name stuck.

Over the years it has been improved planted/replanted and every couple of years it needs a good de brambling.
This year it has been more of a tidy up.

On the 15th April it looked like this

By the end of the day it was about half done

Then by the next day it was like this.

I planted several pots of Camassia as well as an aconitum after removing half of the Pulmonaria rubra

This large helleborus argutifolia is slowly encroaching into this area but with the honesty I honestly don’t mind.

I found a pot of Tulipa Little beauty and decided the pink would be a nice continuation of the P rubra. This is a clump in the rockery however.

I have now removed half of the Spanish bluebells and will work on the rest at a later date.

The red campion is starting to flower along with Vinca Jenny Pym who will flower off and on all year though I was amazed at how much this has spread in a few years.

The apple tree that I thought I had lost to honey fungus has rallied and is in full blossom today.

Moving towards the left away from the corner the Phlox sublata is coming into flower

One of the larger Camassia is also opening up and it is a lovely blue.

Other plants doing well at the moment are Iris pumila ‘Star of Africa’; I love the purple/blue beard.

Molly the witch which came from BJS as a small plant a few years ago.

Paeonia lutea was grown from seed about 10 yrs ago and it is doing very well by the gate.

One of the later Corydalis is C. flexuosa ‘China blue’. This species doesn’t have a tuber so is easier to propagate.

Arisarum proboscideum or mousetail arum always makes me smile, its just a shame I don’t have them in a raised bed so I can see them easier.

Then like many of you I have Pulsatilla vulgaris. There are 3 flowers open and a few more buds to come.

Close up of the flower.

The garden is very busy with birds and the blackbirds have been constant companions whilst weeding. This is one of the reasons why.
Talk about having your back to the corner! this is the corner of the pond and rockery wall and is the first thing you face when you come out the back door.

Mum and dad both on hand to get the mealworms and other tasty treats for this little one.

Though dad is sunbathing and having a rest from the 3 kids they have raised so far.

Hope you are staying safe and sane.

• 27 Apr, 2020
• 17 likes

More blog posts by seaburngirl