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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.

More blog posts by seaburngirl

Previous post: Some of my shady ladies.

Next post: Iris pumilla



Comments

 

So many varieties of plants you have love those pink Tulipa never seen that colour before and the star of Africa is stunning. Nice to see mum and dad looking after the little fellow.

27 Apr, 2020

 

Lovely blog Eileen, and atrocity corner showing promise! And amazing to capture the baby blackbird ๐Ÿ™‚.

28 Apr, 2020

 

I liked the pink tulips too, lovely colour.

28 Apr, 2020

 

What a wonderful collection you have there Sbg.

28 Apr, 2020

 

baby has 3 siblings, we spotted them under the shrubs. Mum and dad are feeding them constantly. they are looking a lot slimmer than before bless them.

28 Apr, 2020

 

I have some Mousetail Arum too, it thrives underneath a Rhododendron, love it!

28 Apr, 2020

 

Thanks for a most interesting blog.....some lovely photos.....especially those tulips.Good luck with the bluebells.......

28 Apr, 2020

 

Lovely blog, Eileen. Lots of pretty colours. The peony is a beautiful bright colour, great close up too. Love your pulsatilla too, pretty one.
Great capture of the blackbird family.

28 Apr, 2020

 

I just love that description atrocity corner itโ€™s made me chuckle, it looks ok to me, you have taken some lovely pics there.

28 Apr, 2020

 

You've done wonders there, the area looks great now. I have a 'Thugs Corner' but I have to attend to it each year, the Blusbell bulbs are so deep and the wild Alliums have babies, surrounding the parent bulb, which escape eviction.

28 Apr, 2020

 

A most enjoyable blog Eileen, both to read and look at.
You've done wonders with your 'Atrocity Corner' ( love that!) and your selection of plants is almost mouth-watering. You have a garden that is inspirational and aspirational. Long may it continue.

28 Apr, 2020

 

You have a fantastic collection of plants SeaburnG. and I love what you have done with your " atrocity" corner. We have quite a few baby birds now and actually had two baby thrushes but didn't know where their "mum" was!

29 Apr, 2020

 

Great title, I think we all have or have had a corner like that over the years. love the photographs especially the peonia and the iris, still a bit disappointed with my peonys, got about 6 plants but only 3 buds oh and a bud one of the new peony tree's that I planted last year, still will persevere with them. Its nice seeing the birds out as well, hopefully get over this bit of stormy weather that we are having at the moment then back to nice again

29 Apr, 2020

 

Mine is the narrow bit on the right of the pathway, it runs all the way down the garden from the yard, it has a bit of everything in it and is mainly left to its own devices, I throw seedheads on there every autumn and hope for the best, the hedgehogs and birds love it, you have a lovely selection in yours Seaburn...Lovely blog and photo's..

30 Apr, 2020

 

Thanks for the nice comments. I have a lot of common and therefore good doers and many of the more unusual plants I have been picked up at our local HPS group, the East Yorks group.

30 Apr, 2020

 

Interesting blog & you have some lovely plants.

1 May, 2020

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