It all started when Grenville and Alan came to visit!
By spritzhenry
10 comments
When Grenville and Alan were looking round my garden, Grenville noticed my Campanula glomerata plants. There are rather a lot of them – they do spread! I tried to dig some up for him but the soil was too hard and I only managed to get some small pieces. I promised to pot up a clump for him. So I went to look for an area where I could dig some up.
Oh dear – this part of the border did look a bit of a mess! The C.glomerata had seeded themselves and spread amongst several Centaurea montana plants. These are pretty, but they spread too and you can have too many, especially when they flop all over everything else!
I managed to dig up a good clump of C.glomerata for Grenville – but it was very difficult because this area has not been dug since we came here. So I potted up the plant while I decided what to do next.
I didn’t take long to decide. The border had to be re-vamped. Out came the trug, fork, trowel, small rake, bucket for stones and wheel barrow to remove the debris. It took two afternoons to dig it over, remove some of the Campanulas and Centaureas, tie up the floppy ones left, and remove four buckets of stones. As usual, when I dig, I hit large lumps of blue lias stone as well as the flattish ‘beachy’ type, bits of crockery etc. I dug in two trugs of compost and chicken manure pellets before I gathered up the plants I had waiting for a home. Finally I tidied the grass edges.
In went the two Lychnis flos-cuculi ‘Jenny’ from my RHS order, as well as two Geranium cinereum ‘Ballerina’ also newly arrived from the RHS. There was a hardy Fuchsia ‘Margaret Brown’ I had been nurturing for a while, and the rest of the Penstemon plants grown from cuttings. I filled the gaps with Antirrhinums grown from seed.
And all this because I had potted up a plant for Grenville! Now I am grateful to him – the border looks so much better! I can’t wait for all the plants to flower! Thanks, Grenville!
26 Jun, 2008
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Comments
Sometimes I leave doing some task because of various reasons but in the end something will make me do it. Then after it's done I can't understand why I didn't do it sooner. I bet your border looks much better now : )
26 Jun, 2008
I do my major revamping in either autumn or early spring - that way I hope to get some rain to water in the plants I have added/moved/split up. Doesn't always work like that though
26 Jun, 2008
From your pictures, looking lovely. The C. glomerata looks to be a beautiful flower, love the color. I'm not familiar with it. What would be the common name (or is that the common name?)
27 Jun, 2008
The common name is 'Clustered Bellflower' if that helps!!! it is a beautiful flower but does have this bad habit of spreading...
27 Jun, 2008
Hi Spritz,
Apologies for inspiring another revamp of a border! It will look fabulous with the new planting combinations. Also many thanks for potting up a C.glomerata for us both. We love them, and they are a stunning colour. Weather here in Bristol has been dreadful today- continuous rain. Its another garden open day for us tomorrow, so fingers crossed for better weather.Hope to see you soon,
Love and best wishes,
Grenville and Alan
27 Jun, 2008
This looks Fantastic Spritz:) Iv also moved some plants about this wk2fill my new Boarder along the Wooden Fence& with the Rain&water i gave them yesterday their all doin Fab :)
27 Jun, 2008
No apologies necessary, Grenville - it was the spur to get an improvement done! We went to RHS Rosemoor today (yes, it did rain there, too) and I bought an Aster and a Geranium for the 'gaps' in the border. Can't remember the species - it's too dark to go and have a look - the Geranium is a double-flowered one. When we got home I went to look at where the plants are going - only to find that a CAT had been in the border!!!! Out came the trowel and Animal Repellent spray at once. How dare it! What a cheek!
27 Jun, 2008
We must get to Rhs Rosemoor at some point, and Im sure there will be something there to tempt us !!!! Sounds like you had a good day despite the rain, and you made some more purchases for the border.The cat obviously likes the new border- it was probably nice and warm in there, but as you say what a cheek. What did Henry think of it all?
28 Jun, 2008
Hi Spritzhenry,
I just had a look at all your photos, Wow comes to mind,
everyone a beautiy.
6 Aug, 2008
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amazing isnt it what one small task can evolve into lol. the border does look great.
26 Jun, 2008