Planting Rhubarb

Last week, before the extreme cold set in, I planted a section of Rhubarb cut off my main clump.  I planted it against the wall in my 'walled garden' below the Nectarine tree.  I am hoping it will like it here and hopefully in a normal season it won't get too dry.

I also planted (between the nectarine and the thornless blackberry an early Rhubarb called Timperley Early.
This one I have pruchased.

So this is Spring?



A very wintery outlook from our bedroom window this morning - 24th March!



The poor frogspawn was frozen again this morning. I wonder if they will survive?

First plug plants arrive

Last week I had some antirrhinum plug plants arrive.  The variety was Madam Butterfly.  They looked rather sad and a couple were damaged.  I have grown these for 2 years now and have found they make wonderful cut flowers.  I will plant them in one of my vegetable patches. 

Rabbit proof at last

Sunday 17th March 2013

Finally, after nearly 12 months, my garden is rabbit proof.  I had someone make me the galvanised trellis to fit our front entrance and used an old gate.  My son, David, very kindly put it all up last summer but never got around to putting the galvanised wire across to stop the rabbits.  Anyway, he finished the job last week.  It now proudly displays my old railway sign that my husband bought me for Chritmas.  I had seen the same type of sign near Perth in SW Australia last December.  He remembered and managed to find one on e-bay!

Various boundaries of the garden have been rabbit fenced at different times.  I now have a fence the whole way round!  It is the only way to stop them!  I had to repair a couple of holes that I found this week though.

Just as an extra note - these cyclamen look gorgious at the moment

Summer 2012 - A tour of my garden

My favourite part of my garden - The stream - showing off the lovely oak bridge my son David, made me last year.

My Autumn border with Rudbeckias.  Also showing part of my gravel garden.

This is my 'walled garden' or greenhouse garden.  This is my second favourite part of my garden.  I have spent many a happy hour working here on my veg raised beds made by my son Kevin and also potting up in my greenhouse.

This is a small patio area (the site of my old garden shed) looking down towards my vegetable garden and aviary.  The aviary houses 8 cockatiels and 12 foreign finches.

 The Conservatory and Patio

 The front patio showing off my arrangement of Chinese Purple Bell Vine

Or Rhodochiton.  This year I have an even bigger plan for this wonderful plant - watch this space.

INTRODUCTION

I have created this blog to record my journey towards opening my garden for the National Garden Scheme.

I am a very keen gardener and spend most of my free time in the garden.  I have over the past 15 years or so enjoyed visiting gardens open for the NGS throughout Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Powys.  These gardens have given me inspiration and encouragement.  One garden in particular - 'Orchard Bungalow' now called 'The Orchards' near Bishops Frome, Bromyard, has been the biggest inspiration and certainly my favourite.  The owners have worked hard and tirelessly to create a wonderful haven without lavishing large amounts of money on it.  Their plants are some of the healthiest I have ever seen.  It is from this garden that the idea of opening my garden for the NGS came.

Friends and relatives say that my garden is good enough now but I feel and know it is still rough around the edges and not up to my expectations of an NGS garden.  Also I would like to have more time so I have decided to wait until 2016 when I semi retire.