Well wrapped up...

September 2015

Today, 17th January 

Although my interest in sub tropical gardening has always been there, it has loitered in the background, dragging its feet a little, but now all that is changing and I feel an almost Evangelical fire building up inside me as a brand new growing season approaches. The area shown above is the already - established sub tropical garden, first, in full flow in September, and second, as it is today, a shadow of its former self, denuded and bare! This area has always been the domain of my partner, and although I have enjoyed spending time in it, I have had no hand in its planning, planting or maintenance . 

In autumn this year, we extended the existing subtropical garden into an additional area of the garden, and, instead of it being my partner's responsibility, we are sharing the work on this baby ! We are full of  ideas for exotic annuals to grow, as well as plans for  a skeleton of hardy planting too.

New sub tropical garden

This season I will be growing lots of annuals/ fast growing perennials with an exotic feel -  Nasturtium 'Empress of India', Amaranthus Caudatus Red, Amaranthus 'Velvet Curtain', five types of Ricinus, (including the giant 'Zanzibar'), Hibiscus Hanihot, Celosia 'China Town', Cosmos 'Xanthos' (pale lemon yellow), Cactus flowered dahlias, Cerinthe, Zinnias, Canna Indica and Rudbeckia 'Cherokee'. Hopefully, these annuals/ fast growing perennials will lend a tropical feel to the new area of the garden, and we intend to plant very densely, with tall things next to a narrow path, to give the feeling , hopefully, of pushing through dense jungle. We have three tree ferns on order, which will be delivered in spring, and have already planted out some palms and grasses. There are already bamboos, Fatsia Japonicas and ferns growing there. The area of the garden is already enclosed by hedging, which makes it both sheltered and private.

Cerinthe, Canna Indica and sweet peas in the propagator

The propagator is out, and after the inaugural speech and cutting of the ceremonial ribbon, it is brewing its first seeds - Cerinthe, sweet peas and Canna Indica. I have always idly wondered why Cannas are referred to as 'Indian shot', and know I know ! Those babies are made of cast iron!  Internet wisdom is to chit them with nail clippers, but when I tried it, they shot off in all directions and ricocheted around the kitchen, finally coming to rest in dark little crevices, hidden from view. I tried stabbing them, sand papering them, slicing them and swearing at them. Without success. In the end I soaked them for 48 hours and they were reasonably easy to chit after that. I hope that they are  easy to germinate and grow on.

Like many other parts of the UK and USA, we have experienced an unusually mild autumn and winter so far, with only a couple of light frosts, but this changed yesterday, with the onset of much colder weather. The downside of sub tropical gardening is that there are usually some large but tender plants which need to be protected from cold temperatures. This being so, ours suddenly needed attention, with the change of the weather.

The ideal, with this style of gardening is to use plants which are totally hardy, but have an exotic look, and there are lots to choose from. Fatsia Japonica is a good example as it has large, glossy evergreen leaves, and the plants can achieve a good height after a few years. However, the real deal plants are soon tempting, and it can easy to build up a hard core of delicate plants which will curl up their toes at a few degrees of frost.

Our most tender plants live in the heated conservatory through the winter, so there are Abyssinian bananas, Agaves (which hate wet more than cold!), Begonia Luxurians and Strelizia (Bird of Paradise).

The greenhouse houses the plants which can cope with a little more cold, but still need some protection, so smaller tree ferns, Aeoniums, Musa Basjoo (the hardiest banana) and Abutilon Megapotamicum are in there. Last night they had a fleece duvet to keep them warm, and they look to have fared well, with no obvious casualties.

The large, tender plants in the garden have  been covered with fleece jackets, particularly palms like Phoenix Canariensis, which can take up to minus 8, when mature, without a problem. We tied up the fronds to offer more protection and slipped a fleece jacket over its head. Despite what the books say, we have lost them at much higher temperatures than minus 8.

The tree ferns are sporting a jaunty cap of straw stuffed into their crowns, kept in place by aviary wire.

Other plants have received protection, such as the Tetrapanax, which is continuing to push out new leaves, and the gunnera crowns. These have been protected up until now by their own leaves piled on top of the crown, but they have now been replaced by fleece held down by stones.

At tis time of year, the perennials, roses and shrubs are all sleeping deeply, and require no attention, so exotic gardening (for want of a better term) can be more labour intensive. Hopefully, it is all worth it, and all the tender plants will make it unscathed through the cold temperatures.

Start at the very beginning ...

In the words of Julie Andrews, 'Let's start at the very beginning, it's a very good place to start', and although poets may have said the same thing more eloquently, I like the sentiments of 'The Sound of music', in this case, and this case only!

Because we are at the start again, and it is a very good place to be. The whole of the gardening year is laid out in front of us now, fresh and untouched. The seeds are chosen but not yet sown, the first snowdrops are in bud here, but not yet out. The daffodil buds are fattening and stems are lengthening. Everything should be waiting to flower in its usual time.

Except that, this year, there are plants revolting against the old regime ...

Ceanothus in the garden today

There are some mavericks around, some rebel plants who have not read the rule book, and do not know that they must only flower in March or May, and so are blooming now, out of synch with the patterns of the seasons.

Ceanothus ! Only a few blooms, I admit, but usually never seen in January.

Rosa 'Bonica' in the garden today

Roses ! Lots of buds and open blooms.

'Sweet Rocket' today

Sweet rocket ! Still hanging on in there from last spring.

The old sticklers for traditional are still blooming in the garden too, thank goodness. The primroses are starting to come out, but there has been so much rain that their petals are sodden, and not lasting anything like as long as usual.

I would have said that these Erysimums were out early, but as every single one of them is in full bloom at the moment, maybe they do start flowering this early. 

Mahonia 'Charity' is covered in beautiful pale yellow flowers and the perfume is intoxicating, and fills the air. The weather is still so ridiculously mild that there are still occasional bees on it.

Lots of hellebores are now in full flow - all unamed varieties, which have self seeded over the years. Most are washed out pinks and mauves but this one is a good strong dark pink.

The greenhouse is doing exceptionally well due to the relatively high temperatures and these geraniums just have not stopped flowering since June.

In every season there are plants which you look at and fervently wish you had grown more of. The hardy Cyclamen is a case in point, as it is a real pop of bright colour in a dismal winter garden. Both flowers and foliage are things of beauty.

I love double primroses and this is a very delicate, subtle one , called 'Pink Ice'. It is very pale at the moment and blooms will darken as the season progresses I think. The flowers are held on dark stems which contrast so well with the pale heads.

Another reliable source of winter colour is Viburnum Bodnantense 'Dawn', standing by the back door for maximum effect. It  is in a pot next to a young Acer Palmatum, which has not dropped its leaves. 

Even on a rainy, dismal January day there is still some colour and interest, if you look hard enough.

And, becoming visible through the soil, are signs that the giants are beginning to wake from their slumbers...

Gunnera