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WOW! ASAO!!! or THE FIRST CLEMATIS

First clematis to bloom in my garden. Clematis ‘Asao’

                                                                                               

My friend Lyndy Broder is going to show me how to take cuttings of Clematis. This is a good thing; these babies are expensive and there are hundreds out there I want. (Plant Greed raises its ugly head!) Most of the plants I want LIVE in Lyndy’s garden!!  How fortuitous that she is as generous as she is knowledgeable.

I planted over 65 Clematis in my garden, however, not all have survived or been successful. Sometimes, I am told they take holidays… below,

                                                                                               

Clematis ‘ Belle of Woking’ reappearing after a two-year absence.  I thought I lost it.

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FRAGRANCE

I wish there was some way to share the fragrances that permeate the garden. Totally heaven!

                                                                                      

Fragrant Viburnum

                                                                              

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THIS ‘N’ THAT

I’m reposting the photos that were cut off, just to see if they come up where I put them. Anyone else out there having issues with WordPress?

                                                                                   

                                                                     

                                                                                

. And can you believe the weather? The lettuce is going to bolt! This is the year I was able to deter both deer and rabbits…notice the bed surrounded by chicken wire and covered with a tomato cage! It took years to learn this.

                                                                         

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LATE NARCISSUS

Beautiful & fragrant, Narcissus ‘Thalia’ paired with Snowflake (Leucojum) below.

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These are rescued daffs.Late blooming, does anyone know if they are Poeticus Narcissus?

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Phlox divericata running through Trillium cuneatum…..                                                            Image

 Everyday brings changes…one can never be bored; particularly when summer comes in March!                                                 

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BACK IN THE GARDEN

Finally!

Well, I’m back in the garden and dancing as fast as I can .  There is no end to the debris…..

                                                                                                      S,

 Screaming to be pruned are the  ‘ Annabelle’ and paniculata type hydrangeas*,  roses, grapes… the list goes on… plus the hellebores need to be deadhead. (who am I kidding? the hellebores will not get done) This list is for the ornamental garden; right  now the preparation of the beds for vegtables is proirity. This week end we turned the beds  in the potager.

                                                                                      

                                                                               

My friend Julieta of the incredible blog LINDARAXAS GARDEN is buildng a potager.  She will be posting recipes created with the bounty of her garden; and I can’t wait! If you appreciate good food and  have not yet discovered her blog,  you are in for a treat.

So here is a brief outline on how to prepare your soil.

Idealy beds  should be  4′ wide, so one can reach into them (from each side) without the need to step-in,  as this compacts the soil.  Paths between beds should be 18-24″; wide enough to accomadate a wheelbarrow.

                                                                                       

Turning the soil is simply,  a shovel inserted fully into the ground and the soil removed is flipped over. To this  add a good thick (6″) layer of compost, manure & chopped/shredded leaves. (run over a pile of leaves with a lawn mower a few times.) and chop  into this soil, or use a tiller to incorporate. Add another layer of compost etc. and again ‘turn’ this into the soil. This brings  the amendments to where the plant roots will feed.  Water well and let those soil enzymes go to work for a few weeks before planting. NOW  is the time. (the above beds are not yet amended)

 Lacking these amendments; I have had very good luck with  NATURES HELPER and composted cow manure from DIY stores. The best brand is BLACK KOW,it comes in a yellow bag. Avoid the .99 cent variety as it is mostly pine bark and less than 1% manure. If you are fortunate to have a good nursery close by, they should stock soil amendments, buying in bulk is cheaper and it will be delivered.( the bags weigh 20 to 40 lbs.)

                                                                                           In Georgia, lettuce is a cool weather annual, so one grows it in the winter. This year they are maturing very quickly, due to the warm weather, Lots of salad on the menu!

 

**Hydrangeas DO NOT PRUNE THE BIG BLUE MOPHEADS!

                                                                                      

 

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THE CUTTING GARDEN

Between trying to weed, (while avoiding the bees) clearing the  remaining winter debris, feeding & pruning the clematis that have already budded,  trying to finish the seed selection and ordering … it has been a busy time. Spring is here…there may still be cold snaps but we are on our way.

                                                               

Above, scenes from the Bothy and the endless ‘to do list’

                                                            

The daffodils in the cutting garden are slowly diminishing and should be replaced this fall. Some have lasted several years, others just one or two seasons at most. Replanting this area is quite a challenge since there are no guidelines in the autumn. One thought was to plant the bulbs in peat pots and then transfer them to their appointed rows in spring when one can see where they are needed, but that plan never came to fruition. 

Several years ago I devised another scheme …  transplanting Muscari where the daffs had failed. Muscari sends up its foliage in the autumn so it would simply be a matter of trading the Muscari for a daff bulb. But when the spring came and the blue Muscari bloomed with the remaining daffs, the scene was so spectacular that I decided to leave it. Now however, this area needs attention.

                                                             

 Some Daffs have come up ‘blind’ this year; that is lush foliage but no flower bud. I am attributing this to the lack of cold weather…we will know for sure next spring, but this section of the cutting garden is a big disappointment this season.

                                                      

Above, these were 100 Tete`a Tete (head to head) narcissus..now it is only ‘Tete’ and very few are left. They did give a wonderful show and filled many mini vases over the last few years. I will replant that variety.

Do you have a favorite variety of daffodil?

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THE WORDSWORTH MEADOW

“For oft’ when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood

They flash upon that inward eye…”

                                                                                 

 The meadow is a moment in time.  The  living garden, evolves…. the daffs fade… this moment is gone.

                                                                                                

 One looks forward to this annual ‘happening’ with much anticipation and it is celebrated with much wine.  Spring has arrived!

                                                                                         

“I gazed -and gazed- but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought.”

                                                      

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HELLEBORES

                                                                            

 Hellebores are by far the most important perennial in all the garden. These are the widely grown  Helleborus orientalis .

                                                                                     

They form a carpet among the camellias and under the hydrangeas.  Stunning when they bloom, they exhibit handsome foliage  all year-long and are tolerant of the shade the hydrangeas provide during the summer when many are hidden under their  foliage.

                                                                               

 Below, is the Heronswood “Party Dress Strain’.  It is tiny with absolutely no landscape value whatever. 

                                                                                      

In a vase as a dinner companion, however, Joy!

                                                                                      

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THE DAFFODILS

The Wordsworth Meadow is in full glory. The very first time I looked at this property, before I saw the interior of the house, I imagined this area flooded with sweeps of Daffodils “fluttering and dancing in the breeze.”

                                                                                

It was a privet and wisteria  jungle that took me months to clear. Then the planting began. the first autumn I ordered  500 bulbs recommended for the south.  The following year I planted more, but when spring arrived, only a fraction of the original planting returned. 

                                                                         

Does this look like 500 daffs? Today,this is what is left of the original planting.

                                                                         

Devastated, I thought my plan for this area would have to be abandoned untill I passed an old deserted homestead with a neat line of daffodils… big, fat,full clumps with many blooms. If these daffs could survive and INCREASE over the years….they were for me.

                                                                          

And so it began, sourcing,  digging, dividing and replanting.  Yes, I ALWAYS ASKED FOR PERMISSION.  I still regret those that were bulldozed to make way for a strip mall before I could find the owners.

                                                                                   

There are no words to describe the joy these bring every spring as I watch them multiply over the years.

Do you think it was worth the effort?

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CAN IT BE ….SPRING?

I can’t believe I went from this..Image

to this in one day!!Image

How wonderful to be back in Georgia, where it appears we are in full-blown spring….

The gardening to do list grows daily as the overwhelming season is upon us.  Trying to separate the list into A) what will make an impact in the garden visually, and B) plant requirements. e.g. weeding  and feeding.

                                                                                       

All the camellias, both in the Circle of Friends, and the Camellia Walk are in bloom along with the Hellebores.

                                                                                          

Permeating the air is the fragrance of Daphne odora…. The garden is truly magnificent. A celebration of all the senses.

                                                                                             

The daffodils… well, they deserve their own  post.

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MIXED EMOTIONS

Well, it really turned cold …. for middle Georgia. The temperatures were in the teens last night, according to my thermometer. The predicted 20 degrees was 18 here in my micro-climate.

                                                                                         

While I dread the camellias that are open, turning to brown mush, above. I am thrilled that the peonies will have the required chill hours to put on a show. See what I mean about mixed emotions?

Still, it is better to look at the  bright side, I cannot control Mother Nature, (much as I try)  and the closed buds for  future blooms look  perfect….so far.

                                                                                   

I will be out-of-pocket till the end of this month with little or no access to the internet (YIKES ?!!) So, have a fun January and keep warm.

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WINTER GARDEN WALK 2

This time we had to see if there was any damage in the garden. We had already heard the loud thump as a huge limb fell in the drive. Our guests thought it might have hit their car, which it did not…. but not by much!

                                                                                                                                                     

This is the other side of the coin… gardening under trees can result in some damage in a windstorm. and these storms are not uncommon in Georgia.

                                                                                  

Below,the evergreen planting of Viburnum awabuki ‘Shindo’ meant to hide the garden shed is ravaged! A large limb (not shown)  came down right in the middle of it.

                                                                                   

                                                                                             

 Some major pruning and clean-up, is now on my “To Do” list.

Still there is so much beauty out there I can hardly complain…

                                                                                     

While Mother Nature is editing the garden……..