Winter is quietly settling in. At this time of year we buckle down and take stock, assessing all the plants’ growth, observing what has been crowded out and needs to be moved to the front of the beds, or to the back!
I topped up number of Mathiasella bupleuroides 'Green Dream', a great Mexican umbel that grows in the desert or in dry shrub land. It's hardy down to -15°C so grows fine in the UK. We have it here in the sand beds but to my surprise it has not established well. I have moved it to more open sunnier spot where I am hoping it will be happier.
Work has begun on extending The Plant Library into the paddock, but due to wet weather we have had to draw the groundworks to a close until the Spring. We hope to plant in April.
Before the rain set in, Matt and his team were busy creating a clay lined pond in the new site which is now 4ft deep. A little more depth than we had anticipated due to recent rainfall. We shall see how this develops and we may have to make adjustments to alter the depth.
The pond is a great addition to The Plant Library allowing us to grow a range of marginal plants. It will also provide another dimension for children to enjoy whilst they are here. It will be interesting to see what Johnnie Johnson, our excellent ecologist, will find amongst the depths. It also broadens our habitat range so our biodiversity should go up, which is only a good thing.
Over the next few days we have a delivery of plants coming from Rijnbeek wholesale nursery for the new phase of The Plant Library and some additions to the Barn Garden. Rijnbeek sell a great selection of bare root plants. Geum 'Tales of Hex' and Geranium x oxonianum 'Trevor's White' will be coming as bare root. They also sell a great selection of bare root peonies, but sadly we are too late for their stock.
Sunnyside Rural Trust have been working on divisions to create stock for their Orchard Nursery at The Serge Hill Project next year. Dividing plants such as Iris siberica 'Banish Misfortune', the smartest and darkest Iris, Iris chrysographes, Geum rivulare 'Album', Tiarella 'Spring Symphony' and Macleaya x kewensis 'Flamingo'. Good to start to see their glass house filling up!
Toby Marchant of Orchard Dene Nurseries hand built and designed a superb heated room for our tender salvias and pelargoniums and shrubs to be housed over winter. Many thanks to him for this. It saves me from double fleecing and ensures all tenders will survive the winter.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the amazing volunteers who bring so much joy and enthusiasm to The Plant Library every Friday. I could not keep it looking as good without them.
Image credit: Sue Stuart-Smith