May was a bit of a strange month weather wise. One minute nice and warm, the next chilly with just a bit of rain. We really haven’t had as much rain as we normally do and the garden certainly needs a good soak. For 2 weeks I wasn’t able to do much gardening as various aches and pains made themselves felt all at once, so I have been trying to catch up with all the weeding necessary.
I have been working in the bog garden where the weeds have been waist high, the ground has been lovely and moist because of the underground stream and I found it ever so satisfying being able to just slide all the tall docks out, complete with long roots, the same with the buttercups. I have managed to finish the weeding in this area so now I can turn my attention to the next area to be tackled.
I still need to pay attention to my carving, sanding with a coat of preservative, but hopefully that will be done soon. There are still spaces where primulas are missing from last year, but hopefully I’ll soon have those replaced.
For a while I thought I had lost my beautiful rodgersia, it was so late coming through, but it has now popped up and is spreading very nicely indeed. I love the leaves at this time of year but they do turn green later.
Euphorbia palustris at the back of the border shines out from the shade and the bees love it.
This lovely primula survived last summer’s drought and has grown into a nice sized clump which I can split as soon as it has finished flowering.
Iris pseudocorus variegata is in need of moving further back in the border, it is encroaching on other plants and will be moved when it finishes flowering.
Primulas Postford White has replaced the ones from last year which didn’t appear this year. I will be saving seed to increase it.
Primula Apple Blossom getting cosy with one of the hostas in this border, all the hostas are doing really well.
Another hosta which really likes being in the bog. It is spreading nicely and now makes quite a large clump.
Hosta Snowden has only been here for a few years but already it is quite huge and contrasts nicely with the astilbe in front.
Zantedeschia aethiopica Glencoe is a new addition. My last Zantedeschia was fantastic, it had made a huge clump, but I lost it over the winter, must make sure that never happens again.
Primula chungensis is a replacement for some of the ones that didn’t appear this spring, more seed sowing to be done!
The border looks so much better without all the weeds round all the plants, it was quite hard work sorting everything out, especially winkling all the grass out that had crept into the border from the lawn. Finding my old plants in amogst all the mess was so rewarding for all the bending and strtching that I was having to do!
I know which border I will be tackling this month, so will report back at the end of the month with the results for that one.
I can see you are an early bird too Pauline. It’s so satisfying to see a weed free bed and your bog garden is looking beautiful. The rodgersia really is stunning this time of year. I hope all the aches and pains are gone!
I think early morning is the best part of the day Denise! I’m woken by our local family of jackdaws, they have a huge baby who demands to be fed from 4am onwards!! I’m happy with how the bog garden looks now that the weeds have gone, it will be better when I increase the candelabra primulas, so I will just have to be patient.
Looks wonderful Pauline. Your efforts come through. I do like the bright green shining through from your Euphorbia palustris. And that iris is nice.
Thanks Susie, it was all worth it. The Euphorbia does shine brightly from the back of the border, soon I’ll be able to take clumps of it and spread it round the garden. The iris is one of our natives, lovely at this time of year, then the leaves change to all green once it has flowered, which is a shame, but I love it in the spring/ early summer.
I have lost my precious Primula Inverewe, which I bought having admired yours. That will definitely need to be replaced.
I’ve lost mine too Jessica, must buy another along with my favourite P. aurantiaca. Both of them should have been split and spread about, I know for in future!
Lovely to have a damp area for all these gorgeous bog plants. I love your header photo.
I’m lucky in having an underground stream Chloris, so many people said to drain it when we first moved here, but I decided to go with it and plant plants that would enjoy it. The header photo shows it as it should be, it was taken last year before I lost most of my primulas!
I’m curious – do you happen to have Caltha palustris – marsh marigold? I just bought one to keep in a container which tends to stay pretty marshy. Glad you didn’t lose your Rodgersia.
Yes, Jason, I have Caltha palustris, but in the wet part of the woodland, not in the bog garden. Maybe I ought to sow some seed and put it in the bog garden too. I’m so pleased I didn’t lose the Rodgersia, the leaves have grown so much since I took the photo and it now looks really beautiful.
It’s always great sorting a border, but there are always so many more that need dealing with at this time of the year. I find it impossible to keep up! So many beautiful plants, especially those slug free hostas.xxx
There are times I find sorting a border quite therapeutic Dina, but I have to be blinkered and not look at all the other weeds growing in the other borders! The hostas are looking good so far, I have my army of blackbirds, thrushes and hedgehogs to thank for that!