flowers

Garden Journal (No.7) – Cobwebs and Gardens…

| Gary Webb

An escape to the coast that sort of worked; an update on working life right now; looking beyond the drought; bee holes galore; allotment toms and more – it’s all in here and more besides.

Hi and welcome to my garden journal, a personal record of my place right now where gardens, gardening and nature are concerned. [ Note: Due to a malfunction this is a delayed posting of this journal entry from August – edition No.8 to follow tomorrow! Bonus back to back editions! ]

Generally Speaking

Escape to the coast… In my last garden journal I looked forward to a summer break ‘swooshing around delightful gardens, gallivanting around the countryside and lying back on a sunny beach’. Well, that plan mostly worked, although not before a bout of illness swept me off my feet, followed swiftly by Storm Floris which delivered a less-than-ideal start to the holidays.

It wasn’t all bad however, although during the break I did chose not to visit any gardens, which ordinarily should give cause for concern; especially considering some quality heritage gardens were in the area visited, including Bodnant no less. (Maybe next time eh…) It was a family holiday though, and whilst the lure was undoubtedly there, this time I felt a need for a complete break, sweeping both cobwebs and gardens away. An explanation for this might be gleaned as I write on, but if not do not concern yourself, you’ll never keep me away from gardens for too long!

Sea holly flowers, or Eryngium maritimum.
Can’t resist a little sea holly, to look at though, certainly not to touch! 

I must say that the much-anticipated week away in north Wales did settle down swiftly after the storm, and all turned out well in the end. Okay, so some of the days may not have gone entirely to plan, but the weather turned out well, and we were blessed to have some much-needed time away from the treadmill. Crisp sea air filled my lungs, the eyes bathed in some incredibly beautiful landscape, and my spirit was indeed refreshed.

On the work front… I can’t be drawn on the details, but I have some quite involved stuff to deal with in the coming weeks, a process that’s already forced a good deal of reflection on my career journey thus far. Suffice to say that like many others, my career’s had its twists and turns, and whilst at times I’ve taken an unusual route, each turn has brought valuable experience. Needless to say, my horticultural journey is far from done yet.

Taking the helicopter view of where I’m currently positioned, I can see that it’s good sometimes when change comes unexpectedly, otherwise there can be a tendency to plod along and accept the hand we’re dealt. Right now, though, with my cards scattered across the floor, I realise that I might have been guilty of accepting my path in recent years, feeling somewhat powerless to challenge a system I knew to be flawed.

Time waits for no one of course, and whilst I’m a little at sea with it all right now, those recent years have certainly not been for nothing, I know that for sure. Looking ahead, change is unavoidable, and however things work out, I shall continue to adapt and grow just like I always have. To mention this at all is partly to capture where I’m placed right now, but also as affirmation of how I wish to move forward. More on this anon.

In the Garden

A touch on the dry side – Don’t worry, I’m not going to harp-on again about how dry the garden still is, as I sufficiently covered this last month. I was of course hoping back then to tempt fate, and whilst some liquid refreshment came during the stormy period, this is now a fortnight gone, and the ground again is fissured.

I’m resigned to the fact that as tough as gardening is just now, that’s just the way it is, and whilst extreme weather does cause significant issues in some locations, adapt to the circumstance we must. (Adapt seems to be my word of the moment!) The conditions I describe aren’t just local to me here in Warwickshire but are widespread, so we’re all facing the same challenges to one extent or another, and as gardeners we must learn from it and rise to the challenge.

So here’s my simple strategy: Firstly, a key focus for the cooler months ahead is to boost my water harvesting capacity, both in my home garden and for the allotment. Then secondly, I shall ramp-up again my autumn and winter soil care by introducing organic mulch that will feed the soil whilst helping both with moisture retention and drainage. There’s a lot of science to it but trust me, the soil and I will figure it out for ourselves.

Both tasks aren’t going to fix things in one season alone, but incrementally, I’m looking to make a difference.

Wildlife – On the face of it, wildlife must be having a tough time of things just now, and some species couldn’t be blamed for keeping a low profile. In my own garden, aside from the odd peacock butterfly or pigeons who regularly arrive to quench their thirst, there’s little to shout about. Even my beloved swifts have upped and left.

If I zoom in a little closer though the garden is still full of activity, and to the fore jumps the flying specialists such as hoverflies, wasps and bees. The wasps I have noticed have developed a particular interest in my box shrubs, visiting throughout the day now for the last three weeks or more. I can only assume they’re either searching for food, such as aphids, or they’re hooked on the liquid feed I’ve been using on the foliage – if you have the definitive answer I’d love to find out for sure.

As for the bees, we fixed a second bee hotel to the fence back at the beginning of summer, one of those little boxes filled with hollow bamboo canes that some solitary bees are drawn to. Due to its newness, I didn’t expect to see any guests this year at all but have been surprised to see rooms in the hotel already pressed into use.

A twin image, to the left bamboo tubes with some cavities plugged by solitary bees, and to the right leaves that exhibit where the 'plugs' have come from - nearby leaves.
The bee hotel taking its first guests, and beautifully nibbled plugs to seal each section. The wonder of nature… 

The hollow tubes attract female bees who construct a series of little chambers to deposit eggs and food, before neatly capping the end of each pipe with a moulded leafy plug. It really is a work of art, and if that wasn’t incredible enough, the leaf sections used to plug the tubes in the hotel have been nibbled from nearby Wisteria and rose leaves, which now resemble pieces of Swiss Cheese!

If it’s not too cheesy to say, it’s worth adding that we’re considering listing the accommodation next year on Air Bee-n-Bee… (Sorry not sorry!)

@AllotofPotential allotment – Aside from watering, the last input the allotment received was a flying visit just before we headed for the holiday hills, and that occasion was mostly restricted to giving key areas a thorough soaking – notably the glasshouse.

I’m glad to say that whilst it’s a pain to program, the solar powered watering system has again worked like a trooper this year, sucking up water from a tank inside the glasshouse and delivering it to the base of each tomato or courgette plant. I’ve dealt with feeding separately, and water the beds more thoroughly once a week if I can, but otherwise they’re left to themselves (I do use a shade net on the glasshouse).

The first of the tomatoes cropped this season, plus some French beans and courgettes – to balance the chocolate consumption…

Around three weeks ago the first tomatoes ripened for picking, albeit not from a purposely grown plant, but a self-seeded one. It popped up in a convenient place, so I went with it, and it’s now delivering some incredibly tasty cherry-sized fruits. Plants are good at figuring things out for themselves I find…

Elsewhere on the plot I just about managed to drop in some leeks before leaving the plot to its own devices, but having visited since, I’m happy to report they’ve settled in okay. Recent re-sowings of carrots and beetroot are up and away, as too are radishes that are always quick off the mark. The less said about parsnip seed the better, but if it’s not showing itself by my next visit, it may well have missed its chance this year!

Looking Ahead

Right now, I’m enjoying a sweet scented second flush of roses and the brightest red honeysuckle berries in my home garden. Out and about though, you can rest assured I’ll be looking to enjoy every drop of juice the summer season has left in its tank; I do hope you’re able to do the same.

I’m not wishing the summer away of course, but as the season cycles, I always anticipate the delights the ever-shortening days will bring. Whether it is golden seed heads catching an afternoon breeze, leaf silhouettes dancing across the fence or the last of the fiery red pelargoniums cascading from pots at the allotment.

Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ giving a second flush – it’s been a good year for the…

Now the home lavender trimming is safely in the rear-view mirror, I’m also looking ahead to tasks that’ll need doing across both home the garden and allotment. I’ve still to plant some brassicas for winter/spring harvest, compost desperately needs turning, and onions, potatoes, tomatoes, courgettes and cornichons need regular harvesting.

As if all that isn’t enough, whilst the no-dig approach appears to be working well, couch grass is quietly creeping in from the side paths, so that will need rooting out soon too. It may not be the most productive plot at the allotments, yet, but its care does demand focus and energy, which is what makes allotmenteering so appealing!

~

I shall sign off for now, by wishing you all the very best.

Until next time, Gary, Gardening ways.

A Gardening Connection, at BBC Gardeners’ World Live.

| Gary Webb

You presently find me fully inspired after a visit to BBC Gardeners’ World Live at the N.E.C. in Birmingham. If you know me personally, the mention of attending a garden show might take you aback, as my preferred place of comfort would by choice be somewhere much calmer: a quiet corner of a wildflower filled garden, maybe a woodland trail, the allotment or seated on a bench in my garden. After a successful show visit therefore, to now sitting back reflecting with wholly positive thoughts, feels pretty good indeed.

Generally speaking, thinking of how we’ve moved from the local village garden show to the likes of BBC GW Live is hard to fathom. Dozens of trade stands, bottle-necked thoroughfares and variegated willows whipping you in the face when least expected. Weary stall holders wilting under the heat of a marquee alongside their perfectly grown plants, and bite-your-lip moments due to those infuriating push-me pull-me show trollies; possibly the very best and worst garden show product that ever there was!

The Plant Based Garden, by Nick Bailey

It might all sound a bit much, and in some ways it is, but there is a reverse side to the coin: a glorious and gigantic garden show in the blazing June sunshine that features the very best early summer flowers. Garden shows of this size, therefore, are meant to be exciting and busy places, and can assault your senses; but there is balance and payback if you seek it. I like to think of large garden shows as magnets, working as super central places where all and sundry converge on one location which is, let’s face it, as convenient as it gets.

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Garden Journal (No.5) – A Gardening Mind

| Gary Webb

Hello again and welcome back to my garden journal, a place where I look to capture my gardening world right now, record horticultural highlights from the preceding week or so, and look ahead at what’s up ahead – my work is a whole other subject!

Generally Speaking

Where I’m at… Roses are in full bloom and the lavender’s buzzing with bees as June seems to pick up speed. The remainder of the garden’s charmingly green, lush and fulsome, its thirst having been quenched of late. Chelsea for another year fades, its medal winning gardens now erased forever from the Royal Hospital grounds whilst closer to home, new gardens are built for Birmingham’s BBC Gardeners’ World Live which opens tomorrow – summer has arrived!

I find myself sitting in an armchair, door open to the morning garden whilst contemplating the world of gardening I find myself in; honestly, I struggle to locate myself most of the time. Whatever is happening though, I have a gardening mind that drives me forward, an allotment, home garden and family that requires regular input, and a pond pump that reliably runs around the clock – what more could I possibly want?

Don’t mention the weather – After harping on about it in my previous journal, the last thing I want now is to jump straight into a weather conversation. However, as the weather’s shift has been quite the thing of late, I simply can’t ignore it. All I will say is that in stark contrast to last time, water butts and reservoirs across the land should mostly have taken their fill, spring plantings and recently sown seeds have resumed normal growth, and the garden brims with life once again – all seems well for the weeks ahead.

Ne’er cast a clout till May is out – Gardeners’ often state May as a favourite month of the year for good reason, increased daylight hours, warmer temperatures and good moisture levels being first in mind. Herbaceous plants will have burst into life, often transformed from their below ground status to upstanding vigorous specimens, and deciduous shrubs and trees will be colouring and texturizing our garden landscape. If all this wasn’t enough, flowers will be coming and going everywhere from down low between grassy blades to the treetops, so do make sure you remember to look up for the flowers too!

Now May is out though and we find ourselves marching through June, the garden task list, like an overflowing water butt can be very full, and long days often lead us to keep on working. No sooner has the lawn been cut it’ll need cutting again, weeds seemingly sprouting up behind us, and almost everywhere we turn some little critter is trying to defoliate a favourite plant, snap a delicate tree stem or ruin a harvest. Amidst the busyness though I do look for the balance, and make time to sit back and take pride in a garden and allotment well-tended. It’s always important to pat ourselves on the back for making the effort, for creating each little oasis that speaks to wildlife as much as our wilder selves.

In the Garden

Getting knotted – Previously I spoke of a miniature landscaping project to create a Japanese themed gravel garden. All was complete for my last post except for a low fence to complete the scene, an element that was sent to test me. As symbolised by the little garden itself though, calm and peace was the overarching goal, so naturally I carried this mindset throughout the build – just.

The build, the last piece of the feature was a low bamboo-clad fence to add some height and presence to the space. On-theme I chose slimline bamboo canes that would be fixed in place with delicate little knots, so as not to dominate. The canes being no more than two feet long were a little fiddly but manageable, the decorative string though, or specifically the knots themselves, have been another story.

Still to finish, as fallen string may show, but almost a job well done…

I’m still not quite finished as I write this and I’ve a good few knots to re-tie before I can properly sit back and admire my handiwork, but it’s getting there. In trying to keep things real, I’ve attempted to use a traditional Japanese knot called Otoko-musubi, (think I’ve described that correctly) and whilst there are some good how-to videos on YouTube, none of them can easily show exactly how it’s done. I’m happy with my attempt though, as the knots arguably strike a balance between decoration and function, and I love how their tassels move in the wind.

~

New bird on the block – Last weekend our garden filled with tension as two blue tits fledged, removing themselves to the garden ground where they spent two days each. They spent their time exploring, shivering, and chirping away so they could still be found and fed, but of course our concern was for predators, who were ever present and listening in. Of the two chicks it appears one made it through, last seen flying out and away from the fence top, and of the one left behind, well let’s just say it will rest in peace. That’s nature for you. 

Blue tit fledgling, nestled amongst grass in a garden.
This was either Chirp or Cheep, the one that got away.

@AllotofPotential allotment – Wednesday brings the full Strawberry Moon, and predators allowing, I do plan to eat at least one allotment grown strawb’ in celebration; well, that’s the plan. As you might have picked up previously, I have been loosely following the moon phases when planting this year, and I mean loosely. If I’m to learn anything that is to be of use going forward, then my adherence to planting by phases of the moon must be tighter, otherwise nothing will be proven.

In my defence, whilst my back issues mentioned previously have subsided, they did throw out my allotment activity, so for a while I was forced to go with the flow. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about gardening though, it is that the best laid planting plans must sometimes adapt and change, whether due to weather, ground conditions or a sore back now and then. My moon phase planting efforts aren’t part of a scientific survey so they must flex, that’s all there is to it – and no doubt there’ll still be a harvest at the end of the season!

A gardener standing beside an allotment plot, where seed sowing is in progress against a heavy sky.
French bean seeds going into drills during a flying visit to the allotment.

Activity of late included: dwarf French beans sown; sweet peas planted; pumpkin patch formed and mulched (with new paths to create permanent beds); tomatoes planted in glasshouse; fig moved; more onion setts planted.

~

Looking ahead

On the allotment I still need to sow some carrots, but the bed is nearly ready to go – although I’ll need to wait until the full moon passes. As the mulch-matting is now in place, young pumpkin plants hardening-off at home will be planted out in a week or so, and some gherkins will go into the glasshouse border – I’m giving them another go after a somewhat modest crop last year. (Any gherkin growing tips gratefully accepted!)

In the home garden I’ve a pergola project simmering in the background, with actual materials waiting in the wings. It’ll take a while to raise its head, but hopefully in the coming weeks its footings will be complete. Looking ahead, and hopefully before summer’s out, I shall be able to sit back beneath a new growing structure and raise a glass to another meditative garden project delivered – the best laid plans eh…

Might I see you at BBC Gardeners’ World Live, if you’re going on Friday?

~

Wishing you all the very best until next time, Gary, Gardening ways.

p.s. Do check out my last essay Not Just a Patch of Moss 🌿

Fresh Air and Fruit Trees

| Gary Webb

Getting closer to a pruning day between the branches.

Gary Webb

With heavy curtains drawn tightly together, it may have been hard to notice that day was breaking outside and the sun was readying itself for an appearance. As our gardener raised their head from a warm pillow though, even with half opened eyes, they knew exactly when and where the sun would appear and importantly, when it was due to retire.

Preparing for a cool winter’s day outdoors, our weathered tested gardener dressed themselves, adding quilted layer upon layer in the hope of finding that magical working balance between not too warm, not too cold, and actually remaining mobile. As if on auto pilot, they shovelled down breakfast, prepared and packed a hearty lunch and allowing for a moment of pause, moved on to lacing up some well-worn but ever-so comfortable boots. Finishing with a woolly hat pulled down over their ears, they headed out to the car for a familiar journey to work, their breath chuffing into the cool morning air.

Journeying to their work’s garden, rays from the blindingly low sun glimmered through the driver’s door window, flashing repeatedly through the ancient hedgerow trees as the car whooshed along the lane. The cloud-free sky was becoming brighter by the second and promised a dry, if cool working day. Today, they thought, might be the day to finish the orchard pruning, a task they were keen to complete, for spring was in the air and the sap was beginning to rise.

The day started with picking up debris from the previous day which was in itself unusual, for they usually preferred to clean up as they worked. Yesterday though they had pushed on pruning until night fell, being keen to complete an especially large tree. With light falling

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Pressing Pause in the Garden

| Gary Webb

During these midwinter weeks here in the UK, the accepted norm is not to head out mowing the lawn each week; indeed trimming, weeding or feeding the garden generally takes a backseat. Contrary to popular belief though, during these colder months gardeners don’t stash away their tools, kick back in the shed whilst drinking hot chocolate and peruse seed catalogues. In fact, for many skilled and professional horticulturalists, easing back isn’t even up for discussion.

Tending larger or public gardens and green spaces does call for year-round activity, and thousands of trained ‘horts’ are directly employed in positions across the country, not to mention thousands more who work in supporting trades feeding into a vibrant plant-based industry. On the ground though,

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A Winter Walled Garden

| Gary Webb

I find myself sat under a large triangular shelter, built snugly into the southern corner of a three-sided walled garden open to visitors, known as Baddesley Clinton. In their down-season dress, ornamental flower borders line three of the garden’s walls, sprinkled here and there with red bows bringing a little Christmas cheer. The sky is fixed grey and moody, and after warming myself with lunch in the bright bustling café, this spot seemed as good a place as any other to sit awhile and write.

A Box shrub wrapped in a bright red Christmas bow, situated in the walled garden at Baddesley Clinton. Lawns and fruit trees beyond, and a moody clouds up above.
A little Christmas cheer, at Baddesley Clinton. Image: Gary Webb.

Built primarily as a shady summer retreat, I’m certain that in the heat of summer, this shelter offers cool respite for visiting guests, and for working gardeners too. In this shade, time served timbers and darkened joists support a thatched mossy roof, under which a tangled bird’s nest rests in the shadows; just like me. Red bricks line the floor,

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A Dream Garden

| Gary Webb

There is a place, where one glorious garden space after another can be found hidden behind tall foliage covered walls. The garden is the sum of many parts, each one offering a picture-perfect scene: a sunken pool with a cherub here, an ancient cold bath over there, and across the way, beyond an old sundial, old orchard trees grow, and bees float poetically above rich meadow grass.

At its heart and wrapped all around an evocative Tudor house this garden’s presence is delivered, unconditionally, through first-rate cultivation. Traditional flower borders grow deep and delicious, terraces are packed with perennials and tender exotics, and golden grasses gently

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Morning Garden

| Gary Webb

A valuable first hour of the day watching the garden and day unfold.

Being the first to awake, I pull back the living room curtains to let in the light, and reveal the garden. Sitting with a mug of hot water and taking time to appreciate some waking time alone, I relish the fact that for a while at least, all is calm. All is calm, that is, but for the occasional airplane and birdsong, both effortlessly travelling through air, brick, and glass.

Outside, bright sunshine splits the early morning garden clear in two, two thirds to the left is bathed in warming light, the remaining third looking somewhat cooler in shade. It’s a superbly serene beginning to the day, and as I sit quietly observing, blocking out the day ahead and thinking over the work that’s gone into the garden thus far, I begin to write.

Cloud pruned box just outside my window. Gary Webb

The scene before the picture window presents a young, maturing garden, green mostly and bordered by a fence recently painted black. As a composition, the garden’s content has been laboured over for some time, ideas initially

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A Feel for Gardens

| Gary Webb

Do you find that some gardens are so large and complicated that it’s hard to really connect with them? Occasionally I find this to be the case, and often it leaves me feeling a little cold towards them. That’s not to say I don’t always like what I see, it’s just that some places can be so extensive or so busy and involved, they’re a challenge to understand.

Now, this isn’t such a problem if I’m simply looking to enjoy a garden’s ambience and spirit, and if that is the case I just breeze around a garden and enjoy it for what it is. Indeed, some gardens which initially seem hard to read can become even more

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