Welcome to Winter in the garden, and all the many lovely shades of brown. So many seedheads, grasses and winter leaves are keeping the Old Pond Garden looking beautiful. November was incredibly wet but the Volunteers tackled some great projects. The shrubbery in the front car park has benefitted from a comprehensive weed and some marathon pruning. A soakaway was dug by the steps to the Montessori Nursery, so that parents can pick up the kids without needing waders. Then it was on to bulb planting – we predict a River of Purple (Alliums) through the beds next year!
There are also more Thalia bulbs and some gorgeous Hyacinth “Woodstock” going in. We had some help from a new neighbour while working in the garden. He’s very friendly but gets a bit side-tracked when a bird comes near.
And now it’s December and we are embarking on some proper landscaping. The Long Border beds have been mulched for many years, so although the soil is great, there is too much of it. At one end it is at least 6inches above the path, and spills out on to it. Planting into it will make this worse, so we need to get rid of some soil. Jason has pointed out that the topography of the Charlton estate is completely flat – so we are changing that! The idea is that as we reduce the height of the Long Border, the spare soil will transfer to the Glade and create some interesting Mounds which can be planted up with woodland plants. Only 1 week into it, and amazing progress.
After barrowing in the soil, the Mound has to be firmed down. It’s going to take a while, we will carry on after Christmas!
Kathy
Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society 