4 January While taking down the Christmas wreaths, we spotted all these in flower in the garden. The Sarcoccca (sweet box, bottom left corner) smells wonderful.
19 January Doing a weekly check in, here is the most beautiful Lenten rose, Helleborus orientalis, in the Sensory Garden. Not a rose at all, it is a member of the buttercup family.
26 January Another check in visit, snow still lying on the ground today, there are surprising frost pockets in this garden, although it is all clear by the walls.
Foxy footprints giving away the culprit! Our teasels have all been teased to bits, we wish Mr Fox would just go back to chewing the plant labels..
2 December A wet and chilly session, but good to be back after Lockdown II.
15 December A great day for gardening! Lots of planting was done, path clearing was started, and as for the gate decoration – we’re getting really festive now. Mince pies (from Charlton Bakehouse) at half-time were much appreciated.
The CABAHS bench, to commemorate our Platinum (70th) Anniversary, in situ. A lovely shady spot to look forward to next summer. We think perhaps a Trachelospermum climber up the back wall..
It’s hard to believe that a whole year has passed since we moved into our new house in Mottingham. Many members will have visited our old house and garden, next door, whilst the new build was taking place. For those who don’t know though, after realising that we needed to downsize, as our family had flown the nest, we decided to knock down our garages and build a smaller house adjacent to our old one.
Going…Going…GONE!
Before the dividing fence went up between the two gardens a man came to us to erect a shed in, what appeared to him, to be the middle of our large rectangular lawn. I showed him the sticks I had placed to mark where I would like the shed to be built. He took his hat off, scratched his head and asked “Are you sure that’s where you want it? -It’s a bit random isn’t it?”
When the shed had been built a dividing fence was erected straight down the middle of our large rectangular lawn, between our old and the new gardens. I invited some friends around to see what was going on. Some even peered rather nervously through a gap in the new fence to hear what plans I was hatching for my new garden.
Whilst the house was going up I got cracking on creating a new garden.
The first thing I did was to lay a curvy hose on the lawn to plan my new bed layout. I placed long canes to indicate where I hoped to build the raised beds, compost etc. By running up and down the temporary staircase in the, by now, half built new house I could look out of the windows, then adjust the hose each time, and get a better idea of how the new flowerbeds would look. I found this quite exciting as I was fed up with my straight lines of the old garden.
Then we moved the arch from our old garden into the new one, taking care to move the rose and clematis it supported at the same time. None of the side flowerbeds have been made at this point.
I must confess, at this stage that two of my son’s friends were on hand to help with the arch and digging out the lawn to make flowerbeds. We barrowed all of the compost that I had been making in the old garden and set about improving the soil in our new beds. They also helped us to make two raised beds, from scaffolding planks, which quickly became temporary residences for extra plants that were in transit. Here they are with my beautiful Cercis siliquastrum flowering profusely in the background.
I do find that gardening is rather like decorating. You have to put in many hours of hard work before you can enjoy the easy bit.
The next task was to dig up and split all of my beloved treasures in our old garden. I planted half of each one back in the old garden and half in the new. I was thoroughly enjoying myself and I was barely buying any plants but by the end of the year but I had almost filled every bed. The job was made easier by removing a fence panel so that I could dash, laden with plants, from the old garden to the new.
As you can see by the next spring the garden was starting to shape. It’s simply amazing how things have grown. After just a year it almost looks like a mature garden.
Isn’t gardening wonderful? If you put a little work in you get so many rewards.
Since taking this photo I have created a dedicated iris bed with 7 different coloured irises. I’m worried that I’m becoming an iris addict!
During this year’s lockdown my projects were a bug hotel and very small pond.
I have also been trying to introduce some vertical planting which will hopefully cover the new fence that looks so bare. So far I have put in several climbing roses including Iceberg, Compassion, Danse du Feu and Golden Gate. I’ve also planted several other climbers like honeysuckles, clematis and Hardenbergia. This is a new plant to me. Apparently it’s similar to a Wisteria but less vigorous.
All of this has required rather a lot of trellis so I do hope that it all grows!
Clematis Pernille
In August I was glad to welcome many members to our open garden. We shared the day with Vija and Fran who also opened their gardens and made a whopping great £319 for cancer charities. I know that some society members could not come that day and so I thought I’d share a few photos of our progress over the year. Viv.
13 October Heroic (and very wet) volunteers in the garden today. A lot of the plants from our shopping trip to Provender Nurseries are now in place. We really appreciated extra help from students from the University of Greenwich, who sportingly also got very wet. Donations of cinnamon buns from Charlton Bakehouse went down well. Thank you everyone. The picture below will be used as a ‘Before’ picture – so looking forward to taking some ‘After’ pictures next year!
20 October Another glorious Autumn day! Lots of volunteers and a bit of sun, what more do you want? We discovered the friendly Greenwich Carers café in the Stables next door. Bring your own cup/mug.
22 October Our Oak-leaved Hydrangea is turning a lovely colour. Look what has taken up residence in it – a crab spider. Apparently they camouflage themselves but it takes a few days to change colour – this one must have been in a white flower recently!
25 September Starting to plant things instead of just weeding and pulling up. This picture shows newly planted clumps of lilyturf (Liriope muscari) looking happy under the Tree of Heaven. The lilyturf was kindly donated by a CABAHS member.
We are ordering 2,000 bulbs of Narcissus ‘Tete a Tete’ and Thalia, for some spring colour, these should arrive in a week or so. Lots of planting to do!
28 September A lesson and/or debate on how to plant a shrub! These are the Pittosporum “Tom Thumb” being planted.
Our 27 August volunteer session became “Game of Gardens: Destroying the Iron Phormium Throne” This was the end for the last Phormium in the central beds, but it went in style…
My own garden having reached saturation point and needing space to grow veg for this year, the solution has been that John, my neighbour has kindly given me the top end of his garden. We made many raised beds and a permanent compost bin and have made it into quite the feature with a raised platform which John has crazy paved and even created a half step to make it easier for me to access.
The whole thing has been made complete by the addition of a wooden pallet that he found, which I made into a planter, it now forms a balustrade side for the compost platform.
The next big venture was to create a green roof garden on top of the sheds. For the last year or so John has been trying to get the Council to sort out the shed roof which was leaking very badly. When it started to impact on my own shed I took over ringing the Council. Finally, in March the Roofing Department felted the shed and we decided to go ahead with my plan.
Firstly, I laid a pond liner and sealed it in place (after it had time to shape and settle). Followed by two layers of weed suppressant, making a hole in the layers where the drain is. I made a pebble cage to put over the drain hole, which stops the compost mix blocking the down-pipe.
More gravel was placed around the edge of the roof which helps to contain the growing medium We filled a one tonne bag with a 75/25 aggregate/compost mix. The aggregate used included 100 litres each of Perlite and Vermiculite, pebbles and 10mm gravel.
All of the plants had to be carried/lifted up a ladder, to be placed on the roof. I divided the plants into three groups and started at the far end of the roof laying the compost mix in the first third, putting in the plants and then putting a layer of gravel on top.
This process was repeated in the middle, and then the third section of the roof by making sure the corners were done before climbing back on the ladder and finishing the compost and planting from there. I have had to add more of the mix and gravel at this end since as it was not as level as the rest.
It was a surprisingly quick process and I think it’s not bad for a 1st effort!
It was around this time I was told I was needed back at work, so, sadly my garden adventures will be slowing down considerably. I did complete some tasks indoors as well, but the pull of the garden this time of year with the gorgeous weather we had, is much stronger.
Spring, Summer, Autumn – Garden. The Winter is for indoors!
Looking back over the last three months, it’s no wonder I would fall into bed most nights aching but extremely happy.
Remember the central lavender bed? Here it is in June 2020
We discover more pathway! The lavender has stolen at least 2 feetStarting work, on one of the hottest daysWe are rather proud of this! All ready for plants.
Back in June, we met Vlad the Beekeeper, who looks after the hives on the roof of Charlton House. He gave us some great advice about what flowers his bees like. You can download the recommended list of bee-friendly plants here: BestPlantsForBeesMatrix
The most difficult part of writing this piece was deciding where to start! I vaguely remember something about introducing yourself, your subject and to put it in context, back in the days when I used to write essays.
So, introductions, not me so much as my garden, after all that’s what we are interested in. I moved here just under five years ago, my first garden, a well-established one. Too well established – houseleeks the full length of the path, Japanese anemone and bluebells (Spanish) everywhere in the deep borders. Bracken and a mini forest down the back with two large Camellias and a lilac which is covered in jasmine.
From this description I’m guessing you are thinking that it is quite a large plot. I have a friend who says I acquire enough plants to fill up the grounds of a manor house. I have recently been forced to admit that it might be reaching capacity. So, my garden is, actually, around 30 feet by 18 feet, with a brick shed in one corner. It is fully south facing and seems not only to have its own micro-climate, but also its own definition of time: I nip into the garden for 10 minutes and go back indoors an hour later.
Just before lockdown I had ordered some supplies for a gardening project from Wickes. While waiting for the supplies and suddenly finding myself having an unexpected staycation – I brought my Mum (94) to stay with me so that I could ‘shield’ her better – I started on the ‘must get to that’ jobs.
First, I painted the trellis and gate that forms the boundary between my garden and that of my next-door neighbour. I don’t know if you have ever painted trellis which is already in situ, but I can assure you it is not a quick job. Especially when it is 6ft + and you are a touch over 5ft. There are still bits of snagging that need attention which I have managed to ignore so far.
The ‘finishing’ of this project was followed by the completion of a – what turned out to be thoroughly unsuccessful – bird table which I attached to the top of the gate. The wood pigeons throw the seed everywhere, tease the dog and poop on the gate. I no longer put feed on it and have adorned it with a rather splendid peacock instead..
While I had the paint brushes out I decided to smarten up the weather vane. He was plain black and my neighbour had told me he was getting a bit of rust. I am most chuffed with the result, particularly when he was put back up.
Earlier in the year my Mum’s oldest friend had died, they had known each other for 88 years. I wanted to do something in her memory and that of her older sister who passed a few years ago. The stories that May & Mary would tell you about the three of them and what they got up to during the war were a must-hear!
As it was getting close to May’s birthday I decided to dedicate the back of my garden to the sisters. My neighbour made a bench seat which he decided would be the perfect size for my Mum, and I thought it would be ideal for the newly named ‘Mary & May Plaza’. So, painting the bench was my next job. May’s birthday was coming up on 1st May and I wanted the project I had in mind finished so that we could sit there with a G & T (her favourite drink) and have a toast to the two sisters.
I set to and started the lengthy process of making a sign post – I planed the edges from the wooden post, cut and shaped my signs. Painted the whole thing including the wording and the acorn on the top which looked more like an egg and cup in it’s plain wood state.
I am pleased to say that everything was finished and in place for 1st May and we had a, not so quiet, drink to celebrate. Petra, the dog had most of the G & T in the end!
More to come on my other Lockdown Projects – a green roof and a pond are just two of them!
Retirement four years ago. Time stretched, or I thought it would. The bottom of my garden was an area where rubble collected, unwanted household items had been left and bonfires lit. It was in desperate need of a clear up and a change of use although to what I had no ideas. Nettles and weeds thrived and tall trees belonging to neighbours and the MOD who own the land at the back ensured there was shade for most of the day apart from an hour or so. One year on it remained untouched as there proved too many fun things to do.
A visit to the Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden in Surrey spurred me on to make a start.
Much of this magical woodland garden is in shade and shuttlecock ferns were in abundance. I loved their structure and vibrant green. I had not grown ferns before and felt that they at least may like my shady patch. The hard work began.
Picking up the obvious rubbish, carrying it up the garden, through the house, up a steep flight of stairs, into the car, onto the recycling centre – halcyon days! – was just the beginning. When I dug into the ground, I realised there were layers of broken bricks and glass underneath. It was heavy labour and took weeks to clear. The reverse journey, but now from the garden centre, brought in bags of compost, rotted horse manure and chipped bark.
I had no particular vision of the final outcome but by now just wanted to plant something. Half of the area had been dug over. Ferns along with a few other shade tolerant plants such as astrantia and hardy geraniums were planted.
By June 2018 I had dug up the remaining rubble and added more plants – foxgloves, aquilegia, thalictrum delavayi to give height and the nettles were left for butterfly eggs. Other wildflower/ plants that had found there way in and settled were allowed to remain as good for pollinators. I now have a large clump of greater stitchwort (also known as gentlemans shirt buttons – love that name) and cow parsley. Hellebores were put in later that year.
Bronze fennel was planted last year which grew to such a height it needed staking. I found an obelisk which does the trick. As the area is fairly bare in early spring, I had put in loads of aconite bulbs. None of these survived as the local squirrels found them irresistible. A few English bluebells and snowdrops did grow and more will be planted in Autumn.
Time stretches now. I sit and enjoy watching bees, early butterflies, neighbouring cats, toads, ignoring the gaping holes where the fox has squashed the gentlemens’ shirt buttons and hoping the hedgehog recently spotted in a garden two doors away will wander into mine.
While I had the paint brushes out I decided to smarten up the weather vane. He was plain black and my neighbour had told me he was getting a bit of rust. I am most chuffed with the result, particularly when he was put back up.
I set to and started the lengthy process of making a sign post – I planed the edges from the wooden post, cut and shaped my signs. Painted the whole thing including the wording and the acorn on the top which looked more like an egg and cup in it’s plain wood state.
Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society 