2025/19 - Explosion of Greenery

 Almost the month of May and my plants have exploded into growth.

This beauty, which we call a perennial cornflower (centaurea montana), or korenbloem in Dutch, has decided she wants to grow in this spot this year. That means she has 'walked' four metres from her original spot. As I think she's lovely, and so do the bumblebees, I do not mind at all!

Next to the greenhouse the many bulbs are spent, the only ones still there are the tulips. But the lilies, bearded iris, digitalis and especially the aquilegia are now asserting themselves in between the hydrangeas. As I allow the bulb greenery to die down naturally (I have only deadheaded them), this bed is a bit scruffy right now.

For some reason unknown to me the Papaver has also upped roots and is now living next to my water butt. Could it be that my artful dried flower arrangement in the corner of the greenhouse is to blame? I stuck some lovely Papaver seedhouses in there...Anyway, it can stay, because it always makes me giggle at this stage of its development. Tell me, what does it remind you of? Quite!

The aquilegias on the other side of the greenhouse are more sheltered, so already in bloom.

My sugarsnap, doing well next to the broad beans, which are also doing well so far.

Well. I planted 6 Camassia bulbs last October, and this is the only one that has come up! That is very disappointing, I must say. According to Monty Don it is a thug which will spread all over the place. Hm. I wonder.

They were supposed to pop up in between this lot. 

But my rosebush is looking fresh and it is full of buds, as are the three other roses I have. I love roses, and they had a tough year last year. So it pleases me they are looking so well.

On the other side of the artichokes, against the obelisk, the clematis and perennial lathyrus are climbing up it. But: I also spotted that grape I planted three years ago! Wow, I thought that had died! Not so, which is absolutely great. I did take a photo to show you, but when I looked just now it only showed my reflection, sorry.

I mowed the last bit of the grass this morning, so the silene is standing out and there are masses of marguerite coming up as well as teasels. It will be colourful and attractive to lots of insects.

This was in May 2024. It does not show, but the flowers were actually as high as my waist.

Right. Time to make a salad, as my salad greens have exploded too!

Would you be interested in my other blog on my author website, here is the link: Renée Grashoff Schrijft There I write about my hometown and books.

Have a lovely Sunday!

Renée Grashoff 

2025/14 - Going up, up, up!

 So far climbers have not done very well in Hunky Dory...but I am nothing if not extremely persistent. ( Or stubborn. Call me foolhardy, in fact you can call me anything you like except boring)

After some lovely sunny days today started foggy and then turned misty. I swear I was driving in and out of clouds that were hanging on the fields, on my way to the nursery. Very atmospheric.

I wanted to get some climbers for that frame I built some weeks ago, and for the frame I built two years ago. You know, the one where all climbers I have put there so far have died within months. Why? Frith knows.

The idea was that I would have somewhere to sit in the shade, as there isn't any in my garden. So I built the frame, put the chair in and waited for the plants to scramble up. Instead they all died, two years in a row.

This time I put two Lonicera against it, a red one and a yellow one. Fingers crossed!

This time I used a pot!!!

   As you can just about spot, the Trachelospermum is yellow with brown spots, definitely ailing. There used to be brown beans in that plot when I took over the garden...I blame them by lack of a clear culprit.

   So this time I put the Lonicera in pots! It means watering them, but hey, anything for a green canopy.

   

   The other climbers, the ones against the new frame, are in large pots as well. At least that way I can control the soil. My summer concrete is not very friendly to some plants.

Front left is a plant I had never heard of before, it looks very fresh. It is a Stephanandis Tanakes.

Next is my sugarsnap, which has doubled in size in one week, goody! Next to that is a kiwi. The large pot in the back on the right is a Schneewitchen rose. I used to have one years ago and it shot up the pergola then, so hopefully it will now as well.

The kiwi. It is a self-pollinator, so that's handy.

That grass needs mowing already!

I've moved the obelisk from the frog pond to here, and will put two perennial lathyrus against it, but first I want to give it a new coat of paint.

My veg and seedlings. It has been quite hot already, so they are shooting up. But the beans will have to stay in the greenhouse until May, so I'll need to repot them.

My spring bulb border next to the greenhouse is looking good. A lot of those seedlings will be put out in here when those bulbs are spent.

The lime green of the Euphorbia makes the back bed zing! Especially next to the fresh Artichoke leaves, which I adore.

I cut off the spent flowerstalks last week, and managed to hurt my knee in the process. I thought I'd push over the largest stalk, and did, but lost my balance and twisted my knee. I have been hobbling for a week, such a drag.

Right, I'll leave you with another pic of my Artichokes.

Have a lovely weekend, won't you?

Renée