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the garden diary: march 2004

This diary is simply my record of what I did in the garden and why. Maybe at the end of this year I will find it useful to read back through the diary.
I like to think I write in the spirit of the old gentlemen amateurs.
Perhaps, if I should happen to keep this going for many years (and this is very unlikely), the diary will serve some obscure function as the documentary record of how a gardening novice learned about the subject and developed his garden(s).Who knows?

march 2004

Wednesday 31st march 2004 : evening - sun & new growth

I guess the month has ended upon a slightly better personal note than I thought it might. The ache of the previous two days has faded somewhat and Deborah and I are on better terms tonight. But there is still work to do.

I've sat on the patio the last couple of evenings drinking in the smell of the spring garden, the warm evening sun and the sounds of the birds' dusk chorus. The longer evenings give me the chance to put out some more food when I get home from work and the birds come back for a late feed. Recently I've seen alot more of the blue tits - there seem to be four of them - and the blackbirds, but nothing of the robins. The wood pigeons are back after a short break and a pair of collared doves have become a fixture: they flit around across the lawn looking for seed. Sometimes they sit and watch from the fence like two young mooching lovers in a summer meadow.

On Monday I saw the first butterfly of the year, and yesterday I saw several: a red admiral, a couple of tortoise shells and one lime green butterfly. I shall have to consult a book to find out more about butterflies: I certainly wouldn't know the name of the lime green species, and I don't recall seeing it's type often. Bees are starting to buzz around, the doronicum orientale has flowered, and upon its flowers sit little insects: the garden is coming to life slowly.

There are other heartening signs: the two clematis that I planted last year to grow up the fence are showing signs of new growth, despite the disruption caused by the fence collapsing in the recent gale force winds. Tulips are staring to bloom, in time to replace daffodils showing signs of age. The delphiniums I grew from seed last year grow daily, the peony I thought might have died in last years drought is breaking through the soil with vigour, the climbing hydrangea that mum planted is showing new , succulent green buds; everywhere in my garden I see growth.

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Tuesday 30th march 2004 : morning

The last couple of days haven't quite gone to plan. I intended to spend my two days' off in the gardening and working on my web site. I've done relatively little of either, so yesterdays diary entry - which I panned to be a full account of the weekend - was cursory indeed.

Deborah and I had a fearful row and I spent the day with sagging heart and that choking feeling in the back of the throat. This is not good when we are less than 5 months away from the birth of our baby.

In the afternoon I mowed the lawns front and back and generally tidied up the front of the house and swept the pavement of litter and detritus. The monotonous rhythm of moving the mower around afforded some therapy. The grass looks quite lovely now. This morning's sun casts the light of spring upon it's verdant green. With the haze atop the Cotswold Way I am reminded of the brilliance of last summer.

After doing the mowing I went for a walk into the fields behind us and then up onto the Cotswold Way. I found a place from where the city of Bath was hidden from view. There was only fields, trees, and sky. In such a moment I often wonder if this is how the Romantic poets saw the world. Traffic noise was a distant hum, and was, anyway, drowned out by the chatter of bird song. I saw buzzards floating on air. I walked for three hours or so. Later, I saw fields of lapwings, blue and coal tits, hawks, heron and five deer. I was only half a mile from 'civilisation', from people, and from the responsibility of relationships, but it seemed like another world. I had chance to clear my head a little bit. Somehow I was comforted, although I knew I had to face 'civilisation'.

I think that was gardening does for me is to allow me a little tiny corner of this better, natural world, and allows me to nurture it in some small way, to be both a participant and a privileged observer.

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Monday 29th march 2004 : morning

I have a couple more days off work now. Quite a busy weekend in the garden. The clocks went forward on saturday evening, so last night we had the extra hour of daylight. What a beautiful thing it is to be able to enjoy the extra daylight for the first time in the year. I potted around the garden and then went for a stroll in the lane at the back of the house.

A summary of the weekends work:

• Put together Deborah's bench and re-arranged the concreted area on which it will sit.
• Planted sweet peas around the hazel wigwam.
• Built a mini pond on the gravel terrace.
• Sowed asters, more rudbeckia and cosmos in seed trays
• Planted out some lupins that I bought from Prior Park Garden centre
• Sowed spinach seed in gaps in the veg garden.

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Tuesday 23rd march 2004 : evening

Had another day off work today following my trip to Devon. It's been a 'bitty' day, because I've had to go out and get the car exhaust sorted, and we've had some heavy showers. I had hoped to get the garden bench that Deborah bought me set up, but it's a build yourself job and impossible to put together on ones own.

I bought back two old wooden barrels from Devon: I plan to use the smaller one as a mini pond. So bought some pond liner and I've given the barrel a coat of wood preserver. My job for Sunday will be to get the 'pond' together.

Planted up some potatoes - rocket, an early variety, in my mini veg patch.
Thought it was time for some 'lawncare' ( I am an Englishman after all), so I mixed up a blend of sharp sand, compost and seed, and spread it over some bare patches on the back lawn that I'd lacerated with a fork. Our small patch of front lawn, which I re-seeded in the autumn, is looking very lush indeed, and in need of a trim. It was too wet today, but I shall have to face up to the task soon. Of course I am worried that the bloody lawnmower will not work.

Seeds are coming on quite well, sweet peas are about ready to go out, and generally the garden is showing signs of life, some of which is unexpected - new shoots of plants you didn't know you had or had forgotten about for example.

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Monday 22nd march 2004 : evening

Chulmleigh, Devon

I'm just back from a couple of days with Deborah's mum and dad at their house in Devon. They moved their last autumn, and I went down to help dig over the garden. The garden is vast, dwarfing the two bedroom bungalow. Parts of the garden could be called 'mature': there is a well established orchard, enormous hellebores ( I never realized they could grow so vast ), is a lovely pieris, a good five foot high, conifers and other trees and shrubs.

Other parts of the garden have the neglected look, and this is where I came in. I spent most of my two days digging over a long border and the overgrown edges of the orchard. The land here had been taken over by crocosmia: the corms formed a dense and fibrous mat, and another weed characterized by a think pink narrow rooted stem. It was hard work to dig everything out; the soil is heavy, light brown clay. Having dug over the patch, it would have been a worthwhile challenge to then set to work on improving the soil; alas, that will have to wait.

In between the digging, we sowed some packets of seed in various containers around the garden. Half a packet of scabiosa prolifera, a packet of T&M mixed annual collection, half a pack of rudbeckia gloriosa and a whole one of rudbeckia Cherokee; a pack of nigella persian jewels and some poppy seed. We'll juts leave it and see what happens.

The garden was at least three times the size of mine. It made me think about how great it would be to be able to spend, say, three days a week for a year working on such a plot, doing all the landscaping and planting. If only I'd worked harder when I was younger, maybe I could be doing that now? Still, there is time….

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Saturday 20th march 2004 : late afternoon

The wind has been a write-off due to the rain, and more especially the wind. There is a gale blowing out there right now. I've been panicking that the fence we re-erected after the last gales would come down again. So far it's withstood the buffeting.

I've managed a few things this week. I received the echinacea plugs that I ordered on eBay, and potted them on. Will plant them out next week. There are a couple of plugs each of four varieties, including the white variety.
Also received two panicum grasses I'd ordered, and planted those in the 'prairie' bed. Finally, I received 8 hostas, which are obviously just some divisions of existing plants. I planted four, and will take the other four down to Debbies mothers, where I am going tomorrow. I am going to dig over various overrun areas of their garden. Let's hope the wind abates a little.

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Thursday 18th march 2004 : morning

Slugs

Not going in to work until a bit later today so half an hour to spare. Was out in the garden early this morning to feed the birds. I'd noticed a couple of snails yesterday morning, but today, after the rain last night, there were loads of little slugs and snails around. They'd eaten away some of the rocket that I'd planted in the veg patch. I killed a few with my trowel, slicing them in half.
So the battle starts here: I'd rather not use slug pellets this year, so to start with I'll put some beer traps out.

A small success: a few of the acquilegia seeds that I collected form the garden last year have now germinated. I sowed them in a seed tray in the mini greenhouse.

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Sunday 14th march 2004 : afternoon

We've had all sorts of weather this week: mild at the start, some sun, then heavy snow and finally some rain to end the week. The south facing border by the new fence was starting to really dry out so the rain is welcome.

Birds
I was up very early this morning and, it being sunday, was able to watch the birds for half an hour or so. The two wood pigeons were already in the garden, scrabbling around for any remains of yesterday's food. Along with the normal pack of sparrows and starlings, I've noticed crows coming into the garden more frequently, three at once today. Along with the magpies and pigeons these bigger birds can hoover up all the food I put out on open surfaces, but then you can hardly encourage some birds to the exclusive detriment of others. Besides, today I had the privilege of seeing not one but four goldfinches in the upper reaches of the elderberry tree in the neighbouring garden. I think gold finches have particular tastes in food - I shall find some food for them and see if they come down into the garden.
It's time, I think, to create a page of this web site for the bird and animal life of the garden.

I spent yesterday morning doing an occasional tidy-up around the shed, sorting out all the old bits of wood and fence posts and such like. With some old bits of featheredge wood I made a small planter, a couple of feet long (less than half the volume of the coffin). Painted it with a tin of blue wood preserve that been in the shed for a year or so.
I will use this as a nursery bed for seedlings or small plugs. Today I sowed some delphinium seeds that I collected from the garden last year, and a pack of T&M Aster Composition. I shall cover this with an old window to keep it warmer.
Also: sowed rudbeckia gloriosa, in small pots, which I will keep indoors until germination.

Acers
I have two Japanese maples. When I've seen these in other gardens or at garden centres or in the magazines, they look beautiful. I paid £25 for a decent sized specimen that I have in a large container. Despite trying to out this in a sheltered position nestled in a corner of the garden, the first winds of the autumn shredded it. My other acer, palmatum des?? I bought for about £8 off eBay, and it has been in the long border for about a year. It wasn't a good place for it so I've moved it to a container. I fear it might be dead: its roots were very shallow and may have rotted in our heavy soil. It was also shredded of it delicate purple leaves by the first winds. During the next month we will see whether there is any future for these two acers.
I shall be sad to have failed with these: I think they show how wind can be more damaging than rain or drought or cold in this area of the country.

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Wednesday 10th march 2004 : new growth

There are signs of new growth emerging slowly.
It is one of the enjoyments of the garden to wander around and just look. I usually have a few minutes in the morning before I go to work and now with the days getting longer there will be time in the evenings too.
The blackcurrant bush Deborah planted last year in the gravel terrace has borne new, purple buds; aquilegias I planted last year have new green foliage and delphinium I grew from seed are, to my surprise, growing back with almost lime-green leaves. Then today I noticed the first tulip - a bag of which I bought at the Lansdown car boot sale last autumn - about to unfurl.

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Sat 6th march 2004 : evening

I've been busy all week with work so this morning was my first chance to get into the garden since last weekend.
Did a few hours in the garden in between going to the tip with old carpet - we're having new ones fitted next week - and getting ready for football.

Started planting my mini veg patch. Had been talking to 'Allotment Simon' at work who reckoned it was time to plant onions out. Planted a row of sturon onions. My one packet was far too many for my tiny patch. A few weeks ago I bought a variety of seed potato called rocket that are currently being chitted (if that is the correct term), ready for planting in a couple of weeks.
Round the edges I planted on some wild rocket that had started off in the cold frame. It will probably be too cold for it, but we will see. Plenty more where that came from.

Debbie has been down to her mum's in Devon, and bought back 6 strawberry plants from the old greenhouse that they are knocking down. We don't know how old they are. I planted out three: one in my little vegetable patch and two in containers, all three protected by home made cloches. The other three are in the cold frame. Let's see if any survive: it will be a bonus to get some decent fruit from them.

After watching Sarah Raven potting on her sweet peas on Gardeners World last night, I felt duty bound to do the same. I had one surviving tray from the night a month ago, when the garden was rearranged by violent and cruel winds. These survivors have grown remarkably well and had obviously the tray. Potting them on was a right faff: I wonder whether I have the necessary patience and manual dexterity for these sorts of fiddly jobs. I guess that if I'd grown them in a deeper container to start with the job would have been easier.

Last year I built, out of old bits of timber, what we call my 'coffin', a box about three foot long and a couple of feet high. Got lovely soil in it now. Last year I grew herbs in it. This year I'm going to use for growing annuals from seed. I just want to leave it and see what happens. I sowed a free packet of Thompson & Morgan annual 'mix' (it doesn't state the actual varieties) and a drill of scabiosa prolifera
Sowed a tray of phlox tapestry for the 'greenhouse', and some pots with just a few seeds in each: a few pots of echinacea purperea magnus and a couple of gallardia goblin.

Summary:

• Started vegetable patch
• Sowed seeds
• Potted on sweet peas
• Sorted out strawberry plants

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2nd march 2004 : evening

The month has started much as February ended. We've had two very heavy overnight frosts, and there are still a few patches of snow left. Most of the garden has sprung back from the snow, but the daffodils, that had bloomed earlier than ever this year, are drooping. I am slightly worried too about Jeff's hellebore, which just a week ago was resplendent; it now looks a bit bedraggled. Other hellebores we have look much healthier.

I am quite busy at work for the nest ten days or so, but later in the month I am looking forward to a couple of days off which I can spend getting the garden going pre-spring. I'm also going down to Deborah's parents in Devon to spend a weekend working on their garden

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