I've been feeling rather sorry for myself, have had a rotten virus for three weeks now, hence no writing. At least it's the right time of year to be sick, garden wise, but I am itching to get stuck in - so much to do - and the weather's to be rotten this week but I suppose that's what winter's all about.
In the cottage garden, two beds have been completely cleared and new edges laid.
Firstly, the hot bed where the daylilies had outgrown their allotted spaces and showed more foliage than flower. The bed is on the left in the picture, taken in June. The centranthus is not really "hot" enough so we have replanted it elsewhere.
The dreaded lysimachia ciliata Firecracker had taken over many years ago and, for the past few winters, we have tried to eradicate it by removing every piece of visible root but of course it came back with a vengence each summer. So this was the ideal opportunity to remove every plant and dig the bed over, thoroughly removing every piece of root and then going through the roots of any perennials we were planting back in the bed.
The keepers have been planted back in the bed: anthemis (not sure which variety but a lovely shade of yellow), crocosmia Emily McKenzie, helenium Waltraut & Moorheim Beauty, lychnis chalcedonia, oriental poppy (red), geum Red Dragon, potentilla Gibson's Scarlet, heuchera Marmalade & Palace Purple.
The wish list for extras is ever changing...the bed's not that big so space is at a premium - the plants will have to earn their keep. I still need some colourful edgers and some verticals for the middle of the bed. All suggestions gratefully received!
