Autumn Bed Update

Progress...the new autumn bed has been revamped and replanted - I can't wait and yet I wait with trepidation - will it work? The lovely thing is that, if it doesn't work (design wise), the bees and butterflies will still love it and we can reuse the plants elsewhere.

Despite the woeful weather, I'm feeling rather upbeat, Things are slow but little bits of plants are popping up everywhere.......pulmonarias, erythroniums, newly planted late flowering narcissus, epimediums, lathryus vernus, fritillaries, muscari. 

Back to the autumn bed, I've tried to keep it simple. Fewer plant varieties in bigger blocks - here are a few of them:

Veronica spicata Red Fox
Liatris Kobold
Monarda Beauty of Cobham
Achillea Cerise Queen
Lupin The Page
Iris Dear Delight
Molinia Variegata
Pennisetum Hameln

The bed is not easy to design, as it's an S shape, simply because the old autumn bed, which started a kidney shape was extended to an elongated S. A few gatecrashers are there including dahlia Blue Bayou, hydrangea Magical Amethyst and fuschia Mrs Popple. There are also a few anthemis, astilbes, persicarias, salvia nemorosa and sanguisorbas.....watch this space!!

A pic from last summer, in its first year, of a small section showing lupin The Page, anthemis and echium Blue Bedder.

And the list goes on

I've made yet another list, as you do......so much to accomplish before April when we open the garden. With the best will in the world, my list's not shifting, as in when I look at my list on the laptop each night, I'm not able to tick off any tasks, yet my days are filled with "must do" garden jobs.

Last week, we planted more bare root trees in the front fields, in an attempt to soften the wind which whistles up the stable yard and blatters the autumn beds - alder and field maple. As I've said before, the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second best time is now (old chinese proverb) and I'm hoping they will grow pretty quickly. A hornbeam hedge has been planted behind the cottage garden as the fence is already 18 years old - hopefully in about 7 years time, the fence can come down and the hedge will provide the shelter from the westerly winds. A hedge beats a fence every time...cheaper, less maintenance, wildlife friendly, longer lifespan.

We have also added species roses to the boundary hedges to add colour and provide more food for wildlife (100 so far).  

My bareroot plants have all arrived for the new autumn bed..........for another blog post - gosh I need to get them planted. But also lots of potting on needed, in the tunnel, of autumn sown perennials:

Lupins The Page, Chandelier and Gallery Yellow
Achillea Cerise Queen
Veronica longifolia Pacific Ocean
Verbascum phoenicum
Everlasting sweetpea
Catananche caerula alba
Aquilegia Dragonfly Mixed
Thalictrum aquilegifolium

and others that I can't remember.

It's bitterly cold and folk say "It's still only March" but I would love to work without my salopettes, thermals and furry hat......oh the freedom of it! Roll on an idyllic spring!

A queen bee on muscari last Tuesday 

   Hellebore at the bottom of the orchard.