Busy summer at the nursery

What a busy summer I have had here in North Devon. That’s because I have decided to add cut flowers to the plants already in the nursery.

Space required

But, to do so I had to make space for the new arrivals. Two large polytunnels were removed.  Dismantling them was only the start of it. Once they were out of the way I was left with a very large, messy space. It all needed clearing and tidying before I could take delivery of the 40 tonnes of topsoil for the new borders.

Tree surgeons needed

I also had to bring in tree surgeons to tackle the invasion of shrubs and brambles. If I hadn’t we would have been back to square one within a month.

Rain and more rain

As if all this hard physical labour hasn’t been enough there has also been torrential rain and the largest slugs I have ever seen. Every time I lift a leaf there is another slug underneath it. They are whoppers and my plants have kept them well fed. Luckily we have also had more frogs and toads who have done their bit to keep the slug population in check.

Constant mowing

The wet weather has meant the grass didn’t stop growing. It always needed cutting but it was difficult to find enough dry days in a row in which to get the mower out.

Sowing seeds and taking cuttings

I am not downhearted though. I like a challenge. Thousands of seeds have been sown. Hundreds of cuttings have been taken. Hopefully it will all be worth it when I start cutting the flowers next spring.

Where did summer go?

It doesn’t really feel as if we have had a summer. There were a few warm days. But their memories have been swamped with all the rain. Despite the slow, cold start to summer the flowers have been their usual joyous selves. They might have been late but they were worth the wait. We have had gorgeous displays of Agapanthus Big Blue and Dianthus Deep Red.

Plants have survived the weather

The Dierama have coped well with the weather. Blackbird produced deep purple flowers whilst Guinevere has a much rarer, white flower. Both bloomed for weeks on end.

Crocosmia Golden Fleece always managed to left my spirits with its beautiful yellow flowers. The bees love them nearly as much as me too.

Smiling stars

Other stars have included the moon yellow flowers of the Geum Lisanne. It kept flowering for many months despite the rain. It was almost as if it was smiling at me.

Another smiler was Hemerocallis Big Smile. Its yellow petals have deep maroon centres and it grinned all summer here in Devon.

Hurrah for unfussy plants

Salvia uliginosa is a great plant for any garden. It is not fussy about where it is planted and produces blue flowers for months.  Aster ageratoides ‘Ezo Murasaki’ is another star. Its rich purple flowers last all summer.

Europe has had more rain

It might have felt as though we were constantly under water but spare a thought for the inhabitants of central Europe. They have had torrential rain and record flooding twice already this year.

Autumn is coming

Back at home the nights are drawing in. There is a nip in the air in the mornings and we have had our first fire at home. Autumn has arrived. Let’s hope it is not too windy or wet.

Gardening tips .  Keep dead heading flowers to prolong displays.  Plant bulbs including snowdrops, crocus and daffodils. . Bring tender plants into the greenhouse to overwinter. Remove dead and dying foliage. Water pots sparingly. Plant wood anemones now for a great display in spring.

#flowers #new  #borders  #shrubs  #plants  #grass #cuttings  #seeds  #dianthus  #agapanthus #summer  #dierama #crocosmia  #geum  #hemerocallis  #salvia  #rain  #autumn   #aster