THE LOST GARDENS OF MERROW

Lots going on in the garden despite the rampant ground elder and bindweed.

I put weed suppressant and bark chip in this little border it helps but as you can see doesn't stop either ground elder of bindweed. These three hebes were cuttings taken from Marjory Fish hebe. 

The poppies were a welcome sight but when they dry a bit more I will take them out to make room for the dahlias which are very slow growing this year.

This is a little corner near the back door which I tried to make a little more private now we have new neighbours who enjoy their garden

The back terrace rather full especially as the hostas have done so well by using copper pipe under the pots.

A view back along the terrace

The Regale lilies are doing remarkably well and still no red lily beetle thanks to garlic spray.

The variegated hosta are not doing so well and overrun by weeds doesn't help.

 

This is another border where I put weed suppressant and bark chip and it's saved so much work the agapanthus nearly all have flower heads so fingers crossed they will look lovely soon.

This is such a lovely tree Eucryphia lucida 'Pink Cloud

Red Clematis Rebecca with Prince Charles above in blue.

Cecile Brunner

Lovely pink Blush Rambler with a Sanders white in next doors apple tree. 

Cottage Rose 

                                            

You get the idea of the extent of the uncontrolled weeds.

and again in this corner

This New Dawn has been nurtured for many years from a cutting but this year it has excelled partly because the neighbours laurel was cut back hard.

Although this part of the garden has an abundance of roses and herbaceous plants it really is the vegetable garden

This overgrown path has actually just been tidied up.

Tomato plants have really struggled this year and I am not sure why.

This is my idea of cutting back on taking cuttings but they are reducing.

A bit of fun taking cuttings of elderberry and the purple one. I don't often take softwood cuttings these were a bit late and the weather has been very hot but standing the pots in mushroom trays and the water bottles without bottoms fitted like a glove over the tray and made a wonderful cold frame keeping moisture in and these rooted in a very few weeks.

This area renamed the dell was the first area I covered in weed suppressant and bark chip this year I added more bark chip and in general it has been successful.

I grow sweet peas in old half barrels and placed by the hedge helps to keep them a bit sheltered from the sun.
So the reason for the 'Lost gardens of Merrow' is self evident we are really struggling this year to keep in control but despite the weeds there's still lots of flowers and plants to enjoy.

The reason we are struggling with the garden is partly age but also health. I was diagnosed last year with Triple Negative Breast cancer treated and chemo but found in December it had metastasised in my lung. https://lookingatlyme.blogspot.com/2022/06/lyme-disease-to-triple-negative-breast.html

GARDEN SNAPS IN MAY.

Just a few snaps of the garden during May. I am belated at posting a blog post but lots of gardening is being done mostly by Mike. I am slightly side tracked with my spinning and weaving projects. See my other blog https://orangecottagescrafts.blogspot.com/

So many weeds ground elder and bindweed predominantly, but the plant height detracts from the weeds and gives pleasure.

The box is surviving the Box caterpillar using regular spraying of Topbuxus. I grew all the box plants from cuttings many years ago so I was devastated to see the damage from box caterpillar a couple of years ago. 

The catmint Six Hills Giant works so very well in the Box boxes with the roses.

The vegetable beds are flourishing thanks to Mike's diligence.

I always feel sad when I see these empty seats they need our six grandchildren to visit but visits have not been quite so often for a variety of reasons. The wooden and iron seats, benches and table were given to us by a kind neighbour and Mike refurbished them all.

I love Hosta and earlier this year I put all my pots on copper pipes because slugs and snails will not crawl over copper. I have to be careful other plants don't bridge the gaps.
But I also discovered that garlic spray also stops slug and snail damage.

Quite by chance I realised the garlic spray was drifting onto the lilies and clearly preventing the red lily beetle invading them. Now I spray deliberately along with other plants such as dahlia and hanging baskets. I haven't seen any signs of the lily beetle this year.

Meg was determined to get in at least one photo.

 So far so good the Hosta in this little bed is sprayed regularly with garlic spray and I have only seen two slugs on my regular nightly vigils.