- OF THE GARDEN

May 28, 2009

A carpet of green seedlings, amazing. With purple Amaranthus seedlings in a the rim of grass we sowed round the outside of the edging

May 21, 2009

The first seedlings have appeared in my annual meadow

I asked Emma to plant Helleborus ericsmithii in the gravel garden and she uncomplainingly dug out two enormous boulders, bigger than the plant she was planting in order to get it in. beyond the call of duty! Took three of us to roll the biggest one out.

May 17, 2009

Well, its been a while, but here I go again. Will try REALLY REALLY hard to keep this up. There's plenty to say, but no time to say it in

Anyway, this week (a bit late but still ok) I have finally sowed the Pictorial Meadow mix down in the garden. Peter spent all winter digging over a new shape for his Shapes in the Landscape. Finally got it all perfectly edged in slate. We hoed and raked our hearts out, not easy on heavy clay. Then waited for the weeds to germinate. And nothing happened. Week after week of bare soil. We had the driest April on record. Peter crowed that he had dug it so well there were no nweeds.

But May finally came and deluged us and hey presto the weeds popped up. So on a slightly drier windy evening, I hoed and raked it all again and next morning at 7:30 I was out broadcasting carefully measured out handfuls of seed. I divided the shape in 8 no doubt unequal parts, and divided the calculated amount of seed in 8 parts, and now I am hoping for the best. Sowed Pictorial Meadow mix in the nursery last month and it is now a carpet of green seedlings, they germinate really fast

- OF THE NURSERY

May 28, 2009

The Annual Flood has started. Cosmos, annual poppies, Cerinthes, Nicotianas rushing in and then out of the nursery. Minas, Ipomoeas, Lablabs and Rhodochitons have arrived.

The Salvias are just beginning to show their colours. Argyranthemum Jamaica Primrose almost sold out. Have just taken several dozen more cuttings

A fantastic week in the nursery. Plants flying out. We had the garden open yesterday. I gave a talk about the Chelsea Chop and had as many people as could fit, about 15 people at 11 and again at 3. Just encouraging them to wield their scissors a bit more boldly. Most plants are shorter and sturdier if they are trimmed in May. They bloom a few weeks later, but need less staking.

May 17, 2009

We are being pummelled and beaten about by the wind. Plants flying off the palettes and landing head first on the gravel. Its not fair. I used to love the wind before I became a gardener. Now I dread it. Everything is suffering. Even on cold days the wind sucks the water out of the leaves. So every day that is not pelting with rain we find ourselves watering (and shivering).

SPECIAL PLANTS is about 100 miles due west of London, seven miles north of Bath and four miles south of Junction 18 on the M4. Greenways Lane turns west off of the A46 100 yards south of the A420 roundabout. We are not in Cold Ashton village. It is about a mile down a very narrow winding lane. Please drive with care. There is plenty of room to park and turn around when you arrive.