Gardening
Walking through a tree fern forest, then a lush swamp of Gunnera as well as alongside traditional borders in a walled garden, Logan Garden’s display is a welcome surprise in the far south-western tip of Scotland. Warmed by the Gulf Stream and with the benefit of plentiful rain, the garden rarely sees frost or extreme heat. The original collection at Logan, established over a hundred years ago, has been expanded with specimens from expeditions to Chile and elsewhere. Lots of plant labels so you know what you are looking at, plus a selection of interesting cakes in the cafe when it’s time to rest up.
Horrific growth spurt in my London patio garden since I last trimmed in early May. Great the green spread of the Wisteria and the Mediterranean red of the Oleander flowers but control is a problem. Another round with the shears and cutters. Top priority is keeping clear air around the gas boiler chimney. Tree fern has done well too.
Fantastic to sight a hedgehog in my garden in Keswick in the vicinity of the hedgehog house I placed outside when I first took over this garden. This was at the end of a rainy day, the sort which my cloud forest garden thrives on. Also the earthworms and other garden animals which hedgehogs and some of the birds enjoy to eat: so there aren't a lot of slugs and snails here... This hedgehog seems in robust health and confident; maybe this is a female and maybe the shape I saw of its behind as it sauntered onwards suggests there may be hoglets on the way.
Rhododendron flowers and Skiddaw Little Man summit (865 m.) in the cloud
Gardening in Keswick in temperate cloud forest weather: there’s been 68 mm of rain in my garden in the first ten days of June, great for horticulture but not enough to replenish the lakes and a disappointment for visitors.
My Keswick garden meadow has been benefitting from no-mow May, rewarding with flowers. Now it’s time to make paths to be able to look after the apple and damson trees. Of course there’s been rain but also the long run of sunny days, with the day length now approaching its maximum as the solstice draws closer.
