Lots of Activity in the Garden

Last Thursday we had a visit from some members of the garden club to which I belong. Of course frantic weeding and mowing during the week before let alone all that moving of chippings. The weather forecast for last Thursday was dreadful with a storm scheduled to break just as the visitors were due to begin the tour. So they arrived half an hour early and we delayed lunch and toured the garden early. Just as well because the heavens opened at 2 o'clock as predicted.

Sixteen members came and we provided a simple lunch and drink for which they paid 6 euros each with the proceeds going to our Open Garden Charity. We are due to repeat this at the end of June for another club but with considerably more visitors. Seemed a good idea when it was arranged in February!!

I had an enormous rosemary bush at the end of the garden which had outgrown its space so I suggested John might like to try to bonsai it. It took him about an hour to dig it up and then another hour to trim it. It will require much training in the future but the first step is to see if it grows.

 

The increasing bonsai collection has necessitated the doubling of the existing display area. Easier said than done. First remove the bank behind the area and excavate the ancient wall it had covered. Then dig out the bed and cover it in bark chippings, fortunately the lorry load promised by the Mayor arrived last week.

We were up early this morning to go to the large plant fair which is held locally every year. I was just going to go with John to look at the bonsai stand as I didn't need anything. Some how we managed to return with 3 bags crammed full of plants. The rest of the day has been spent planting, including a lovely rose which my friend bought me for my birthday.

However we do have the odd mishap. I intended to plant a lot of dahlias in the serpentine bed before we went to Taiwan and I've only just got round to unpacking them from their winter storage.

Whoops, they were obviously trying to escape! Once they green up I will plant them anyway and hope for the best.

The cold frame is bulging and I've still got seeds to plant so better get started.