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April 1st: Waking up after winter

After the cold (should I say "normal") winter we were half expecting plants to be late. None of it. Plants awoke after a proper winter rest ready to perform and many including Centaurea (like Joyce, right) and Geum were earlier than usual. 

Centaurea are already in full bloom with C. cheiranthifolia a star plant in the back garden. They will bloom until June - July when they can be cut back for more flowers in Aug - Oct. (Actually they went right on blooming until October - Martin Oct 09)

April 2nd: Brazen Hussey!

Christopher Lloyd had a way with naming plants with a particular favourite being Ranunculus  "Brazen Hussey" with bronze foliage and bright yellow flowers. 

We are continuing to divide plants. Heleniums are still fine to divide as are Asters, Boltonia, Kalimeris. Its good now to divide plants with a woody or rhizomous rootstock like old world Salvia, Hemerocallis, Kniphofia. 

Phlox can be divided but its a bit late if you want perfect flowers this year. 

With the latter I find its best to pot up divisions and grow on under glass or a cloche. In the open they tend to rot off.

Its also a good time to move herbaceous plants.

We take some care to protect hardy plants whose foliage is damaged by late frosts (i.e. they aren't killed just set back). These include Persicaria Red Dragon and Maclayea.  We put a plastic bag or sheet of garden fleece over the plants on frosty nights. Flower buds (of e.g. Camellia) can also be damaged and it is advisable to plant these where they don't get the morning sun as rapid defrosting will cause damage.

We don't start mulching yet as the ground is not warm enough.

Continue to watch for slugs

Watch Day Lily (Hemerocallis) buds twice a week and remove any that swell at the base. This is sign of Gall Midge and if left it can destroy all the flowers but if nipped off early nearly all flowers will develop. Bag up the buds, seal and dispose of in the bin or burn the buds. Do not drop or compost.

In dry spells greenfly multiply before their natural predators are active. Rub off or spray in the evenings. 

April 11th Hellebore seedlings

Hellebores self seed really well including the sun lovers like x.sternii.  This is a seedling from that hybrid with its pale green flowers and spiky-edged glossy leaves. The seedlings gradually revert to a form more similar to one their parents H.argutifolius. 

I find it best to let them self-seed rather than saving seed and sowing in compost. They can take a year or so to germinate and are quite slow growing as seedlings.

April 12th Acers in Flower

I've never really looked at our Acer davidii Serpentine in flower before but today I noticed the tiny pink-green flowers and larger pink bracts along the stems.  

One of our favourite Geums is Bell Bank which was introduced by Geoffrey Smith that great Yorkshireman and gardener.  

22nd April

Alchemilla mollis is one of those plants most of us grow that fades into the background, quietly doing its job. We sometimes notice the pools of dew that form on the leaves, but have you ever wondered why and how they form.