A few wee gems flowering in the nursery gardens at the weekend. The weather is still a bit all over the place with dry sunny warmish days and then boom -4C over night. But the gardens are coming to life and every day there is something coming into flower. Tidying the stock beds continues and Isabel is making a great job of tidying the shrub stock beds. The alpines in the polytunnel are all tidied and propagated and will be available in the sales area as they come into flower. There are already 26 varieties out on the alpine table for sale, all propagated from our own plants here in the nursery.
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| Crocus 'Bluebird' |
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| Helleborus orientalis |
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| Narcissus 'Tete a Tete' |
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| Helleborus var |
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| Primula denticulata |
The great thing about lighter evenings is I can get a wee bit of gardening done in my own garden after work. I got the second border dug over in the front garden where we lifted the slabs from. I think I've got more stones in this front garden than are in the River Tweed!!!
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| Simply a tulip - love tulips, but so do the voles and squirrels and it becomes expensive rodent food when ever I try and fill the garden with them |
We've inherited a large Forsythia shrub in our garden, it faces the lounge window so it greets me every morning as I have my breakfast and is a joy to see in full flower. Which prompted me to go looking for a turquoise vase to set off the the yellow flowers (Etsy). After all who doesn't like a turquoise vase 
Some folk think they are common boring shrubs, but whats not to love about these late winter bright yellow flowers?
Some folk think they are common boring shrubs, but whats not to love about these late winter bright yellow flowers?
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| An abstract rainy city street scene |
Time to get those stock beds tidied, this is where I'll be for the next month or so, tidying, top dressing, labelling, potting up and bringing over lots of new plants form the tunnel to go in the stock beds. Like tidying the gardens its a hugely satisfying job and I get to enjoy the views of the Pentlands, listen to the birds singing their wee hearts out and work in the sun (when / if it stops raining
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My Phalaenopsis is flowering again, yay! It seems to like the kitchen window sill, though it gets really hot there in summer so I may have to move it later in the year. For now I am enjoying all those flowers
We've just completed another growing project for Borders Forest Trust'. I've been growing these juniper communis from seed for the Borders forest trust for the past 2 years, yesterday they were collected to be planted out in the wild on land that BFT are rewilding 
We have now grown plants for BFT that have gone to Carrafran, Gameshope and Corehead to help re-establish native plants on the hill sides of the Scottish Borders. Its great to be involved in these projects and help our hills and countryside recover from over grazing 
We have now grown plants for BFT that have gone to Carrafran, Gameshope and Corehead to help re-establish native plants on the hill sides of the Scottish Borders. Its great to be involved in these projects and help our hills and countryside recover from over grazing 
There's loads of frog spawn in the wildlife pond
after last Sunday's frog shenanigans lets hope it gets to
tadpole stage this year
Lets talk benches .......... we have quite a few in the nursery. I like to try and make sure every garden area within the nursery gardens has a seat of some kind so visitors can sit and enjoy their visit. Some we've bought, sometimes at auctions or from artisan makers, some we've made, some we've inherited and a couple came from my own garden eight years ago.
Now we are nearly finished the woodland garden (exciting ) we needed a seat and I knew it was to go in the wee nook at the end of the main path. Here I can train the trees on either side to create a living arbor of branches over time with the dead hedge behind. I also wanted the bench here to be simple and rustic so my ever resourceful and patient husband David had a rummage around our store of wood and came up with this. Exactly what I was looking for 
) we needed a seat and I knew it was to go in the wee nook at the end of the main path. Here I can train the trees on either side to create a living arbor of branches over time with the dead hedge behind. I also wanted the bench here to be simple and rustic so my ever resourceful and patient husband David had a rummage around our store of wood and came up with this. Exactly what I was looking for We are really hoping we will have the new woodland garden ready to open on easter weekend. David has the bridges to build and then it will be ready. Can't wait
Spring yellows and greens in the nursery gardens
Narcissus 'Februry Gold', Geranium x monacense 'Claudine Dupont' , Cornus mas, Allium giganteum, Acorus gramineus 'Ogon', Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Kokuryu' AGM and Valeriana phu 'Aurea', Leucojum vernum
What a great day on Monday, the weather was amazing and at last I got the weather and time to plant up the two new big borders in the front garden 
8 hours, 2 trips to the tip to get rid of rubbish, 2 trips to harbro for 18 bags of well rotted manure, 10 lengths of metal edging hammered in, 10 crates of plants and 4 large shrubs, one husband, one mouse dog and one knackered and sore gardener 
but what a difference, so happy to get the front garden finally finished. Can't wait to see it in full flower in summer. What a difference from when we bought the house 9 months ago from the grey hard landscaped space. I’ve put some photos at the end of what it was like when we bough the house. Just a wee difference! I’ve jost got the path to finish at the back of both borders against the house and the tulips I’ve got growing in pots to plant.
8 hours, 2 trips to the tip to get rid of rubbish, 2 trips to harbro for 18 bags of well rotted manure, 10 lengths of metal edging hammered in, 10 crates of plants and 4 large shrubs, one husband, one mouse dog and one knackered and sore gardener but what a difference, so happy to get the front garden finally finished. Can't wait to see it in full flower in summer. What a difference from when we bought the house 9 months ago from the grey hard landscaped space. I’ve put some photos at the end of what it was like when we bough the house. Just a wee difference! I’ve jost got the path to finish at the back of both borders against the house and the tulips I’ve got growing in pots to plant.No apologies for the photo spam, I’m just really happy to get this big project front garden done and huge thanks to David for all his help
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| lunch in the sun |
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| ready for planting |
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| Plants ready for planting |
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| metal edging in place |
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| David unloading the well rotted manure |
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| Plants placed |
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| Planted |
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Back to work for a rest On Tuesday
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You own garden looks promising now, can't wait to see how it begins to grow and flourish! Glad you had a great day on Monday - here it was windy and snowing non stop. Actually it snowed for several days so that in the end we're left with 10 inches of it. More than we've had the whole winter! Just as well, it protects the plants: last night it was -13 and the next one is as cold according to the forecast.
ReplyDeleteBut there is nothing as resilient as a Finnish gardener (apart from a Scottish gardener, hee hee!) and maybe after this setback the spring will finally come. I had some snowdrops and winter aconites in bloom before they got covered in snow.
I'm also looking forward to seeing your forest garden evolve. The bench is perfect and the area looks so nice already.
Hi, we could still get snow, its not unusual for a last snow storm in April or early May! But it is good to get some warmer days, and feel we are on the up. I hopwe your snow hasnt been too damaging, when I read about your weather I think we are really very lucky here in Scotland! The woodland garden is being enjoyed by customers and I cant wait to see all the plants I've planted beginning to grow.
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