All the Beauty of early Summer under a blue blue sky

Seriously not sure where the time is going, its full speed May, blink and I miss it yet we somehow get things done. Of course also behind in blog writing, I keep getting told I should write a book, but where's the time for that? I'm so tired these days, I'm not getting things done at home like I usually do and not working at my usual full speed at the nursery either, I am finding it all very frustrating. 

The weather has continued to be amazing, though everything is getting seriously dry. The sales area is full of fabulous, hardy and tough plants. Trees (crab apples and cherries are in flower), shrubs (small, tall, deciduous, evergreen, flowering, foliage interest) and water plants. Climbers and grasses for all situations, herbs, alpines and seasonal interest sit along side shade plants, fruit and wild flowers.

The wee shop is full of lovely gardening things, pots, cards, string in every colour, gift vouchers and compost. Something for everyone.

Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm.

See you soon

In the garden at home this week

Mid week we had a lovely walk along the river up to The Crown for dinner, great food and service. Just a shame I fell and skint my knee, damaged my new sandles and new phone case. Now as well as exhausted I am bashed, bruised and sore from head to foot. Still, good to sit down with hubby and chat, plan for a holiday in the winter and take a moment to breath.

If you visit the nursery this week, and enter over our Monet bridge, you may be stopped in your tracks by the most amazing scent. Look down to your left and you will encounter the False Soloman’s Seal or false Spikinard. It is starting to go over now cause its taken so long to writr this blog but the scent is still amazing.

Maianthemum racemosum – “False Soloman’s Seal” the foliage is similar to Solomon’s seal, hence its name and carries plumes of sweetly scented, creamy-white flowers, sometimes stained green, in early to late spring. The flowers are followed by clusters of red fruit. Best in shade and moist soil. Newly emerging stems look like the aptly named garden eels standing to attention on the seabed. H 70cm, S 60cm.

In the wee shop this month we have a couple of new items. Fiona who is part of the Quercus team has produced these lovely floral etched discs. I love the ginkgo ones. We've also got a fabulous terracotta bowl rimmed with turquoise glaze and a fabulous zinc leaf planter and so much more to go along with our plants.

The subtle move from spring to early summer in the garden has begun. Here in the garden at home the daffodils are fading and being replaced with Aquliegia, geums and the first of the summer Clematis. The front garden is a bit battered after the roofers, but these aqulegia survived and I'll hopefully get some annuals sown to fill in gaps. Rain would hep the plants to recover but that seems a long way away In the back garden its a riot of colour between the foliage of the trees and shrubs and the tulips. Its a soothing oasis to relax in after the crazy days in the nursery at the moment

Geum 'Cosmopolitan', Clematis 'Mrs Bateman', Blues and yellows at the back door, my auricula theatre. Aquilegia in the front garden

Another week comes to a close, another week of amazing weather but no rain! Another busy week with nursery work, keeping the gardens weed free and helping our customers and keeping enough plants coming out for sale and propagating more behind the scenes.

Last years propagation is getting potted up either into small pots if its cuttings or seedlings or into 2 litres if they are in 9cm pots. Then out into the stock beds or into our new stock beds behind the scenes to grow on. The borrowed farm tunnel is gradually emptying as we bring everything over trolley by trolley to pot up and put out in the stock beds or straight to sales.

Isabel and I are continuing to tidy up the stock beds, labelling, top dressing and tidying as we go. We are enjoying working in situ with our mobile potting benches, enjoying the weather and the birds chirping away in the hedge.

Speaking of wildlife, the wren has babies in the mini roller on the wee shop wall and was spotting going in with a big green caterpillar today. There are fat pregnant newts in the water features and bluetits nesting in the bat box again.

David has been laying new mypex, getting ready to start the next new tunnel and creating much needed new stock beds for plants growing on as well as fixing some glitches in our water system (you can imagine the stress!)

So as I have a well earned day of, I’m raising my glass of wine to you all, our customers and supporters and to the Quercus team, cheers and thank you for loving Quercus and making all our hard work worth it to hear all the love and compliments for the nursery and gardens. 

The cornucopia garden

Lily of the valley

Rubus 'Benaden'

New stock beds

David and friend

Tunnel 1 is full!

Camasia in flower

Last years cuttings potted up

Rainbows over the stock beds

Dappled shade and wild flowers along the river today, Peebles shining in the glorious spring weather. A walk up to the High Street to get some bits n pieces and then home via the river for a day of garden tasks, watering, getting the renovated front gate back in place and levelling the slabs for my greenhouse arrive this week

This week at home David has finished fixing, renovating and painting the front gate, thats the front of the house and garden finished until we replace the windows.

I painted the window sills and down pipe on the back of the house, same blue as the front of the house, keeping everything matching.

Lunch outside on our day off from the local deli.

My new greenhouse has arrived (excited)

The asparagus fern is determined to reach the floor!

Evening light in the back garden

Today apart from another appointment with the dentist (me) we have been building my new greenhouse at home We are still talking, which is good, hopefully by tomorrow afternoon it will be finished and I can rescue what’s left of my tender plant collection after the greenhouse disaster of last year. Lovely to enjoy the good weather in our own garden, lunch outside and see the final piece of my grand plan for the back garden come together photos of all that once its finished. Here is the back garden in the glorious evening light.

A lovely day with Becky in very sunny Melrose. A walk along the river and lunch outside with Maisie Mouse too. A wander through Priorwood and Harmony Gardens NTS enjoying the shade of the trees. It was lovely to catch up and we've now managed to see all five kids in May

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