Progress
Strelitzia reginae
It’s back, for a second year. Proves it wasn’t a fluke. I must be doing something right.
How are we all? Well, I do hope.
It seems almost impossible to believe that Himself and I haven’t crossed the boundaries of chez duck in three months now. March felt incredibly drawn out but since then the time has just flown by. It is of course in large part a function of the time of year, it would have been a very different scenario to have had lockdown in the middle of winter. And with Spring now chalked up as the sunniest on record in the UK there’s been no excuse for ignoring the massive list of tasks waiting for us outside.
Rose ‘Hot Chocolate’
Strangely enough it was on the official Lockdown Day that I posted this last shot of the new terraces:
It all looked quite bare and sterile back then.
But it’s slowly coming on.
There’s been no further progress on the building work itself, which it seemed sensible to put on hold for the time being. So I’ve largely left the area to the right side of each terrace bed open and ready to accept the size 11 workboots when they do return. Just except for that one poor Hakonechloa.. it will have to take its chances because as one of the key anchor selections in the scheme I needed to get the spacing right. Fortunately Hakonechloa is one of those plants which gives freely of itself. Once you have it you will never be without it. And it’s robust. Quite how robust remains to be seen.
The pile of blocks in the bottom right corner was constructed by Mike to give me temporary access to the bottom bed. In lieu of a proper flight of steps. It feels like I should be mounting a horse.
I’m feeling quite chuffed that so far I’ve done all the planting for free. Mike, adopting perhaps a more purist approach to accountancy than Yours Truly, has phrased it slightly differently: “done it all for free.. this year”. And it is true that I did indeed have the prospect of the new terraces kicking around in the back of my mind while prowling the nursery benches last Autumn. I would call it gifted foresight myself, given that the opportunity for Spring Plant Fair acquisitions has this year been precisely nil. And last Autumn of course quite a few of my purchases were picked up in the half price sales. Frugal, that’s me.
But seriously, it is oh so satisfying when you can produce new plants through cuttings, divisions, seed sowing and shifting stuff around that no longer had a home elsewhere.
Two or three years ago I bought half a dozen 9cm Lavandula ‘Hidcote’ in a multibuy offer. Planted as a low hedge alongside the previous greenhouse they thrived, as far as it is possible for lavender to do that in rainy Devon, and formed substantial shrubs. After a winter spent in the veg garden ‘transition’ bed one died, one remains in intensive care, one went into the original terraces and the best three now reside here.
Calendula officinalis ‘Touch of Red Buff’
I’ve never been a great one for growing annuals from seed, mostly because of all the work. Give me something I can plonk in a hole and leave to do its stuff year after year and that’ll do nicely thank you. But then I saw this in a seed catalogue and thought it looked rather fine. Which indeed it is. Has it changed my view about annuals? The jury is out. Much depends on its performance across the rest of the season. After the rain last week they are growing like topsy and smothered in blooms. If this keeps up all summer, with the appropriate deadheading of course, I might well have another go.
Phlomis lanata, one of my half price selections. In the spirit of frugality.
P. russeliana is blooming its heart out on the Precipitous Bank at the moment and I do still love it, so I decided to try one or two of the more shrubby species as well.
At the same sale I also went for this one, Phlomis purpurea. Planted here with Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’ against a backdrop of Persicaria microcephala ‘Red Dragon’. Does the meadow brown butterfly know how well she tones?
Persicaria microcephala
And talking of The Dragon, I happened across one of the species parent plants last year. It stays low, about 50cm high for me, and bears tiny white flowers quite easy to overlook. But for heavens sake, who needs the blooms. Like ‘Red Dragon’ it’s a doddle to strike cuttings. They root almost before they make it back to the potting shed bench. Already I have enough plant material to form a sizeable clump on the new terraces as well.
With all this moving and shaking the veggie bed is emptying out and as fast as it is the salads are moving back in. The crinodendron and witch hazel at the far end are in my sights for later on today. Not the best time of year to move them perhaps. But the weather is cooler, there’s even rain on the chart. And needs must.
A long view back down the garden from the top of the new terraces. The original terraces lie beyond, directly in front of the house. In between, Peony ‘Bowl of Beauty’ in full bloom. Out of place now, by virtue of it being too tall and blocky, disrupting the flow. Moving that one will have to wait. March I reckon. And even then it will be risky..
Peony ‘Bowl of Beauty’
A shot for posterity.
Just in case.
Great progress!
Thanks.
Still a lot to do but it is beginning to look more like a garden and less like a building site!
October is a good month to move Peaonys, I have always had good results moving them then.
Hi Catherine.
Thanks, that’s a good tip. They are plants I’m always reluctant to move. But it’s either that or look at it forever and wish I had! They do seem to do well here so I’m hoping it won’t sulk for too long. This year has been its best ever, I shall take comfort from that.
Another vote for October. Gives them time to settle in before bloom, and cool weather with workable soil makes digging the necessary big hole easier.
October it is then! I don’t do enough transplanting in autumn. It makes sense, then everything is ready to go for the next season.
I love the terraces. I have two (much smaller) and keep moving things about trying to find the right combination for weather and varmints. Starting from scratch looks like grand fun
It’s balancing the plant heights that I find most difficult to get right. And of necessity the walls here are quite tall (we had a drop of 12 feet overall to cover), so it will be difficult to hide the ‘legs’ of the plants with anything growing up from below. Lots of things like geraniums which scramble up through and fall over the front of the walls will be the answer I hope. It has been fun though, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it so far. And I can always do some editing next year if (when) it doesn’t work first time around.
It’s gorgeous! Those terraces are so lovely; and all that stone is wonderful. What a job!!!!
The stone is mellowing beautifully. By lucky chance it’s also a really good match for the stone outhouse at the top. I hope when the plants fill out it will be a much better balance between the hard and soft elements of the landscaping.
That view from the stop is very inviting. What a splendid sight this will be when the plantings are all in and thriving.
It is pouring with rain as I write. After two months of almost no rain at all this is just what the plants need. They should really get going now!
Excellent photographs and accompanying text, as always.
Thanks Derrick. Had I waited another day I could have added raindrops!
Oh, my….I have some serious catching up to do here in your space….and as always inspiration abounds.
I’ve been toodling around in my garden space by necessity; our gardens were rather forcefully selected by my garden club for next year’s fundraiser garden tour. The only reason I said ‘yes’ was because I had planned a total redo this year. (Not sure why they selected it because quite honestly it looked like doo-doo) Now we only look like doo. Of course, the electrical company came a couple weeks ago and ripped out some trees…which has now turned my shade garden into a sunny spot, and is killing and burning up all my hostas there. For some strange reason they thought that THEIR electrical lines were more important than MY shade garden. Go figure. I have to buy my replacements/additions at extra large size so they won’t look as if they were just plopped in the garden a year ago…which of course they were. Already figuring that maybe…just maybe I would be ready for tour in about 6-8 years!!! Big mistake saying yes. At least the lockdown has kept me in the garden, and I’m enjoying it more than ever!!!
(heehee…new blog platform for me, which has kept me busy, too!!!)
Hello Steph! Really great to hear from you and I shall be over to see what you are up to.
There’s nothing like a deadline to get something done and I’m sure your garden will be looking splendid by next year. Mine has literally kept me sane over these last few months. With the fabulous weather this Spring it’s been a real pleasure to be out in it. I don’t know what I’d do without it.
Nice to see your old friend Strelitzia reginae made a return engagement. Stunning photographs, as always. Looking forward to watching the progress on the terrace gardens.
Only one Strelitzia bloom this year but what a splendid one it has been!
What a great update on your garden, you have worked hard and then a bit. It’s looking wonderful. I’m intrigued about the rain you got last week as we only seemed to get a bit of drizzle. I’m desperate for some proper rain and I rarely say that.
Be careful what you wish for…?
I shall look forward to the morning inspection tomorrow. A few broken branches I have no doubt but I’m expecting a garden full of triffids!
Your plants and photography are wonderful. I too have that Peony and this has been its best year yet. Everyone has admired it and because its been so sunny and calm it’s done really well plus I had the foresight to stake it up before it got too big this year! x
I hope the rain hasn’t hammered it. I can see lots of groaning stems and petals on the ground around mine. Gosh, we did need the rain though.
Best wishes with your ongoing effort! I’m filled with envy over your terraces. All that empty space would make me giddy. I’ve been sowing more seeds, only semi-successfully as seeds require water on a regular basis and nature of course does not cooperate here so that means day-after-day-after-day of pulling out the hose. I was taking cuttings and divisions too but, as summer has most definitely arrived here, that’s a less viable option at the moment. However, our local garden center is open and, even though the pickings are a little slim, I’ve already made 3 quick visits since May 1st.
Up until today we’ve had barely any rain for over two months. I thought of you and HB often because it did feel a lot like gardening in California. (Remember most of my plants are moisture lovers.) It’s been quite warm too, for us. Some of my seedlings in the new greenhouse were properly scorched. I now wonder if I should have invested in the shading blinds that were designed to go with it. But at the time I’d thought (apart from the horrendous additional cost) hey, this is Devon. It is cloudy and it rains. Doh.
The terraces are looking wonderful with some growth in them. Love the close up photos of your plants, what camera do you use and do you use a macro lens?
I’m still using just my little Nikon Coolpix bridge camera. It has a macro facility on it which is very good actually. It’s a good all round camera for me. The zoom is excellent too. Downside is the size of the sensor. Close ups give me the best results, wide landscape shots less so. And I do need very good light, if it’s too bad I borrow Mike’s DSLR.
We have Hot Chocolate. The terrace looks great
It’s a cracking rose. I love the deep undertones.
Don’t feel bad about Lavandula ‘Hidcote’. Tresco gardens have failed to get it established and when I asked they said it failed them. I have just taken out the remains of 25 Lavandula ‘Hidcote’ which originally I planted because I had seen them in Tresco. Not sure what our problem was but I noticed on the RHS website they recommend late summer pruning when I had been doing it in spring! Either way I just spent yesterday planting 25 Lavandula ‘Vera’! We are keeping our fingers crossed.
I shall be interested to see how you get on with Vera. I did think lavender would be a risky thing down here, which is why I’ve never invested a great deal in mature plants. But I’ve also got ten cuttings now so I’m going to try them on the bank behind the greenhouse when they’ve grown on a bit. Full sun, well drained, light soil. As close to the Med as Devon is ever going to get!
Beautiful photos – the marigold really caught my eye – who knew the humble annual could look so wonderful! A bit of rain . . . hahahahahaha (hysterical laughter) as I have to go out and shut the birds away – nooooooo I want to say by the fire!
And we have all 3 ducklings hatch under the broody hen – they are just about 3 days old. Trying to stop hubby going in and looking every 5 minutes, well, I give up! So none rusty – one black and yellow like his mum (dark beak, no pink), one coffee latte with lemon, and one lemon cream puff (may end up like dad – lavender). These will stay with me – none for the pot! So in a couple more days we are expecting the bigger clutch under the Tasmanian Devil!
It is cold tonight, I am wrapped up in fleeces and it’s June! We’ve been spoiled that’s the problem.
The ducklings sound so cute. How is mother hen fairing? Has she caught on yet? Lol.
I chose the marigold because it was a bit different and that’s the way I’ll go if I try annuals again. It will have to be special to be worth all the faffing. I wonder if this one will set seed.. I know nothing about annuals!
They have cottoned on that getting near “mum’s” feet can be dangerous. She looks confused when they don’t scratch but shovel their little beaks into the food! Can’t wait to see what happens with their first swim! I think the little black one is male – but who knows, I’m new to this game! There are always exceptions that prove you wrong! I think it is mainly gut feeling.
Marigolds should set seed, but whether they’ll be the same colour may be hit or miss. Fingers crossed! Nothing done in the garden here apart from mowing the lawn. Everything was focused on veg this year, but definitely looking better as the damp proof course membrane has killed off all underneath apart from a variety of creatures. Typical though, peonies are in bloom and here comes the rain.
Your wall is looking really good now – although your steps remind me of Lyme Regis!
Hope the peonies survived!
My marigolds are, sadly, looking a bit the worse for wear this morning. The combination of the wind and rain has flopped some of them. The love affair may be cooling..
Good weather for ducks though 🙂 🙂
Someone was oohing and aahing over a photo of an area of my garden. All I could think about was the plants in the photo that are no longer there and the gorgeous weeping spruce whose drapery the bunnies ate over the winter. Nothing like having those photos of bygone beauty. Loved that shot from the top. Really gives a good sense of the overall layout. I have moved Peonies at all season, including immediately after blooming (for a construction project). A little recovery time is needed but it seemed to work fine.
That’s good to know. If we get a cooler period of weather I may well take a flyer on the just after blooming option. Mostly because I’m impatient and if something is in the wrong place it will annoy me intensely until I can sort it out.
Looks great
Thanks Flower.
It’s coming on. Like a good vintage it will improve with age. I hope!
Well, what a colourful summer you are having in the garden! I am SO envious of your Peonies, the ”Bowl of Beauty” is well named. Enjoy your wonderful summer, and how nice that you don’t have to venture to far from home.
The lockdown has given me no excuses. Plenty of gardening time. Just the usual weather issues to disrupt things, although it’s not often that I have to stop shifting things around on account of a heatwave this early in the year.
Haven’t read the blogs I follow for a good while so what a surprise to see the beautiful terrace. Well done! I’m busy with a big terrace myself and well familiar with the challenges of ‘plant leg’s, drainage and for me, how do I plan for a good view? From the top or the bottom….and how? Looking forward to backtracking through the pages to see where you started and of course, eager to see where things go from here. All the best.
Hello Margot and welcome back!
Getting a good view from the top and the bottom is quite a challenge isn’t it. I have the same issue with the steep bank behind the house because the driveway runs through the middle of it. And what compounds it even further is the direction of the sun.. most flowers want to face the sun so from one view you’re often going to be looking at the rear end of flower heads and plants leaning away from you. It’s taken a great deal of trial and error and moving things around. The slope here faces south so the best view is always from the bottom. But on the plus side having a slope or a terrace adds so much to the design. Standing at the bottom you can pretty much see every bloom displayed as if on a stage. Not always possible on flat ground.
You have achieved so much since you took on this property, Jessica – how many years is it now? And you don’t do things by half, either – not just inside but on your ‘estate’ too, but then again you have a lot of space there to play with. I was amazed when you wrote that post about the bits of woodland you had barely ventured into! It sometimes seems as if you have bottomless pockets, but then again I know most of my pension seems to go on the garden! Always great photos to illustrate your posts too – thanks
Eight years since I started the blog, almost to the day actually. And I’ve felt every minute of it.. no, seriously, it’s been great fun putting the garden together. Hard work, given the wilderness I started with. But I was thinking just this morning, on the daily tour of inspection, that I can really see where it’s going now and that’s very motivating.
Most definitely not bottomless pockets. I wish. The garden is my only hobby really and, like you, we do an awful lot of the work ourselves. Mike worked alongside the wall builder virtually every day which cut our labour costs by almost half.
Everything’s coming together so beautifully. Good choice on the stone for the terraces and the greenhouse is gorgeous. I grow a few annual flowers in my vegetable gardens and the calendula always self sows year after year, so it’s a no-worry plant for me. Enjoy your summer Jessica.
I shall let the calendula seed and see what happens! Glad all is well with you.
I remember when you made the tough decision to take out the first stone you chose for the terraces; gutsy move, but so clearly the correct one. Congratulations on a beautiful result that should only get more so over time.
We have never regretted changing the stone, apart from the horrific cost of the bad mistake. The walls blend in so well now and once the planting has matured and the building work completed it should look pretty much as I envisaged before we started. Looking forward to getting to that point! Thanks Nell.
Beautiful photos. You have been busy in the garden! I love the stone that you’ve used for the terraces, and what good fortune that you had plants, bought last year, to use now. Looking forward to seeing more photos as your garden progresses. Hugs Rose x
I had some of the plants, the rest are divisions of stuff already in the garden. For the moment I’ll just keep on filling it up like that. I can always edit later but for the moment the aim is just to cover soil!
It’s so nice to see a few plantings in there, it must feel great to have things going together rather than….
I’d also like to second your decision to change the stone. What a difference! I’m sure you would have made the other color work but this really starts off perfect.
I don’t think I’d ever have made the orange stone work, the colour was so strong it would always intrude. Maybe by filling the whole thing with evergreen shrubs over 3 feet high? Might be a bit monotonous though..