[fusion_builder_container admin_label="" hundred_percent="yes" hundred_percent_height="no" hundred_percent_height_scroll="no" hundred_percent_height_center_content="yes" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" status="published" publish_date="" class="" id="" link_color="" link_hover_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="100px" padding_left="" gradient_start_color="" gradient_end_color="" gradient_start_position="0" gradient_end_position="100" gradient_type="linear" radial_direction="center center" linear_angle="180" background_color="" background_image="https://www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Salad-leaves-001-Cw.jpeg" background_position="left center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="fixed" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" background_blend_mode="none" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" video_preview_image="" filter_hue="0" filter_saturation="100" filter_brightness="100" filter_contrast="100" filter_invert="0" filter_sepia="0" filter_opacity="100" filter_blur="0" filter_hue_hover="0" filter_saturation_hover="100" filter_brightness_hover="100" filter_contrast_hover="100" filter_invert_hover="0" filter_sepia_hover="0" filter_opacity_hover="100" filter_blur_hover="0"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" spacing="" center_content="no" hover_type="none" link="" min_height="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="left top" undefined="" background_repeat="no-repeat" border_size="0" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" padding_top="600px" padding_right="0px" padding_bottom="0px" padding_left="0px" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset="" last="no"][fusion_separator style_type="none" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" sep_color="" top_margin="0px" bottom_margin="0px" border_size="" icon="" icon_circle="" icon_circle_color="" width="" alignment="center" /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container admin_label="" hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="50px" padding_left=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" spacing="" center_content="no" hover_type="none" link="" min_height="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="left top" undefined="" background_repeat="no-repeat" border_size="0" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset="" last="no"][fusion_title title_type="text" rotation_effect="bounceIn" display_time="1200" highlight_effect="circle" loop_animation="off" highlight_width="9" highlight_top_margin="0" before_text="" rotation_text="" highlight_text="" after_text="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" content_align="center" size="2" font_size="" animated_font_size="" fusion_font_family_title_font="" fusion_font_subset_title_font="" fusion_font_variant_title_font="" line_height="" letter_spacing="" margin_top="100px" margin_bottom="0px" margin_top_mobile="40px" margin_bottom_mobile="" text_color="" animated_text_color="" highlight_color="" style_type="none" sep_color="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset=""] Bring On The Greens! [/fusion_title][fusion_separator style_type="single solid" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" sep_color="#8bc34a" top_margin="0px" bottom_margin="20px" border_size="2" icon="" icon_circle="" icon_circle_color="" width="30px" alignment="center" /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" overlay_color="" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" padding_right=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" min_height="" hover_type="none" link=""][fusion_text] Red campion (Silene dioica) has seeded itself in the terraces. Performing an exquisite double act with Iris sibirica, how does it find the exact perfect backdrop to set itself down? I will enjoy it there until the blooms start to wither and then it will be whipped out quicker than you can say "Oh my, you have a terrace FULL of red campion and nothing else can grow." It is pretty but in the wilder areas of the garden it's also rampant. Still on the terraces I'm loving this mix at the moment as well: Geum 'Apricot Delight', Carex comans ‘Milk Chocolate’, Cerastium tomentosum (Snow in Summer) and, soaring up from the level below, Phormium 'Pink Panther'. And a stinging nettle. Doh. Only just noticed that.. The garden does its own thing whether I like it or not. This Spring has happened in so much of a rush things have bloomed together that normally never would. Two inherited azaleas. Wham. Very Christopher Lloyd. If you weren't fully awake by this point on the morning tour of inspection you certainly would be now. One at a time is vibrant enough. So what of the Greens? Greens of the vegetable variety. Changes are afoot. One of the first projects we took on after moving here was to construct two very large raised beds, approx 7m long and 1.2m wide, set into the hillside. For the first few years I used them to grow vegetables but increasingly the ornamentals moved in as the beds became a safe haven for cuttings, seedlings and, hard as it may be to imagine, all those plant fair impulse purchases that didn't have an immediate home. The plan has always been to revert them back to veggie beds. I'd intended to relocate the ornamentals gradually over the course of this year, distributing them out across the garden but mainly into the newly built greenhouse terraced borders. Then along came the virus, a Dig for Victory spirit swept across the country and a few packets of seed later it had me firmly in its grip. Along with home baking. Except that I still can't get any yeast. Or flour. You? My veggie growing space is limited by how quickly I can shift the remaining ornamentals but I'm getting there, about a sixth of it cleared so far. It'll be a gentle reintroduction this year. I've started off with salad leaves and herbs but as we progress through the season peas and beans will follow on, with broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale and squash bringing up the rear. Tomatoes, cucumber and melons are already taking over in the greenhouse. In our continuing self isolation it will be even more of a pleasure than usual to have stuff to eat that is minutes or less from being picked. Planting has become a job of mammoth proportions and it isn't limited to clearing the raised beds. Virtually everything here in the pot ghetto has been raised from seed or split from existing stock. The sooner they get in the ground the sooner I can get my evenings back from the never ending trundle with the watering can. And on top of that, as the nights have turned unseasonably chilly this week, the back breaking shuffle in and out of cover with trays of the more tender plants. But I can't complain. In my favourite month of May the borders are just coming into their own. Astrantia 'Roma' and Persicaria bistorta 'Superba'. Cirsium rivulare 'Atropurpureum' Itoh Peony 'Pastel Splendor', back for another year and absolutely smothered in flowers. Itoh Peony 'Pastel Splendor' Grass of the moment: Deschampsia flexuosa 'Tatra Gold' A diminutive species, just 40cm or so high with brilliant lime green foliage. Perfect for edging. And finally for now, pampered in the cold frame for most of the winter Tulbaghia montana has rewarded me with multiple flower stems this year. The flowers open in clusters, each bloom barely a centimetre long but fully deserving of close inspection. It hails from the Drakensberg in South Africa and therefore needs a well drained sunny position. Much like its owner as it happens.. Stay safe x [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

[fusion_builder_container admin_label="" hundred_percent="yes" hundred_percent_height="no" hundred_percent_height_scroll="no" hundred_percent_height_center_content="yes" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" status="published" publish_date="" class="" id="" link_color="" link_hover_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="100px" padding_left="" gradient_start_color="" gradient_end_color="" gradient_start_position="0" gradient_end_position="100" gradient_type="linear" radial_direction="center center" linear_angle="180" background_color="" background_image="https://www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Crab-Apple-005-Cw.jpeg" background_position="left center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="fixed" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" background_blend_mode="none" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" video_preview_image="" filter_hue="0" filter_saturation="100" filter_brightness="100" filter_contrast="100" filter_invert="0" filter_sepia="0" filter_opacity="100" filter_blur="0" filter_hue_hover="0" filter_saturation_hover="100" filter_brightness_hover="100" filter_contrast_hover="100" filter_invert_hover="0" filter_sepia_hover="0" filter_opacity_hover="100" filter_blur_hover="0"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" spacing="" center_content="no" hover_type="none" link="" min_height="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="left top" undefined="" background_repeat="no-repeat" border_size="0" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" padding_top="600px" padding_right="0px" padding_bottom="0px" padding_left="0px" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset="" last="no"][fusion_separator style_type="none" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" sep_color="" top_margin="0px" bottom_margin="0px" border_size="" icon="" icon_circle="" icon_circle_color="" width="" alignment="center" /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container admin_label="" hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="50px" padding_left=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" spacing="" center_content="no" hover_type="none" link="" min_height="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="left top" undefined="" background_repeat="no-repeat" border_size="0" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset="" last="no"][fusion_title title_type="text" rotation_effect="bounceIn" display_time="1200" highlight_effect="circle" loop_animation="off" highlight_width="9" highlight_top_margin="0" before_text="" rotation_text="" highlight_text="" after_text="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" content_align="center" size="2" font_size="" animated_font_size="" fusion_font_family_title_font="" fusion_font_subset_title_font="" fusion_font_variant_title_font="" line_height="" letter_spacing="" margin_top="100px" margin_bottom="0px" margin_top_mobile="40px" margin_bottom_mobile="" text_color="" animated_text_color="" highlight_color="" style_type="none" sep_color="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset=""] Heavy Lifting [/fusion_title][fusion_separator style_type="single solid" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" sep_color="#8bc34a" top_margin="0px" bottom_margin="20px" border_size="2" icon="" icon_circle="" icon_circle_color="" width="30px" alignment="center" /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" overlay_color="" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" padding_right=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" min_height="" hover_type="none" link=""][fusion_text] Tulipa 'Peppermint Stick' What about this weather eh? It's been more like summer here in England this week. To be honest I could have done with more than the dribble of rain received over the weekend but I'm not going to complain. Not when you think what April is normally like in good old Blighty. And it can't be bad to find yourself delving into the far reaches of the wardrobe for a pair of shorts this early in the year. Magnolia laevifolia But lest you were thinking that my absence (again) was down to a further (successful) search for the Pimms bottle, no, it's been a couple of weeks of decidedly hard graft. I'm determined that, with little else in the diary to distract, this year the garden will be dragged back into shape. No excuses. And April is the perfect time to shift stuff around. I love doing this. Well, perhaps not so much the doing. It's bloomin' heavy work. But it is so very satisfying to see plants revelling in perhaps a more favourable position than was chosen for them the first time around, mingling seductively with a more companionable set of neighbours, all the while reducing the very large gap between the grandiose vision in the gardener's mind and the hard reality as it exists on the ground. Agapanthus 'Zachary' And of course if I'd done it last year it wouldn't have been half so bad. Some perennial rootballs can grow to frightening proportions. Agapanthus, in particular, has big fleshy roots. Dividing it is a job and a half. So is hauling it from the bottom of the hill to the top and the wheelbarrow had to be deployed. It would also have been better done earlier in the month when the new growth wasn't quite so lush. But it looks OK so far. Perhaps I got away with it. Lysimachia clethroides This was given to me as a gift by a very kind friend two or three years ago and by the time I came to dig it up the clump had spread to one and a half metres wide. I kid you not. Relocated and with extra space to allow for further growth it's now given me two drifts each covering at least a metre square. So it's a bit of a thug and does need a large border but as it's all about covering earth here at the moment it fits the bill perfectly. Lysimachia clethroides, the goose neck loosestrife. An archive shot. And yes, the picture is the right way up! Of course excavating on such a major scale is not without its attendant dangers, quite apart from the damage inflicted to the poor gardener's back. I also had to call for reinforcements and a pipe rejoining kit when I came across a hole in the large bore (main) irrigation pipe. Two holes actually. As it happens, the exact same distance apart as two tines of a garden fork. Is it stretching credibility too far to blame the mice again? Olearia x scilloniensis A half price bargain from an autumn plant sale finds a home in a newly vacated patch of earth. Acer palmatum dissectum 'Garnet' Late afternoon, as the sun drops behind the trees, is a wonderful time to be in the woodland. The acers, planted at various times over the last few years, are coming into their own now. The Spring display with its fresh new foliage is easily as delightful as the autumn flush of colour. Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Emerald Lace' Acer shirasawanum 'Moonrise' Arisaema sikokianum I have to admit this one was something of an indulgence. A not insignificant outlay last Spring of £15 for just one small tuber (let's whisper it). But the way I look at it is this. As it has successfully bloomed for a second year in a row the pleasure it has brought has cost me just £7.50 on a per annum basis. And next year, assuming an equally dramatic resurgence, it will be cheaper still. Polygonatum multiflorum At the other end of the budget spectrum, I inherited Soloman's Seal. Therefore it's cost me nothing for the last ten years. Does that mean I enjoy it any less? Euphorbia 'Black Pearl' 'Tis the season for euphorbia, plants that I’ve come to love for their wonderful structural quality. And the fact that nothing eats them! This one has the same glorious punch of acid lime green as all the rest, but with a difference. I'm a total sucker for anything black. Cornus canadensis Reliable ground cover for moist dappled shade. Better in soil on the acidic side. Rhododendron luteum Tulipa acuminata My favourite tulip. Mike prefers the one at the top of the post. But then, when did we ever agree. Both are species tulips so will happily return next year. Less work.. I can vote for that. And finally.. Marching down the lawn in the soft evening light, fresh from their over wintering grounds in the shed. Second from the right, Snooty Duck, head held permanently high after that very unfortunate incident with the mower.. Onwards. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

[fusion_builder_container admin_label="" hundred_percent="yes" hundred_percent_height="no" hundred_percent_height_scroll="no" hundred_percent_height_center_content="yes" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" status="published" publish_date="" class="" id="" link_color="" link_hover_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="100px" padding_left="" gradient_start_color="" gradient_end_color="" gradient_start_position="0" gradient_end_position="100" gradient_type="linear" radial_direction="center center" linear_angle="180" background_color="" background_image="https://www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Plant-creche-002-Cw.jpeg" background_position="left center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="fixed" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" background_blend_mode="none" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" video_preview_image="" filter_hue="0" filter_saturation="100" filter_brightness="100" filter_contrast="100" filter_invert="0" filter_sepia="0" filter_opacity="100" filter_blur="0" filter_hue_hover="0" filter_saturation_hover="100" filter_brightness_hover="100" filter_contrast_hover="100" filter_invert_hover="0" filter_sepia_hover="0" filter_opacity_hover="100" filter_blur_hover="0"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" spacing="" center_content="no" hover_type="none" link="" min_height="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="left top" undefined="" background_repeat="no-repeat" border_size="0" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" padding_top="600px" padding_right="0px" padding_bottom="0px" padding_left="0px" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset="" last="no"][fusion_separator style_type="none" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" sep_color="" top_margin="0px" bottom_margin="0px" border_size="" icon="" icon_circle="" icon_circle_color="" width="" alignment="center" /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container admin_label="" hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="50px" padding_left=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" spacing="" center_content="no" hover_type="none" link="" min_height="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="left top" undefined="" background_repeat="no-repeat" border_size="0" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset="" last="no"][fusion_title title_type="text" rotation_effect="bounceIn" display_time="1200" highlight_effect="circle" loop_animation="off" highlight_width="9" highlight_top_margin="0" before_text="" rotation_text="" highlight_text="" after_text="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" content_align="center" size="2" font_size="" animated_font_size="" fusion_font_family_title_font="" fusion_font_subset_title_font="" fusion_font_variant_title_font="" line_height="" letter_spacing="" margin_top="100px" margin_bottom="0px" margin_top_mobile="40px" margin_bottom_mobile="" text_color="" animated_text_color="" highlight_color="" style_type="none" sep_color="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset=""] Hope Springs Eternal [/fusion_title][fusion_separator style_type="single solid" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" sep_color="#8bc34a" top_margin="0px" bottom_margin="20px" border_size="2" icon="" icon_circle="" icon_circle_color="" width="30px" alignment="center" /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" overlay_color="" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" padding_right=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" min_height="" hover_type="none" link=""][fusion_text] Mornin' Ptolemy.. It's THAT time of year. When a male pheasant stakes out his territory and then aggressively defends it. The sound of a rival always elicits the same response. The bird will raise himself up to full height and state of alert, sticking out the tufts behind each ear. To reinforce his claim he'll squawk loudly with much flapping of wings from a standing position. Or should I say.. almost standing. Wing flapping can be executed with so much enthusiasm I've witnessed Mr P almost topple over. Tricky if you happen to be perched on a precipice at the time. As here. I was quite pleased with the photo though, given that it was taken on full zoom through a (very) dirty window and in poor light. The landscaping is complete. During the last couple of sunny days the soil has even started to dry out. Over the next few weeks we'll start to break up the larger clods of earth. Once it has settled and the tilth is fine enough it can be seeded to grass. The Digger Man managed to haul himself out in the end. It was touch and go but it's truly amazing what these machines can do. He rammed the long arm and its bucket into the ground behind him and used it as an extra lever to force himself up the hill. All went well until the digger reached the house. The kitchen is in a single storey extension and the gutters are particularly low. It was clear he wasn't going to make it. We'd tried building up the ground to one side of the path with concrete blocks but it still wasn't enough room for him to swing around. The only way left to go? Take the roof off the digger. Well of course. It took all three of us to lift it. The new terraced walls, complete but for a short return at the near end to border a set of steps down to the lower level. And behold! Planting has occurred. There is a little more digging over and mulch spreading to be done but, importantly, there is a lot we can now progress with on our own. It seems increasingly likely that the UK, alongside many other European nations, will be put into lockdown. To be honest we've elected to do this chez duck ahead of the game, given the prevailing spirit of official procrastination. Neither of us can claim to be a spring chicken any more and there really is no point in taking risks. Shopping is still delivered to the gate albeit the process isn't as smooth as once it was. Hopefully we won't have shot ourselves in the foot for refusing to panic buy. Well OK then, apart from the compost.. Clematis alpina 'Frances Rivis' As gardeners most of us are fortunate to have our own private green space to relax in and, of course, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it is Spring. Last year this clematis had been engulfed by an overly rampant honeysuckle. This year the honeysuckle is gone and I've been suitably rewarded. The clematis is covered in blooms. Some of the hellebores planted years ago are bulking up nicely too. The problem I have currently, the one that I can at least control in some respects, is the perennial one of undercover space. The Great Spring Pot Migration has begun. It all has to take place in a particular order: 1. Mike removes the scaffolding boards and other assorted building related detritus from the dumping ground in front of the shed. 2. Hardier plants that have overwintered in a sheltered sunken area at the side of the house are moved to the cleared area in front of the shed (above). These will get planted as soon as I have the right spot available. 3. Plants previously nestled in two cold frames in that same sheltered area are evicted out into the cold, into the space occupied by those aforementioned in 2. Tough love. But I'm sure they'll cope. 4. The more tender plants which overwintered in the cold frame attached to the greenhouse move into one or other of the cold frames mentioned in 3. 5. From the greenhouse, cuttings and strongly growing seedlings move into the newly vacant space in the integral cold frame. This can borrow off some of the greenhouse heat via a flap in the wall thus starting the process of hardening off. 6. And thus, at last, I have space to prick out more seedlings and sow more seeds on the greenhouse staging. Albeit not a lot of space. Phew. Until next week when the pot shuffle will have to start over again. Oh to have room for a polytunnel. Helleborus 'Penny's Pink' My precious Banksia blechnifolia. It has survived the winter and is putting up baby leaves. To me they look like something straight out of 'Alien'. It would be fantastic to get a bloom off this some day in the distant future but in the meantime the foliage alone makes me smile. Arisaema sikokianum And finally, another of my more extravagant purchases from a Spring plant fair last year. (Remember them?) Now soaring out of the ground like a middle finger punching the air. Defiance. Hope. Please keep safe x [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]