It’s that time of the week again, where a community of gardeners put pen to paper for their top six on Saturday.
If you want to see things salad and vegetable related, pop over to see the YouTube update for this week … https://youtu.be/na2AtHTIUDg
In the meantime, let’s get started with the Tulips caught in early morning light during the week. The picture speaks for itself really, a blaze of colour and fantastic sun. What more could we ask for … apart from strawberries and cream … and maybe tea too … Lol.
Next up is the burning colour of Acer ‘Orange Dream. Now the foliage of this Acer is just as good as any flower for interest as the fresh growth emerges and I cannot recommend it more. This one is growing in a container, and is probably about 12 years old at this point.
Having some time off during the week, I got stuck into this Hemerocallis, or day lily, bed. As the lovely fresh growth emerged, so too did the weeds and all sorts of other undesirables. So at this point, it’s been weeded and mulched along with a little step over wavin fence I made from some upright bamboo canes with woven through with the softer canes of Miscanthus. Wait for the blaze of colour from these a little later in !
My fourth picture is from some bed more bed tidying I did on site, only this time it was over where the lavenders are growing. While the weeds weren’t quite as bad as the Hemerocallis bed, the lavenders had a lot of last year’s flower stems still on them that needed to be tidied. It was a very pleasantly scented job to do …
Of course we couldn’t be in April without mentioning seeds. It’s full steam ahead sowing and pricking out lots of flowers, vegetables and anything else I can get my hands on. In this photo, I’m just about to transplant more sweet pea into toilet paper pots, with good compost that I’m enriching with fish, blood and bone.
My last photo is of my helper from during the week. With only a little coaxing, she picked up the secateurs (or pruning clippers as some call it) and got to work on the Miscanthus canes, that were later used for the small step over wavin fence. Always grateful for the assistance given 😊
So that’s my lot for this week. All that remains is to say thank you to people for the chats and comments on here. All the best for the week ahead.
Happy Gardening, Hugh
hughcassidy 
A nice overview of your garden as usual … The sweet peas grow well and I will do like you soon with the toilet rolls. How much cm/in do you space between each?
When they’re in their toilet rolls I have them very close. Once planted I space them about 6 inches apart 😃
Thanks, I will follow your advice ( all mine are 3 cm high : good seeds ! 👍 )
Hi Hugh, liked the look of the woven fence by the day Lily bed. Did you grow the miscahthus yourself? I have one in my vegetable garden made from hazel branches cropped from our wood, couldn’t get more local and native. Very satisfying. Are you tempted to grow anything up it?
Yes, homegrown and as local as it gets 😃
Hadn’t thought about growing anything along it – food for thought ! Enjoy the weekend 👋🏼☀️
Oh, Hugh, your tulips look gorgeous! DO you remember the varieties? Lovely to see such a smiley helper in the garden!
Thanks Ali, yes, have the cards that came with the bulbs so will pop these up for you. And yes, we were chatting away doing the work. Lovely to have the company 😊
I never thought about using the miscanthus canes in that way. Great idea.
Thanks Mala 😊👋🏼
I love the wavin fence, and I have miscanthus growing, so I might give it a try myself. And your tulips! Glorious photo with the sun alighting on them like that.
Thanks Jane, yes, the Tulips are so great in colour. Do try using the Miscanthus, even if I only get this season from it, I’ll be happy 😊
Now why didn’t I think of putting my daylilies into a single bed? It would have saved me all the walking around the garden taking care of the daydeadheading! 😉 That fence will bring the colours out beautifully too. You have a very extravagent seed “tin”. I looked at one a few weeks back, thinking there was finally a seed box on the market that was big enough for the average gardener’s seed stock. However I unlooked when I saw the price! I hope you paid your helper the going rate.
Your Acer ‘Orange Dream’ is looking great – I’ve got an identical plant in a pot in the garden, although mine isn’t quite as old as yours!
Thanks Paddy, they are beautiful trees to have
Beautiful selection from your garden. It’s great seeing everything come along and to hear what everyone is up to. Plenty of weeding for me today!
Thanks, yes, lots of weeding here too.
I could do with a helper. Where’s mine? I have a hinderer.