A sensitive gardener?
Darmera Flowering
As a reasonably sensitive gardener I like to think that I can 'look after' the plants I love. The Darmera which grows waterside in the Henhouse Gardens has been smothered by Carexes. Last spring I didn't see any flowers. Help!
Thursday 23rd July
I have been soooo good today. Rain is forecast for the weekend, so I've spent nearly four hours spent spreading horse manure, collecting dry mess for the bonfire, and trimming down a species Phormium (another one which had got too big). Have also been collecting firewood logs which had been left underneath the Leyland hedge. Very sensible!
My bonfire outside is glowing in the dark, and inside my log-burner is busy burning those logs. A great end to a great day.
Friday July 24th
I am back from Chamber Music and a routine visit to my doctor. Right. I am giving myself two hours in the water race to rescue the Darmera. This photograph below shows how beautiful the foliage should be. It was taken about twenty years ago, when Rusty the red border collie was with us.
Dog in the Darmera
Just checked its root system. Darmera spreads by horizontal rhizomes. So if I stand in the water and slice underneath the Carex with my spade, I should be able to get at the rhizomes.
Two hours later...
Yes. Done. All sorted. I removed two barrowloads of Carex, roots and all. The rhizomes were easy to extricate from the mess, and I've just laid them on top of the wet, silty soil for now. I'm pretty sure Darmera likes being thought of as a marginal.
Said it needed doing - and did it!
So often in this journal I bleat on about something that needs doing, then promptly forget all about it. Not this time!
Hercule Poirot...
Regarding my latest obsession (watching David Suchet's Hercule Poirot) - there are seventy episodes. I've started back at the very beginning, so I don't miss out any. Oh joy! So exciting! Am only up to number three. Hmm...