Spring
Those of you who are kind enough to take an interest in Veddw Trials and Tribulations will no doubt have been having sleepless nights wondering what has become of the Grasses Parterre since we removed all the box hedges. If the removal is news to you, you can break your heart over it here.
It does occur to me that it may be a bad idea telling you all about our problems instead of incessantly talking us up, which I note is the more usual approach to a blog on a garden which opens to the public. It may be costing us visitors. What to do? I do hope all other garden strugglers can take heart from our struggles though, and know that not all gardens are actually lovely in all parts 24/7. And may yet still be worth a visit. But perhaps next time I’ll take you on a highlights tour.
Meanwhile you may be wondering whether the grasses did emerge through the mulch?
Well, it was a rather miserable spring, cold and slow. And, yes, the grasses did emerge! – here’s the Miscanthus today:
And more recently
Dawn, our wonderful volunteer, has been putting great effort into the revival and new life of this part of the garden. Weeding and planting, planting and weeding…She doesn’t really know it but I have begun to think of the Grasses Parterre as her very own special project.
She has planted new grasses and crocosmia:
And weeded and planted endlessly elsewhere. I have another similar patch (though currently full of chaos and weeds) waiting for Dawn’s magic touch on her visit next week. Hope she’s up for it.
Losing the Box Hedges:
I’m still not sure about the effect of losing the hedges. There are so many different perspectives. The view from across the valley is now, I think, a pleasure again. Though it will be more of one when the hedges round the outside grow.
The view as you come into the garden is probably dominated by the beech and the yew hedges in the bottom?
I have no idea whether anyone else is actually walking in amongst the grasses apart from ourselves, so I don’t know whether this aspect is an addition to the garden. Some of the paths are very steep – a deer visibly slid on one path. (ha!)
There are also views from the paths, perhaps especially the central path.
I do think just grasses, massed, may be a bit dull. So I am adding moregrass like plants, irises and crocosmia, to create a bit of oomph. The crocosmia Lucifer was already there.
Because I needed a lot of plants I bought several new crocosmia as corms. I wasn’t sure what to do with them when they arrived, as the idea of just sticking the little brown things in the ground seemed quite reckless. So feeling rather foolish, as I often do in the gardening game, I stuck them in seed trays. And there they happily popped up and a few months later Dawn was putting the small plants where they were intended to live. And a little later still they are looking (fingers crossed) very happy.
I also got some bare root sibirica, which have also grown nicely, in pots this time. They may be planted soon too.
Result?
So perhaps the loss of the box hedges will not just be awful. Some of the grasses have yet to flower, and this year they may look great in the winter and last winter can be forgotten. There are perhaps too many different perspectives and views, and too many different plants, for me to really make an overall assessment of the changes.
You must come and judge for yourselves – and let me know.
It is really exciting to see these photos and to see how the grass parterre is developing. Yes, the hedge around the exterior will be a big plus, framing the area and adding focus to what could otherwise feel too loose. It’s too early to be sure but the one photo that shows crocosmia and a wispy grass inflorescence makes me yearn for lots and lots more crocosmia.
What is in the final photo, apart from a ladybug?
I seem to acquire more and more crocosmia – they are such a fantastic burst of late colours. The ladybird was on (in?) the seed head of a clematis montana. Good catch, I thought!
A stunning catch of ladybug and clematis. bravo!
Thank you! (Takes a bow..)
You have been through a lot, I admire your perserverance and positiveness. All the best!
Thank you!
Don’t stop detailing your disasters. They are helpful to others struggling to build a garden. When we were creating our Leicestershire garden in the 1990s I loved Monty Don’s column in the Observer about his garden. In those days he chronicled how they made mistakes or bad things happened and how sometimes they had to rework things. It was comforting to know that this was normal in developing a garden. So promote the successes but please don’t ignore the problems.
Thank you – I’m very glad that my accounts are helpful. My doubt is whether I may be deterring prospective visitors, and that, I can’t tell. I was warned once by a friend in business to never say anything negative and it’s a rule I’ve just ignored. I think you are right – the answer may be to promote the successes!