As I write it is the middle of July and we are enjoying the longest and hottest heatwave since 1976, with temperatures of 30 degrees plus.
The searing sun and lack of water has taken its toll on my wild flower lawn and it is looking absolutely frazzled and a dreadful mess, the sight is truly testing my resolve of not mowing until the end of the month whilst the seed drops down. However early this morning I spied a bellowing of bullfinches feeding on the seed heads and who am I to deprive them of their food? No mowing yet then.
It is hard to appreciate in mid-summer that the season for choosing spring flowering bulbs will soon be upon us.
As with the fashion industry whereby models are sweltering in the latest winter fashions in the height of the summer heat, so we gardeners should be turning our thoughts as to where to pop in spring bulbs.
We are all familiar with the sight of borders filled with tulips, but try walking round your garden now whilst the perennials are still in flower and considering other types of bulbs that can be snuggled in under plants that will flower afterwards and hide the dying foliage of your bulbs.
How about a group of sunny yellow aconites to flower in February cosied in under the foliage of a group of hostas? Their large leaves will protect the corms in the summer so that your marauding border fork will not damage them.
Similarly crocus and the smaller narcissi, whilst they are wonderful in grass they could equally shine in your borders under the protective canopy of shrubs that come into flower later. There are many beautiful ones to choose from, Snow Baby, Angel’s Whisper, Sailboat, Thalia (I’m a sucker for a pretty name, and apologies to Mr WP Milner, whilst it is a very pretty narcissi, the name just does not do it for me).
Of course you could be very bold and plant a stately group of Fritillaria Imperialis.
These are the giants of the spring flowering bulbs with names to prove it; Aurora, Maxima Lutea, Imperialis Rubra Maxima. I have always yearned to plant a group of these and make a real statement with them but have never quite found the right spot to plant them. Maybe this will be the year I succeed in choosing just the right place.
What about finding a fabulous old dish or pot and planting it up with a decent sized group of hyacinths to flower around Christmas, don’t be penny pinching and plant the usual supermarket three, go for nine or even eleven and make a bold statement with them. How stunning they would look.
Or what about doing as the Victorian gardeners did for Christmas, and digging up a wodge of Lilly of the Valley to plant in a pot and then cover with moss, to bring on in time for Christmas day, what a wonderful sight that would be and the perfume would be sensational.
I end on a sad note.
No longer will we be able to pop in to Garden Scene Nursery in Chipperfield to choose our bulbs and seeds for spring. They are closing down due to their lease expiring and those greedy builders want the land for yet more houses.
As one of their employees who has worked in horticulture for over forty years told me today, the old fashioned garden centre with staff that actually look after the plants and know what they are talking about is dying on its feet.
The Thinking Gardener 