Firstly, apologies for the very long post. Past experience tells me that if I don’t say it now then I’ll never bother to as has happened many times before.
So, I paid Dobbies a visit yesterday…
I planned to spend nothing, or rather to only spend a few pounds on the odd thing if I found it…
Hmmmmmmmm, funny how plans don’t always happen as you may wish isn’t it?
On our way there I asked my mum what she planned on getting, her reply was:
“Nothing, I’m not buying anything.”
“Really? So why did you come all this way?” I replied
“Because you wanted to, and we’re coming for a nice cup of tea.”
Hmmmm thinks I, feeling bad that I’ve put her out.
Funny how her plan didn’t quite happen like that either!
Naturally she attempted to blame me, yet I only encouraged her to buy one thing! (On buy one get one free, so it was a good deal!)
Well, some deals were too good, like £6 plants reduced to £1! So even though they’re nearly dead, I can wait until next year to fully enjoy them…
I did manage to get some plants I actually intended on, some Cyclamen and Violas for winter colour, but somehow other plants managed to also find their way into our trolley, I have no idea how they got there though. I just have to hope the Fox doesn’t empty all my pots again.
Sadly I’ve had to make the decision to completely stop them coming into the garden… So sometime over the next few months I’ll be buying chicken wire to put across the entry points, a few days ago he emptied some of the pots again, it’s becoming so frustrating now to find my pots ripped up that I might as well not have any at all. But as some are nice, glazed or modern stainless steel pots I want to actually use them!
I do like to see them, and it is nice to know there are some living so close, I’ll always enjoy that but having only three lilies survive in pots that should be full of various bulbs and other plants really just isn’t on. Last winter I regularly found my cyclamen ripped out and on the tier, what a waste of money, they never even got the chance to attempt to get their roots in.
The blue pot is his favourite to target…
So, I paid Dobbies a visit yesterday…
I planned to spend nothing, or rather to only spend a few pounds on the odd thing if I found it…
Hmmmmmmmm, funny how plans don’t always happen as you may wish isn’t it?
On our way there I asked my mum what she planned on getting, her reply was:
“Nothing, I’m not buying anything.”
“Really? So why did you come all this way?” I replied
“Because you wanted to, and we’re coming for a nice cup of tea.”
Hmmmm thinks I, feeling bad that I’ve put her out.
Funny how her plan didn’t quite happen like that either!
Naturally she attempted to blame me, yet I only encouraged her to buy one thing! (On buy one get one free, so it was a good deal!)
Well, some deals were too good, like £6 plants reduced to £1! So even though they’re nearly dead, I can wait until next year to fully enjoy them…
I did manage to get some plants I actually intended on, some Cyclamen and Violas for winter colour, but somehow other plants managed to also find their way into our trolley, I have no idea how they got there though. I just have to hope the Fox doesn’t empty all my pots again.
Sadly I’ve had to make the decision to completely stop them coming into the garden… So sometime over the next few months I’ll be buying chicken wire to put across the entry points, a few days ago he emptied some of the pots again, it’s becoming so frustrating now to find my pots ripped up that I might as well not have any at all. But as some are nice, glazed or modern stainless steel pots I want to actually use them!
I do like to see them, and it is nice to know there are some living so close, I’ll always enjoy that but having only three lilies survive in pots that should be full of various bulbs and other plants really just isn’t on. Last winter I regularly found my cyclamen ripped out and on the tier, what a waste of money, they never even got the chance to attempt to get their roots in.
The blue pot is his favourite to target…
See, one lone sad Lily and a tiny viola… The Green one on the right also gets attacked but the Primula Vialii must have good roots because he’s not yet dug it out…
Now, on to my bounty…
Brachycome
Dahlia, I have never bought Dahlia’s before and I’ve never been particularly taken with them, but the friend to this one was just too stunning…
Stunning!
Viola’s for the hanging basket
Cyclamen that, hopefully this year will survive…
Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' black lilyturf… Now I’m having difficulty deciding where/how to plant this. Initially it was to go on the tier amongst the white pebbles/flint to create a nice contrast. But then it would also look fantastic in my large steel (empty) plant pot that Mr Fox has recently ripped up. The black of the leaves combined with white cyclamen would look amazing. Then as the iris and bluebells come up next spring, it’ll still look stunning.
Which would you go for?
Even this Coreopsis looks amazing next to the black lilyturf…
Some of the Scabious has gone to seed… I ought to collect some for next year…
Today has been spent outside weeding the back border under the bird feeders and cutting the hedges. The hedge at the back is getting far too high and only by cutting it have I realised just how dark things were because of it!
It’s not actually my hedge, but I know those behind me are elderly… Last year a relative must’ve cut it for them, but this year I haven’t yet heard the relative mowing the lawn nor their children playing in the garden… I figured if they didn’t want me cutting the hedge they’re more than welcome to come and tell me so, but as it is well over 6 foot already, I do have the right for it to be cut and since I don’t believe they are able to cut it, no doubt I have done them a favour.
They cannot see my house from their garden – I can’t see their lawn at all even from our upstairs windows and can only see one of their windows, so it’s not like it’s a privacy issue. Only occasionally have I seen an elderly lady out in the garden, throwing bread out for the birds, well I assume she’s elderly; I could only make out the top of a head with white/grey hair.
It’s a shame they don’t/can’t do more with their garden as it is huge, it’s the same as mine and my neighbour’s combined, and my neighbours must be double mine!
So yes, my arms are dead now – holding loppers at full stretch to get the furthest branches is hard work!
My mother phoned me to let me know about some chairs in B&Q that had been reduced from £60, to £40 and now to £15!!! Wow, they’re the lovely wide-seated ones with arms, so at that price I couldn’t say no – I have been looking for chairs/tables but decided against them because they’re non essential at the moment…
So now I have my own ‘throne’ very nice… I need to seal them though before I put them outside, so for now it’s by the kitchen door so I can pretend I’m outside :)
