The legacy of having taken over a garden that has been largely unkempt for almost twenty years is rapidly becoming apparent. Following a few weeks of ideal growing conditions, alternating days of sun and showers, the woodland has quickly turned into a jungle. By mid May, I can’t even see the stream, let alone reach it. Everything is green now and full of life: that is the good news. The bad news is that the whole garden is fast becoming entirely unmanageable.
Most dramatic this month, are the two ancient Tibetan tree peonies in the courtyard. Enormous swathes of green foliage covered in exquisite buttercup-yellow single flowers. They look absolutely stunning! All around, there are herbaceous plants pushing their way up through the dark earth: euphorbias, perennial geraniums, ferns, columbine and masses of ladies mantle. It is fascinating to watch these plants emerge from the undergrowth knowing that they have survived many years of total neglect. Such plants demonstrate incredible hardiness and adaptability since they have been able to withstand complete abandonment. They also provide a very accurate clue as to the type of species, which will prosper and thrive in this part of Wales with its damp acidic soil.
In the courtyard overhanging the wall, the miniature New-Zealand plant, Parahebe lyalii is also beginning to flower. It is absolute gem since it has pretty evergreen foliage, an attractive tumbling structure and just flowers and flowers with masses of delicate white blooms all summer long from May onwards and often right into winter. It seems to tolerate sun or even quite deep shade and is also very easy to multiply by taking rooted offshoots. I discovered the virtues and benefits of this humble plant in a previous garden of mine, where I used it as an edging. Now it is clearly happy in it’s new home in Wales (it apparently likes a damp, woodland setting) having used imported offshoot cuttings to get it started. The erythroniums that I planted in the autumn, on the other hand, are not doing at all well and continue to be attacked by the slugs and snails which live in the wall.
Most satisfying this month is seeing all my seedlings growing up. I have over one hundred verbena to be potted on. They germinated extremely well in their seed trays by the window. The yellow verbascums, which I love to mix with grasses, have also germinated well, as have aquilegia, flax, grasses and white foxgloves. No success with the Tibetan blue poppy though … I think the seeds must have got too hot by the window. I will try again next year!