Warm Spring Days

Our temperatures reached 19C (66F) one day this week, and three other days were a pleasant 18C (64.4F). Some may find it amusing that here, on the west coast of Scotland, we consider 19C warm, but we’re used to cooler temperatures and like to make the most of warm, sunny Spring days when they finally arrive! Working and relaxing in the garden this week has been enjoyable. We’ve also had some much-needed rain to loosen up my clay soil. If I had any minor complaint it would be that the mix of sun and strong winds made it challenging to take photographs. In most cases, I waited for some light cloud cover – and here are my six choices for the first ‘Six on Saturday‘ of May.

Prunus ‘Kanzan’ is the perfect example of a wrongly placed tree. It’s at the back of the garden, surrounded by shrubs and other trees which means that I can’t get into its area to get photos when the blossom arrives. The main culprits are an old Syringa ‘Red Pixie’ that I’m planning to cut back, along with a very old and weak azalea that seldom flowers. The area needs breathing space – both shrubs might even be better removed and replaced with something else.

Continue reading “Warm Spring Days”

Six on Saturday 2020 28-03

We’ve had a couple of days of rain and cold winds this week, but in between showers I’ve managed to get into the garden and finally finish pruning, feeding & mulching the roses. Some seeds were sown, and new plants potted up. While I was doing that my husband was working his way around the borders, weeding and generally tidying up. Although there’s no tall growth in the borders yet, the garden is looking heaps smarter than it did last week.

Prunus ‘Mikinori’

This small tree has grown faster and taller than I expected, but it won’t outgrow the space that it’s in. I think it’s probably just over 7′ tall at Continue reading “Six on Saturday 2020 28-03”