A Quick Peek...

...at some of the succulents that didn't make it out of the greenhouse this year.

The top patio is once again home to a succulent display, similar to how we did it last year (albeit on 'steroids' this year, coming up on a post soon). And because we haven't really bought that many plants this year, at least compared to our usual rate of plant buying in previous years, I used a lot of what I had already to make the display.

Still a few didn't make it out for various reasons. Here's a quick peek:

Some of the succulents are either too small to be displayed this year, or extras that don't need to be out for now. As you can see at the middle shelf, we also have an excess stock of pots that didn't make it out this year.

After just saying we haven't bought that many plants, the above two photos are new purchases. I couldn't resist picking up the possibly Aloe ferox above because of its vivid red spines. Not that I need another one but it was hard to resist!

A closer look at some of our small succulents...

and finally...

The sole survivor of a batch of three. It's looking promising and has put on a lot of growth this summer. Aloe 'Hercules' - thanks Gerhard!

Mark :-)

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The Ones That Didn't Make It Out

Ahh summer, and the days of it that it's just nice not to do much out in the garden but laze around, drink lots of cold drinks, and have a barbecue...

Time for a little update on some of the ones who didn't make it out for display

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Very, Very Nice!

I managed to claim back some time owing from work today and got home early. Not much time at all, just over an hour but that was all that I needed today. I just needed to be home whilst there still some daylight around so I can shift some plant undercover as we are forecast a possible blanket of frost on Thursday early morning.And it seems that this will be a one off (for now) as from then onwards it looks like it's set to get a bit warmer again.

Since October has been on the whole mild and very good weather wise the shifting of some of our plants undercover has been very slow. Plus we're prioritising finishing off building the quarantine shed so we can store plants in it too (and have fun in it).

Winter population slowly building up

Also, as much as possible we prefer to leave out plants for as long as possible as they are better off outside rather than jammed altogether under glass the earliest possible we can do so. They will remain much healthier the longer they stay out as long as the weather remains mild enough for them.

Saying that I know time can be an issue too and storing plants becomes just a matter of when one can do it rather than when is the most ideal for them (which is often the last minute before a cold spell, or in the case of xerophytes to dry out sufficiently before that).

Its's all a balancing act of different factors but the dictum 'Store plants too early and you prolong their winter too' goes to mind each time autumn arrives.

Anyway so yes I utilised the extra hour early home to move some plants under glass. Fortunately there wasn't that much to move with urgency at all and most of the borderline ones can remain outside where they are for now, as they should be fine with short bouts of cold and frost on them.

The ones I had to move ASAP were the ones I personally call the 'mushy lot' - i.e not necessarily very tender but touch the leaves with ice and they turn to mush. Lots of succulents fall under this category and several leafy plants.

What about tender and tropical plants that are not only intolerant of any frost but of colder weather altogether? Well we don't really have any of those truly tender ones outdoors anymore to mollycuddle and drag in the house at the first sign of autumn. We used to but we have disposed of them gradually until none remains. The only tropical and very tender ones we have are the permanent houseplants which are in the sun room and third bedroom (most of the house are plant free).

So I've just almost unceremoniously shoved these 'mushy lot' under cover, closed the greenhouse doors, and tucked them to bed for now. Over the weekend we'll have more time to sort the plants out properly and with more thought so as to utilise the available space as efficiently as possible.

The 'mushy lot'

Since the clocks have changed and moved back we rarely get the chance to spend some time in the garden after work and are only able to do so during the weekend. Until the length of daylight gets significantly longer again we are mostly weekend gardening warriors.

So when I got home early and managed to do a bit of gardening, a rarity at the moment, I was reminded how nice it was to do so after work. It's to forget that sensation at the moment as our daily routines have changed now to adapt to the colder months.

I thought it was refreshing and invigorating, it felt like a treat! Like the odd cup of special coffee after work, or an aperitif before a meal, it was very, very nice!

Mark :-)

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It's Autumn Already? Really?

Despite having an early reminder that autumn is looming when we had a few chilly nights in August we quickly resumed back to summer mode once it warmed up again. And September hasn't been too bad either, with most of the month being on the sunny and dry side.

Curious fish looking at these succulents perched on the edge of their pond...

Most of the garden is still looking lush and exuberant but some plants are already changing leaf colour or are shedding them which are definite reminders that yes it's already autumn, more so than the date on the calendar.

Time has flown by so quick, where has the summer gone? I feel like I've barely featured our garden in the summer months. I haven't even revealed the new jungle veranda yet nor have shown photos of the fernery area of the jungle garden replanted with tree ferns. The thing is I haven't really taken that many photos of the garden (compared to previous years at least) looking at its leafy prime during the summer. Both of us just let ourselves get caught up tending or just enjoying being in the garden, often not remembering to take photos along the way. 

and more...

some were on the ground...

And now autumn is here and some plants are showing signs of of the shift of the season. And with some reluctance we both have to start thinking about preparing the garden for the cooler and colder months ahead.

We don't pack up our garden so quick, rather it's a gradual process and involves plenty of planning. It's not going to be hectic yet but there are things we have to start, like putting on new bubblewrap in the older of the two greenhouses for insulation.

They had to be taken out as we put on new bubblewrap insulation in the greenhouse

Bubblewrap doesn't last long and usually disintegrates due to UV exposure after two to three years hence needs regular replacing. The one that was on previously in this greenhouse started to crumble away last spring hence it had to be removed and last weekend it was finally replaced.

Twinkles tried to help

Voila, new bubblewrap in place!

With new bubblewrap now in place it is now ready to receive more succulents for storage during the winter. The greenhouse did have permanent residents during the summer but more will go in later on and by winter it will be jam packed. We haven't managed to trail in an electrical supply to it like it used to on previous years (it got cut off by the garden fire last year) so it will be heated once again by paraffin. Not keen on this form of heating as it emits soot but better than having no heating at all.

And they moved right back in again

So winter preparation has already begun in the garden. And I better take more photos in the next few days before autumn totally takes hold of the garden.

Mark :-)

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Greenhouse Tidy Up

One rainy day last week I took the time to tidy up the greenhouse down by the bottom of our garden. This is where most of our succulents live in the winter and with many of them out already acclimatising in the garden now is the perfect time to give it some spring cleaning.

Their home needs cleaning!

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NYBG Conservatory - Rainforest and Aquatic Plants

We finally had the chance to start sorting out the photos we took of our visit to New York Botanical Gardens last September and one of the highlights of which was our wander through the different sections of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.

This conservatory, a major landmark and considered to be the crown jewel of New York City houses the tender plant collection of the botanical gardens. The building itself was inspired from the Palm House at Kew Gardens as well as the Crystal Palace (which was destroyed in 1936 and was never rebuilt). The conservatory fell into disrepair in the 70's and needed some much needed major restoration which was then made possible by the generous donation of Enid A. Haupt, hence the conservatory being named after her once all restoration work was completed.

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Greenhouse Preparation

With winter fast approaching we needed to get the new greenhouse ready for its winter inhabitants. Normally we have prepared the garden for winter prior to now, but this year with builders, and our attention focussing on the house we had out it off until the last minute. 

As it was this morning

This Cycas revoluta spent the summer in the greenhouse, we actually thought it was dead earlier in the year, but
 it flushed late on in summer. Many of the new leaves were fused at the tips. I don't know the cause of this, we
will have to see if it does it next year.

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Greenhouse Update

It's that time of the year again when we have to start thinking about where to put plants away for the cold months ahead. The greenhouse at the bottom of our new garden (past the koi pond) will be the main home for those that will need some extra protection for it will be gently heated to keep it above freezing for the entire duration of winter. 

Nearly all have gained size and done well since the start of the summer

But before you gain entry you'll have to feed these fellas first...

We've got loads of plants and space is a premium so we better start thinking about how to position all of its winter residents to maximise use of its limited space. Which means lots of planning...

But before that I better take a look at what's there already.

It's pushed out some new growth so I'm hoping that this Yucca thompsoniana is re-rooting nicely

The photo betrays how blue the Nolina nelsonii at the front is.

Clockwise from lower left - Beccariophoenix alfredii, Chamaerops humilis var. cerifera, Chamaerops humilis, and a Cycas revoluta

Another one that is very blue in the greenhouse - Yucca schottii

and its neighbour Solanum pyracanthum

Whilst not looking one of our Agave montana has thrown out some variegation. To core it or not to encourage variegated offsets, that is the question... (sorry for the weeds!)

New growth that gladdens my heart - from a previously flowered and rootless Yucca rostrata

The current residents have pretty much stayed as they were since we've put them there at the start of the summer. We've barely had time to do any gardening recently and the most I've done here before was to give everyone a quick check that they are fine and watered as and when necessary. So far so good and a majority have done well despite the minimal attention we've given them. There were a few casualties and there are some weeding to do now but overall the residents are in a good state.

We lost nearly all of our power tools during the fire hence we weren't able to build any greenhouse staging in the past months. To be honest, lost tools or not I doubt we would have been able to build those stages anyway with our spare time severely preoccupied by the house renovation. So I'm pondering on just buying off the rack ones which I'm currently looking in to, seeing what's available out there that's sturdy but won't cost the earth either.

The vignette just outside the greenhouse - how many can you identify?

And speaking of lost tools, they have all been found again as replacements have been sent (and premium ones too, yay!) which means that once the house is done garden DIY can recommence.

And back to the greenhouse, apart from the staging we'll have to put some insulation in too, to keep the warmth inside and consequently reduce heating costs. Then once that's done we can start putting more plants in, all part of the big ritual of tucking the garden to bed for winter.

Mark :-)

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Greenhouse Complete at Last!

We have had quite a productive day in the garden, with the final glass reinstated into the greenhouse. With the glass finished we then gravelled the floor, saving time over paving stones and also felt like the right ground cover for in here.

As soon as the glass was in a few plants moved in, various yuccas, palms and other succulents, all of which will enjoy a blast of heat being under glass. Now that we can finally use this space we can also tidy up various plants dotted about the main part of the garden that needed a home which should help make the rest of the garden feel a lot more tidy and easy to work in.

So with this greenhouse built and the paving complete outside it we are half was through the "working area" project, with just low walls for the smaller greenhouse to build and then the quarantine pond inside.

Gaz

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A Greenhouse Reborn (x2)

Way back in 2011 we bought a greenhouse on Ebay which was intended to go up in our working area. Well finally this one has been built!

It has been built on a wall one concrete block tall (22.5cm / 9") tall. Whilst this is not a very high wall it does help give that extra head height in the greenhouse that will make quite a lot of difference to how useful and usable the space actually is.

This greenhouse is roughly 8'x10' and will be used to grow plants on as well as over winter them in the colder months, kept frost free with a small heater and lots of bubble insulation.

Some of the glass itself still needs to be put in, and I'll aim to finish that off over the next couple of days. However it will get a good scrub first to remove any of the old grime and dirt it had accumulated.

Outside we laid a small area of paving slabs, this will also be used to store plants, having a small space for all those plants in waiting should help keep the rest of the garden tidy.

The next project is the smaller greenhouse we moved last weekend, I have mentioned before that this one will be home to a small quarantine tank with a separate filtration system. Housing this in its own space keeps the fish, water and filtration completely separate and independent from the rest of the fish and ponds reducing any risk of cross contamination in the event of a problem with a fish.

As with much of what we do I plan out our intentions, firstly to make sure i know what I am doing but also it helps me explain my plans to Mark so we can agree on any changes or amendments needed. and the quarantine pond is no exception:

This is roughly what we are thinking, the image on the left is a cross section through the pond. This will be sunk slightly into the ground and then built up. The greenhouse itself will be raised up on blocks to give a more head height and space.

A filter (the blue box in the diagram) will be pump fed (the grey blob) and be housed on shelving over the pond. The idea is to keep the use of space as efficiently as possible whilst still getting a good volume of water in the pond itself. In the main koi pond the pond pump is fitted dry in-line with the pipework, however this one will have a submersible pond pump. The key requirement will be efficiency, and some of the new generation of pond pumps are far more efficient than they used to be, having a much lower power requirement than those of the past. On the main koi pond we opted for new "eco" pumps, although with the rate of change in technology there are now even more efficient pumps available.

The plan, as you can see from the second image the pond will take up about half of the floor space in this greenhouse (total size 8'x6')

With any luck we will get the base done for this greenhouse this coming weekend and can then fit the tank etc later this month.

Gaz

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Spring Greenhouse Review

Spring finally seems to have arrived and we have been able to check how the plants in our greenhouses have been doing. We have two at present, both are 8'x6' aluminium framed greenhouses, one is used for more arid plants and the other for the lush/leafy ones. We provide a little bit of heat to both greenhouses, keeping them just above zero Celsius - usually about 2 or 3C as a minimum. Through experience we have found that for the plants we want to over winter under glass this is just enough heat to prevent the pots from freezing. More tender plants are over wintered in the house, but we try not to have too many like that.

First up is the greenhouse in the working area next to the filter house for the new pond. This greenhouse will be moved in due time, but for now its home to the more leafy plants.

A selection of choice plants, Cussonia at the back, with an Illicium just in front on the left hand side and Cordyline stricta on the right hand side.

Schefflera delavayi 'oak leaf form', we have tried a hardy selection of this Schefflera outside for the last winter, and i'm pleased to say it has shown no problems from winter.

And on the other side a few more plants waiting their time to be planted out, including Fatsia polycarpa and small Schefflera taiwania. The young palm seedling in the lower left of the photo is a Butyagrus - the mule palm, a cross between a Butia and a Syagrus palm, there was hope at one point that this would be a hardy palm for the UK, however sadly this has proved not to be the case.

As I mentioned this particular greenhouse will be relocated within the working area, and will have a new function once it is moved. It will no longer be used for plants but will house a quarantine/treatment tank for our fish. This will allow us to quarantine any new fish before we introduce them to the pond - just in case any have an illness or parasite not spotted at the dealer. We wouldn't want to introduce any problems to our large pond. It will also allow us to remove a sick fish from the main pond so that it can be treated on its own. Hopefully there will not be too many sick fish, but it is worth thinking ahead just in case.

I'm sure you are thinking why would we give up greenhouse space, well, that's not quite the full story. Do you remember this blog when we collected a second hand greenhouse... This greenhouse will be erected in the working area to be our new 'lush greenhouse' and as its bigger at 8' by 10' it will allow us to grow on more plants over winter, or at least have them better spaced out. When we bought it I don't think we anticipated it would be in waiting for quite so long, so I will be pleased to finally build it. Both of the greenhouses will be built on low walls to give an increased head height making it more comfortable for us and also easier to house slightly larger plants.

The other greenhouse houses our arid plants, keeping them separate allows a different watering regime and helps to keep the humidity lower in this greenhouse.

Its been a tricky winter this year for the arid house, autumn was very wet, so potted plants had to be placed under glass whilst still quite damp, and then with the wet cool winter they stayed on the moist side. This was sadly fatal for a small number of plants, including all the Aeoniums Mark had propagated last summer to be used for this current years displays. Fortunately we are off to Cornwall next month, so will be able to pick up some replacements.

However despite a small number of losses, the vast majority of plants are looking good after their winter holiday into the arid house.

Once the spring weather arrives it is always nice to see plants move back out to their summer homes, allowing us to give the greenhouses a good spring clean and undertake any maintenance needed. Of course they never become totally empty and will be home to plants we are propagating during the summer months.

Gaz

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A Tour of the Glasshouse at Wisley

We blogged recently about visiting the Gardens at RHS Wisley, and that post concentrated on exploring the grounds. However as well as having fabulous landscaped gardens, Wisley is also home to a large glasshouse that was only opened in the summer of 2007 by her majesty the Queen. As we mentioned on that last blog we normally visit Wisley in the winter, usually to spend time in the tropical heat and humidity under cover rather than explore the grounds themselves. Don't get me wrong the grounds are lovely even in the depths of winter, but usually by then a little heat is just what's needed to escape the cold outside.

On that recent trip we spent a lot of time outside but also explored the glasshouse too, well it would be rude not too wouldn't it!

On approaching the entrance they have planted large beds of exotics, just a tempting preview of what's inside.

Ensetes and other exotics outside

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Un Bel Di

Agave parryi

An Italian friend recently asked me when will the new pond build be finished, and I made her smile when I replied 'Un Bel Di'.

Un bel di, one beautiful day. The only thing is we need lots of beautiful days to get it finished and we haven't had many beautiful days, weather wise over the past few weeks. But today was different...

Un bel di. And suddenly there were so many possibilities. So we decided to do a bit of it all. 

The middle patio border

We did some more planting in the third raised bed (The planting scheme of the entire new garden I will feature at some point soon):

A very pot bound climber..

And a bit of this...

And I even had the chance to take a few more photos of the garden...

Kniphofia thomsonii

Butia archeri

I also gave our greenhouses a quick once over, to make sure the residents there are doing fine and not drying up (it never gets rainy inside our greenhouses after all!).

My 'meager' succulent collection, I ought to blog about my select collection separately.

Still undecided about the fate of this greenhouse, whether to keep it for plants, or use it to house a quarantine pond. But even if it did house a pond, I'm sure one or two plants will creep back in!

I've come to terms that some of the plants still in the greenhouse that usually go out in the summer will have to stay there this year. At least they won't be in the way in the working area which we are utilising now in getting wood work done for the pond built. There is a bigger greenhouse that is due to be erected but that is not a priority, not until we've finished the pond at least.

I quite like having our greenhouses almost full of plants in the summer for a change, to find interest in there rather than just empty shells in the warmer months. For a gardener, having a greenhouse, big or small is a wonderful thing to have. I couldn't recommend having one enough and wouldn't be without any of them.

And back to the pond, there's still lots to do but we'll get there.

So when will it be finished? Un bel di.

One beautiful day. It can be a test of patience and perseverance at times but it will happen, very soon. And I'll make sure of that.

Mark :-)

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