The Old Vicarage B&B, Little Ouse

With time being a precious commodity, I normally start with a plan of what I want and then start to build out in stages. Last year I added two small borders to the front of the Summerhouse and a small semi-circle to the side with a climbing rose (Piccadilly). This year I have extended the border to merge one of the side border and the semi-circle. The planting can be described as country garden (eclectic) in that, I plant want I have available. I then move/split items to colour schemed areas as I get them prepared. It’s just good to get them out of the pot and in the ground.

Against the side of the summerhouse are a white Clematis and a yellow winter flowering jasmine as well as the piccadilly rose. There is also a yellow forsythia and a white/yellow potentilla. The bedding geraniums are all white and where the ones I overwintered in the old stable.

There is blue ajuga for ground cover and some red hot pokers as well as Crocosmia Lucifer as well as lupins a Weigela, Bristol Ruby and some gladiolis, mainly in white with hints of colour and lastly to keep the yellow running through an Iris, Colonel Mustard.

It may be quite a hotch potch, but the majority are from cuttings or division in other parts of the garden.

Clematis, Early Sensation. Saw this on a recent trip to Littleport Nursery. They also had some of the larger flowered ones. But I thought this would go well on the side wall of the summerhouse. I just need to get the hooks and wires installed.

I have several sorts of Ajuga, I think it used to be commonly known as bugleweed or bugleherb. The ones I have have a rather nice blue flower this time of year and some have variegated and nearly black leaves.

In a couple of borders I have performed the no-dig method. But knowing that this area is compacted and has a lot of rubble in it, there is nothing better than getting a spade into it and getting rid of it. Bricks and aggregate don’t really make good soil structure for planting into.

Now the hard part. Removing the grass and forking some fish, blood and bonemeal in before planting.