she who keeps this diary


04 April 2005 - 4:00 PM

Return of the Gardener

I'm back. Did you miss me? Don't answer that question.

Garden updates:

Some of the chionodoxas survived the mole attack last summer. They are up and blooming.

The tulips and daffodils are on the way, though only one (rather lonely) 'Ice Follies' daff has actually opened.

The wood hyacinths (Hyacinthoides non-scripta, or whatever they call them this week) are coming up. The daylilies are coming up, as is the Siberian bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla) and bleeding heart. Yesterday I planted two new rose bushes in a window between showers. 'Gr�� an Aachen' is going next to 'Iceberg' along the front walk. I may eventually add more of both varieties to create a low hedge there. 'Zephirine Drouhin' is going along the fence, where I can train her along the rails.

'Veilchenblau' is on order. I'm planning on putting that one on a trellis in the back and planting a sweet autumn clematis (Clematis paniculata or ternifolia or whatever they call it this week) with it, so once the rose is done with its show, there's still something to look forward to.

The existing roses and clematis seem to be doing fine and are budding out, with the exception of one of my two apothecary's roses. I am not so sure that it made it, but the rootstock is suckering like mad. I may, if the rose is in fact dead, allow the rootstock to grow a bit and see what it turns out to be. I've read somewhere that the nursery from which I bought these roses generally uses 'Manetti' (an old pink Noisette) for its rootstocks. Meh, we'll see. If it's even remotely attractive, I may just let it be, whatever it is. The other apothecary's rose seems to be fine.

I have hopes of finally making progress with the planned perennial border along the front fence as well. Watch this space.

verso - recto

The WeatherPixie

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