To be honest, this part of the garden has stressed me out today, usually, being in the garden relaxes me!
There seem to be so many random plants all bunged together, there is also moss growing on various stones (and the soil) that have been placed on the flower bed (actually, the previous owners have seemed to place loads of large stones everywhere for some reason - perhaps they were trying to create a particular environment?)
And to top it off, there are loads of ivy shoots growing out randomly, spread in the soil, and so many bulbs have popped up after I cleared stuff away!
Sounds like a nice mature garden! Most of the plants in this thread are self-seeders or spreaders, so they might not be where the previous owner put them. I have most of them and they appear in different places every year. Keep what you like, move things if you want them somewhere else, get rid of what you don't like (or if there's too much). There aren't any rules about what you should have .
Flowers from the bulbs will be a nice surprise come springtime, although it is a bit early for them to be coming through so could possibly be autumn-flowering crocus - wait and see. Having said that, I just remembered that my grape hyacinths (Muscari) usually start pushing up their leaves in the autumn, then sit there doing nowt all winter before flowering in spring.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Yes, it is a mature garden! But how common is it to have ivy crawling though? I found it a bit aggressive looking through all the other plants...
Ah, yes, I just looked autumn-flowering crocus up - some of the shoots have developed into those - and the previous owner has planted grape hyacinth in various pots, so the ones that haven't flowered are probably those (narrow shoots of leaves)
Common! I'm forever pulling out ivy seedlings (which would soon get big and crawl everywhere if left) and long growths from the ivy that's growing on a low wall but keeps trying to take over the border. I want to keep it on the wall (which is ugly if bare) so I put up with hoicking out the stems that grow horizontally along the ground, rooting as they go.
And here's a pic of aquilegia basal foliage - the main leaves, not the ones that come out of the flower stems (snapped just now in our friendly local supermarket - ignore the flower colours on the labels, yours could be just about anything).
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
I'm afraid I think those seed heads in no 1 are aquilegia too. Thalictrum's are more starry in shape on my plants anyway. That means the leaves are likely to be self sown aquilegia too but hard to tell now as thalictrum have similar foliage. You'll see next year when they flower.
Left to its own devices, ivy will scramble up walls, fences, trees, shrubs or along the ground if allowed. It's great for wildlife but not so great for other plants so I suggest you pull up as much as you can. There are more interesting variegated leaved forms that will provide more interest and be equally good for wildlife.
Honeysuckle will also scramble along the ground if no other support is available.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
JennyJ Thank you for that info! I've moved house, to a 'mature' but not so well tended garden, and the ivy and the bindweed, and various brambles are doing my head in, when I just want to be pottering and finding out everything about my garden!
Obelixx thank you, will wait till next year. I guess I will just have to keep on top of the ivy then!
Regarding honeysuckle - it seems to be planted in the middle of/towards the front edge of the bed.. what type of support I should put up?
Try an obelisk. This can be simple or elaborate, wooden or metal or just a wigwam made from hazel posts tied at the top and some wire strung round to hold up the honeysuckle while it twines. Make sure it's at least 2m high and wind the honeysuckle round as horizontally as possible to maximise flowering and give it room to grow.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Posts
To be honest, this part of the garden has stressed me out today, usually, being in the garden relaxes me!
There seem to be so many random plants all bunged together, there is also moss growing on various stones (and the soil) that have been placed on the flower bed (actually, the previous owners have seemed to place loads of large stones everywhere for some reason - perhaps they were trying to create a particular environment?)
And to top it off, there are loads of ivy shoots growing out randomly, spread in the soil, and so many bulbs have popped up after I cleared stuff away!
Sounds like a nice mature garden! Most of the plants in this thread are self-seeders or spreaders, so they might not be where the previous owner put them. I have most of them and they appear in different places every year. Keep what you like, move things if you want them somewhere else, get rid of what you don't like (or if there's too much). There aren't any rules about what you should have
.
Flowers from the bulbs will be a nice surprise come springtime, although it is a bit early for them to be coming through so could possibly be autumn-flowering crocus - wait and see. Having said that, I just remembered that my grape hyacinths (Muscari) usually start pushing up their leaves in the autumn, then sit there doing nowt all winter before flowering in spring.
Ah, yes, I just looked autumn-flowering crocus up - some of the shoots have developed into those
Thank you!
Common! I'm forever pulling out ivy seedlings (which would soon get big and crawl everywhere if left) and long growths from the ivy that's growing on a low wall but keeps trying to take over the border. I want to keep it on the wall (which is ugly if bare) so I put up with hoicking out the stems that grow horizontally along the ground, rooting as they go.
And here's a pic of aquilegia basal foliage - the main leaves, not the ones that come out of the flower stems (snapped just now in our friendly local supermarket - ignore the flower colours on the labels, yours could be just about anything).
Left to its own devices, ivy will scramble up walls, fences, trees, shrubs or along the ground if allowed. It's great for wildlife but not so great for other plants so I suggest you pull up as much as you can. There are more interesting variegated leaved forms that will provide more interest and be equally good for wildlife.
Honeysuckle will also scramble along the ground if no other support is available.
Obelixx thank you, will wait till next year. I guess I will just have to keep on top of the ivy then!
Regarding honeysuckle - it seems to be planted in the middle of/towards the front edge of the bed.. what type of support I should put up?
Here is a photo of where it is: