A BIG BLOG, GOOSEGRASS EVERYWHERE

 

Never seen so much. Not just in the garden but in the roadsides, hedgerows, everywhere. And boy does it cleave (other names Cleavers, Hayriff, Doctor's Love, Huggy-me-close, Willy-run-the- hedge etc etc etc.

Has been used herbally for piles, skin disease, scurvy, and shepherds used to use the stems to strain hair out of milk. The roasted seeds have been used as a coffee substitute and I can think if a place or two could try it.

Now R has been out pulling rhubarb and putting it in the freezer - forgot last year. Not that we have as many forcing pots as they have at Threave Gardens near Castle Douglas.

We have been to Gatehouse-of Fleet in Scotland with friends and, of course, walked woods and went to gardens - Castramont and Cally Woods, Threave, Hornel's garden in Kirkcudbright and Logan Botanic Gardens. The gunnera was not quite as big as in 1963! The Botanic Garden was excellent even if we did look at the garden at Logan House first by mistake.

Perhaps the nicest garden was on Hannay Street opposite the Ship Inn in Gatehouse.

Back to The Nook.

Not all flowers have to be bright and in your face - 

BUT some are -

R has been trimming and raking over a veg bed to remove stones. I have been mowing and tidying away old bits of wood and wire netting. 

Veg are sown, well some, and I have put in the canna lilies - we had one last year, division in the autumn has given us six.

Down by the pond we have had a visitor - a roe stag at night having a drink. A bit dark but he is on the right.

Primulas, golden sedge and, yes, gunnera leaves.

So much to do, so little energy, I still am amazed that the bare winter garden can produce so much vegetation in such a short time.

It is Sunday and - wait - it is raining again, off to Pam's Cafe in Kirkby for a coffee and then Crooklands Garden Centre. R bought two deep purple petunias (the ones we put in last year are still alive and have begun to flower again.) Also bought cauliflower, french beans and for R nasturtium seed.

Home, it is raining.

Shrubs are a-flowering - 

Viburnum plicatum "Mariesii"and the wild Guelder Rose.

The Beauty Bush, Kolkwitzia amabilis, and a rare Berberis from Cally gardens - Berberis triacanthophora Cally Rose.

Most of our white lilac has died and I have sawn off the main trunk leaving only two slender stems. We hope they will not succumb too.

We get so much life in a garden but there is loss too, through disease or storm and lately something biting off stems of hydrangea, white rosebay and valerian - not eating them, just leaving them on the ground - birds? or our deer?