What with everything going on - and by that I mean working at home, home life as well as adjusting to the ‘new normal’ - I realised that I hadn’t posted my monthly Garden Year link-up. And so I’m putting that right, as now, more than ever I think we want - and need - to see garden loveliness.
The posts for the year ahead will take a different approach and will feature on a plant of the month. For April, there’s no better choice, than magnolias. They really are magnificent.
And sorely lacking in my own garden. We did have a small plant for a good few years, but lost it one harsh winter. I was never convinced it was in the right spot, which is probably a contributing factor as why we’ve never replaced it. The other, is lack of space in our large-shrubbed and tree-filled garden!
Photo by Ernesto Bruschi on Unsplash
If you’re thinking of adding a magnolia to your garden then opt for somewhere in full sun to light shade, in slightly acidic or neutral soil. They’re not keen on wind, or frost or waterlogged soil. And best of all they require little if any pruning, so if you have the right conditions they really are an almost maintenance-free plant, and pretty with it too.
April in the garden
It’s the month when things really start to take off. For us, it’s when we start pruning and re-taming in earnest, but this year we’re taking it a little more slowly so we don’t overload ourselves, and the council’s waste collection teams, which are already depleted due to the coronavirus situation.
On my to do list:
Tidy up the various jasmine plants, removing the twiggy growth from last year
Give the ivy on the patio its first ‘trim’ of the season
Deadhead the flower heads from the sedums which were left on overwinter
Repair and reattach some trellis which has come away from the fence
Start cutting the euonymus back so the hardy fuchsia and the recently discovered pyracantha can grown upright.
Move our tall black patio pots back into place - they’d been moved when our neighbour had his building work going on. Three of them are quite fragile though so we will either replace them all, or maybe just one, and move the fragile pots so they’re part of the beds and use them to add height in a couple of areas.
Uncover the pizza oven and extend the space on the patio for our new barbecue
Get sowing in the greenhouse. I’ve sown some seeds already, but need to get started with tomatoes, lettuce, herbs and beans at the minimum.
Link up any gardening post
This monthly gardening linky is open to any garden related post, whether it’s planning your own garden, an update on your space, or a garden you’ve visited and enjoyed, or like mine a list of things to do in the garden this month.
All posts are welcome, whether old or new.
