Pottering in the garden

These days I only potter in the garden. In the recent sunny days it has been good to be outdoors. Although it is early yet things are coming into bud. We have daffodils and primroses in full bloom. Our vegetable growing is fairly restricted; hopefully a row of climbing beans and a few of peas supplemented by potatoes in tubs.

Annette is hoping for tomatoes in our cold greenhouse. At present the seeds are planted out in the kitchen with seedlings to go out a lot later.

I’ve been trying to get rid of all the dead stuff and also to root out all the brambles. It is amazing how these have spread to most parts of the garden. I presume birds transfer the seeds when they eat the fruit. I have an area devoted to blackberry plants; thinning this is a chore- cutting out last years growth.

Several years ago we succumbed to buying gooseberry plants of a new variety, Un-named they were grown by a Cumbrian horticulturalist who spoke at the garden club when we went with George and Brenda. They were quite vigorous, very spiky and gave a lot of fruit. The problem was the fruit was very small, maybe a third to half the size of normal cultivars. They had to go after several years struggle,

One fruit we have had no joy with is rhubarb. Why I’m not good with this simple plant I don’t know. Part of the problem is that even when grown Annette is very unenthusiastic about eating it. I suppose I’ve persisted only because I remember the delicious rhubarb and blackberry pies my mother made when I was a boy. Thinking about this they are so far apart in fruiting time I wonder if my memory is playing tricks. Certainly we had blackberry and apple. All the blackberries when I was a boy were wild as father wouldn’t give them garden room.

Mother enjoyed a blackberrying expedition. Armed with container and walking stick she would happily set off for a few hours,.The walking stick was to grasp those tantalising fruits otherwise just out of reach. My mother was quite small, only just over five feet, and with a correspondingly limited reach. I was a reluctant participant sometimes although I fear I was more of a whingeing nuisance that a help.

Plums are a puzzle. I have one tree which usually gives a fair crop but another identical a few yards away never fruited in about ten years. I finally lost patience and cut it down recently. I fear that some others will also be complete duds. These are the (in)famous Victoria variety, nice to eat but tricky to grow.

We inherited several apple trees and I have planted a lot more. Some of our inherited trees are the old fashioned types not on dwarfing rootstocks. These trees are choked with ivy which isn’t much loss as they are impossible to pick. Only the low hanging fruit are ever accessible.

To my slight surprise and chagrin my stylish triangular arch blew down in one of the very few storms this winter. I’m left with a stump with clematis and a wisteria looking shall we say rather wistful. In truth the wisteria never did well as I planted too quickly not clearing the ground of pre existing roots well enough. We have clematis growing up  one of the large conifers. For a couple of weeks when it is in flower it makes a lovely sight.