The Hellebores are coming!

Like many gardeners, I have been drawn into the recent increase in popularity of the Hellebore. I doubt I will have the beautiful display that you can get in a Woodland setting (Garden Poet, that's you) but I wanted to give it a go. So I got 2 Hs from the rescue corner at the Garden Centre and planted them in the back corner of the garden under the overhanging branches of a neighbours tree. As usual when I'm planting, I had a lot of hope but little expectation.

The first thing I've got to say about Hellebores is that they are tough buggers. This is probably because even the cultivated varieties are pretty close to the native plants. They have been living cheek by jowl with a Hosta I was kindly given by the in-laws when we moved in and you can see a real difference. The Hosta is with us so briefly that it may as well not be - it unfurls some pale green and white striped leaves and then they are gone. Slugs do not seem to be attracted to the thick and glossy leaved Hellebore leaves.

Somewhere in the middle of that badly taken photo, there is a greenish white bud. While some gardeners might expect that this would happen as a matter of course, I am invariably astounded. So, the Christmas or Lenten Rose (as it is also known) is budding up and I should have flowers soon! Happy Christmas to me!

Some Early New Year Garden Resolutions

I've been doing a bit of pottering today in the garden as well as reading through some beautiful gardens and I've come up with 3 resolutions for things I will do in the garden this year:

1) Keep the palette simple
I have a relatively large range of plants already so this year I'm going to add more things that I have already. Another Astilbe, another Gillenia Trifolata and more Zebra Grass - these plants have grown well for me and look great at several seasons of the year. I would like to introduce some newcomers but will do so sparingly - Garlic Chives and Dahlias are two that I'm trying in 2013.

2) Cut my losses
Sweet peas are wondrous but don't have the longevity in the Scottish climate to be the centre of 2 displays. I'll grow a white set in a pot at the back. I'm also not trying Bluebells again (2 years of failure) or Cosmos (I assume my thank you letter from the slugs is in the post).

3) New approach to the front garden.
Another fairly unmitigated disaster. Looks horrific and is currently the repository for all the crap plants I inherited and needed to plant somewhere. Some nice research in January and February and acceptance that for next year we won't get much light as the builders across the way still have a year to go.

It's not as grim as it could be

In general I am very vocal about my dislike of winter - no gardening and no sunlight makes Liza a dull girl. And December and January really are the pits as far as I am concerned. But here are some reasons why it's not as grim just now as it could be.

Look at this cat - what an utter fool and pleasure he is. Right after this he spent 10 minutes playing hide and seek with Jamie in the bed.

This Astilbe is still looking remarkably good,might get another next as it's grown on me and gives good value even when out of season.

This Zebra Grass is still elegant and tall - I'm glad I persevered with grasses because this one has repaid me in dividends.

Rampant Winter Jasmine is having a whale of a time right now.

And this combo of Hebe, Thyme, Convulvulus and Black Grass has happened almost completely by accident but doesn't it look amazing? My aesthetic of small leaves, herbs and silvery and green tones has actually worked here.

The High Line

The Garden Poet brought my attention to the High Line in New York, following my recent interest in Dutch Heem parks. The High Line is a public park built on an old freight rail line in Manhattan which was founded by the local community in 1999, and although it is owned by the City of New York 90% of its operating funds are currently provided by non-public sources. The line itself dates from the 1930's and was an innovative transport solution aiming to remove dangerous freight trains from the streets. The line closed in 1980 and was destined for demolition (or development depending on your own perspective) when the Friends of the High Line stepped in. The design competition was won by James Corner Field Operations (landscape architects) and Diller Scofidio + Renfro (architects) and the plans were displayed publicly prior to the project starting on site. Most crucially, Piet Oudolf was a consultant on the project.

Piet Oudolf

I find this project very inspiring in terms of the beautiful planting and the great synergy of design and conservation. I'd recommend a visit to their website which is http://www.thehighline.org.

Chelsea, Woopitty Woo

So, my dreams are to come true in 2013.... No, I haven't had confirmation from the gods that sweet peas will have a great year, but I am going to the Chelsea Flower Show on the 10th anniversary year. I have been waiting impatiently for the non-RHS members ticket booking window to open and when it did (at 9.30am on 1st December) I was ready with my finger on the 'Book Tickets' button. This year Jamie and I are buying each other holidays instead of presents, so in May we'll be taking a short break based around the wonderful show!
Lucky old Petch.

Ballerina of my dreams

I may have missed the boat, but today I have planted my tulips for spring. There were various sets of advice about when to plant these bulbs, however I chose to go with Monty Don's advice which was anytime up to Christmas as long as it's before the frosts set in. Well, today is before Christmas so I got one right. I was inspired earlier in the year by the tulips in Joe Swift's Chelsea Garden, the orange Tulipa Ballerina. Their brash orange colours and delicate linear form really caught my eye and it is these I have planted. I moved my ugly plastic pot that I grow salad leaves in out to the front and sank half the bulbs into that, and the others are dotted around the front flowerbed.
So if luck is on my side, in the spring I should have Tulips, Alliums and Snowdrops meshing with survivors from last year - crocuses, bluebells, fritillaries and narcissus. Could be beautiful.