Over the FENCE
REAL readers' gardens!
A plant-packed suburban garden in London that is accessible all year.
We’ve had some unseasonally mild and sunny weather so I’ve had to resist the temptation to prune the shrubby salvias for at least another month.
I’ve planted apple-white ‘Mojito’ primroses alongside the snowdrops under the apple tree to brighten things up. I’ve also been peeling the trunk of the birch tree to reveal lovely new white bark underneath. It’s strangely therapeutic.
I’ve gone primula mad! On a recent trip to the Cotswolds, we bought some fancy bicoloured primroses which I’ve potted up in old terracotta pots. Now I have a plan to relocate our auricula theatre to the ‘Catio’, which is currently languishing at the back of the fernery, so I can display them and increase my collection. Tubs of fuchsias and ferns are beginning to show signs of life, so I’ve cut away old growth and had a thorough sweep up.
Work is underway to convert the rill into a dry riverbed. David drilled several drainage holes to prevent waterlogging, before adding a 5cm layer of pebbles. He still has to block off the ornamental ponds at either end so they can retain water without it leaching into the rill. Once that’s done I ca
