Designed to Trick the Eye

The pastel bed

The pastel bed is at last beginning to take on its full summer hues. It is supposed to be confined to a colour palette of whites, pinks, blues and purples.  Earlier this year it was rather dominated by the large clumps of blue cransebill, which I have already thinned out quite substantially. However, right now the eryngiums, white astilbes, achilliea, aliums,  and gaura are all coming into full bloom.
In many respects it is a pity that this bed does not occupy a more prominent position in the garden. It is viewed at its best when ascending the steps to the middle lawn. However, from the patio and kitchen window your eye can be drawn to the pastel bed because the pinks and whites at the top of the living wall seem to blend into it, a trompe l'oeil. This trick of seemingly blending the bed into a larger area also applies above and behind the bed, as it merges into the pastel hues of the sweet peas which have been trained up the side of the shed.

Consequently, even though the pastel bed is not centre stage in the garden, the planting which surrounds it has helped to make it that much more noticeable.

Labour Saving Gardening (part 5)

I must confess that I am most definitely not a "gadget man", however, I do know plenty, not least of whom is my younger brother! If he were a keen gardener I am sure he would have the all the latest gizmos (def: any advanced technological device, usually pointless and/or confusing).

But, if you desire to be a labour efficient gardener then having the right equipment is absolutely essential. For instance, it is now quite an affordable proposition to buy a robot to mow your lawn. Robomow RX12U can be purchased on line for under £500. Robots are, though, somewhat limited in their use. I am not sure they could cope with the steps between the areas of lawn in the Pennine garden, they do need electronic guide posts to be positioned and I suspect their maintenance in the event of a breakdown will be that much more complex than mending my basic hover!

Alternatively, for the terrain in our garden a traditional mower with roller would simply not be practical. Nice stripes look lovely but you really need a well laid strip of grass with reasonable accessibility. For steep slopes even wheeled mowers can be difficult, hence the choice for me is limited to the hover.

The top tip then is to use the right equipment.

Using the right equipment is not just about the amount of tools in your shed. For instance, your secateurs and shears will do a poor and inefficient job if they are not sharpened and oiled regularly. Your spade must be the right size and weight for you to use comfortably (I suspect we all have a favourite spade). But if you want to do a good job as well as save time, some specialized equipment is a good investment. For example, to edge your lawn neatly it is a good idea to pick up a half moon cutter, lopping shears can make short work of heavy duty pruning, and a tank or hand pump sprayer (5 litre) will help you apply your neem oil more efficiently....... and they do not need a little green light to show that they are working!

Microclimates

Hecate and Mili in the Shade

Cats have good instincts when it comes to enjoying the garden, they might gravitate to the warm and sunny places or they can be adept at seeking out the cooler and shady spots. 

Hecate by the lower pond

Over recent weeks the summer temperatures have meant that Hecate and Mili have been found in the cooler corners. This might be in the micro climate of the underside of shady shrub or in the vicinity of the running water that feeds back into the lower pond.

The welcome cooling effect of a body of water has been exploited in warm climates for centuries. The evaporation and release of negative ions into the air cools and calms you. The thermal inertia of water - it takes a long time to heat up and cool down - means the pond has still to heat up while the rest of the patio is starting to bake. Although this is most noticeable with larger bodies of water, even modest sized water features do have an effect.

Alternatively, water will be radiating warmth after the rest of the garden has cooled. This is why putting buckets of water into cold greenhouses or conservatories will help to nudge the temperature gauge up that extra all-important degree or so at night during the early weeks of spring.

Mili by the Lower Pond

 So well done Hecate and Mili for having an instinctive understanding of microclimates!