Letter to Monty and GW

In the September edition of the Gardener's World magazine Monty Don used his column to reiterate his views on wildlife friendly gardening. He repeated his laudable belief that as gardeners we can all play our part in helping wildlife and, this should therefore preclude the use of chemicals which might target other living organisms. If I understand Monty correctly he will tolerate "pests" and their damage because they, like ourselves, are part of the natural ecosystem.

However, by this logic should the people of sub Saharan Africa be prepared to just tolerate the anopheles mosquito and malaria, the tsetse fly and sleeping sickness or the parasitic worm onchocerca volvulus and river blindness? After all they are part of their own ecosystems. I am confident that Monty would make exceptions in these and other cases. I feel certain he has, in the past, advocated the "picking off" of the red lily beetle and the "rubbing off" of aphid infestations.

In short, I must take issue with Monty and his laisez faire live and let live policy. Whilst those of us fortunate enough to have a good sized garden can probably tolerate a degree of plant loss without spoiling the enjoyment of our garden (see the previous entries on deer and badger damage which we suffer regularly but with a philosophical quiescence), there are many of the modern generation of gardeners who would find the devastation of their prime architectural specimen a difficult blow to take. It is also a fundamental mistake to believe that our gardens are potentially a naturally, balanced and harmonious ecosystem. The plants we happily grow have been foraged from across the globe by intrepid plant hunters, including some of Monty's own ancestors. Others have been cross bred to such a degree which means they barely resemble their original forms. So it would be very difficult (impossible?) to find any parts of Britain that are still covered in its natural climax vegetation. Equally, it is utopian to think we can create a perfectly natural and harmonious environment in out our little backyards!

Consequently, I find myself in almost total agreement with Monty, the use of chemicals ideally should be kept to an absolute minimum (remember some can be beneficial to plant health) and we can aim to create balances in our gardens, including of prey and predators. But there are exceptions when it comes to the physical removal of "pests". I, for one, will be continuing with my evening "slug patrols" and would recommend others who have suffered demoralizing damage to your cherished specimens to think about doing the same!

Retreat Indoors

Well August is turning out to be a rather damp affair. I like to think that I will get outside in most weathers but the conservatory/ green house area has been rather more well used than I would have anticipated.

  

The tomatoes are doing better than usual, which is not difficult given my poor track record. I shall definitely be growing this variety again, "floridity", which is a small plum like tomato but with a wonderful "zingy" taste. The conservatory also houses  the best of my ipomenas (morning glory) and climbing petunia (tidal wave red velour), as those outside have struggled with the weather.

Hopefully things will buck up soon!

Agapanthus

Sometimes plants will really surprise you. I was not expecting a great deal from our agapanthus this year, given how much less sunshine we have had compared to 2018. These African natives (African lilies) do like to be warm and bathe in sunshine, so I was pleasantly surprised to see how well they have done. Most of them are still in pots, which have been buried in the soil until the end of the season when they will be brought indoors. I have read conflicting advise about how root bound the agapanthus should be, so for the record these are pretty well pot bound! 

Consequently, these are my plant of the month. Besides, it is claimed the agapanthus can also be used as a fertility charm and carried by pregnant women to protect and ensure the health of a growing fetus ("agape" is a Greco-Christian term referring to love, "the highest form of love, charity").

Garden Moods

The garden and the mood of the garden can change quite dramatically depending upon the time of the day and the lighting conditions. The rather flat light during the overcast day gives the upper grasses a cool and distinctly unseasonable feel. But I do think it rather emphasizes the blue tones in the grasses, in particular the Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue' which is a stunning ornamental grass with silver-blue needle like foliage. I am fond of this grass which forms dense clumps and can be grown in borders or containers on the patio.

By contrast the night scene on the patio (with illumination provided by the security lamp) is more intriguing. Some of the vibrant colours seem to really stand out, even the shadows provide a little mystery. The more naturalistic planting of the cluster of pots seems to be more subdued and is better in the daylight scene.

 

I have read many articles about designing to create a mood in your garden. What I find many of them are really advocating is choosing a theme, probably to match a mood that you may imagine you have at that period in your life. Common advice is often along the lines of

• Select the theme or mood – try to make it harmonious with your location, the architecture of your house, and your microclimate.
• Study a bit about the design you’ve chosen and determine what key elements give it its integrity and feeling, possibly Mediterranean or English Cottage, Woodland, Japanese, etc.
• Determine ways to interpret those elements in a manner that you find aesthetically pleasing, affordable and suitable for your part of the country, soil type, aspect etc.

However, I believe that the mood is, in many ways, beyond our control. The garden is an organic and living entity often with a life and mind of its own. So my top tip would be to embrace the changing moods of your outdoor space, do not try to restrain your ambition for your garden. After all our temperate western margin climate must the the best in the world for being able to take advantage of the capricious  nature of the great and marvellous outdoors.

Summer Interest

Mili on the prowl

Something attracts her attention

Mili admires the butterfly

Hecate is rather more relaxed