Covering just under two acres the garden was started from scratch in 2007. The garden in front of the house has a large area of very wet ground – very difficult to cultivate. Since this is North Cornwall rainfall levels are high, and rain persistent. Being potty about plants it hasn’t put me off!
The house used to be a Vicarage. It was immediately obvious to me that the front door lined up with the church tower, so a double line of hornbeam is being pleached to emphasise the view to the church and break up the area. The collection of double primroses is planted out around the garden; they relish the wet conditions. Pre- First World War herbaceous peonies are a new passion and are rapidly taking over what was originally intended to be vegetable garden. A greenhouse heated in winter contains Nerine sarniensis, species and other pelargonium, while the cold greenhouse has species nerines and narcissus.
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The dreadfully wet winter and spring have pretty much defeated me! So much of the garden has been frequently under water – it is impossible to weed or do any garden work when its like that. I am glad to say that most of my peonies have not worried at all about the weather; they are lucky to be in the better part of the garden! And in fact, the cool weather has meant that flowering is holding on well. there are still plenty of buds to come and already there has been three weeks of flowers in the peony garden. The Kelway’s varieties are doing especially well. ‘Beersheba’ has been superb. This one is a big favourite of mine, ‘King of England’, named for King Edward VII.
Pity the group who came to see the peonies on a day when there was deluge after deluge of rain. At least it wasn’t as windy as the previous day had been but many of the peonies were flattened.
Conditions have made garden work very slow and I have admitted that I need help, so Annette is coming in every week to help. I think it has been a shock to her to find what slow work my heavy soil is – and she has had an allotment for years so is no stranger to hard work. She is still smiling however which is a good sign. Let hope that between us we will make some progress soon!
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