On the Wednesday of our holiday we visited the gardens at Hanbury Hall where the first thing we noticed was that they had suffered pigeon problems similar to ours. If you click on the photo below to see a larger view you can just make out the tattered remains off some brassicas that had been optimistically protected with wires - presumably after the initial attack.
There were a few leeks left but little else in the vegetable department.
To be fair the snow did add to the interest along the tops of the box hedges.
In the another area many plants were still swathed in fleece.
I'm guessing these pyramids are either box or bay. Either way I did have a sneaky feel and things felt rather crumbly beneath the wrapping. I'd love to know how the shrubs looked when unwrapped.
Some shrubs didn't just have snow and cold to contend with.
But at least the figs seemed to have survived.
Copyright: Original post from Our Plot at Green Lane Allotments http://glallotments.blogspot.co.uk/ author S Garrett
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Sue, do you have a fig tree? I got one last year (a freebie from a magazine). It is pretty small, but presumably it will in time get to be big. I'm trying to understand how best to look after it. I plan to plant it in a container, because I have read that figs do best if their roots are constrained, but I'm not sure how a big thecontainer should be. At present my tree fits easily in a 12" pot, but I'm thinking ahead a couple of years, and I suspect that figs probably don't like being transplanted after they have passed the "tiny" stage. Any advice for me?
ReplyDeleteOur Lazarus fig (the one that rose from the dead is in a- I'd guess -18" plastic container. We did take it into the greenhouse overwinter but our greenhouse is unheated so doesn't offer a huge amount of protection except from wetness. If I'd left it outside I'd have wrapped fleece round the pot to protect the roots. We have only had one or two figs so far but it did have that spell when we thought it had died which I think was down to getting far too dry the summer a couple of years ago when we had drought conditions - remember that.
DeleteThat is a beautiful fig - looks fab against that wall. Hopefully the garden will recover after the cold finishes.
ReplyDeletePlants are resilient Liz although I think some will have fallen by the wayside. The cold has been too long lasting.
DeletePigeons got my brassicas too. They were fine for ages till we had the first lot of snow, then they all descended overnight and stripped the lot!
ReplyDeleteThis seems to have been a common experience, Debbie
DeleteI bet the garden is totally transformed in summer, it all looks a little sorry for itself at the moment with pigeon pecked brassicas, waterlogged shrubs and fleece clad pyramids.
ReplyDeleteAs most gardens will be, Jo including ours - I hope! The shrub looked a little willowy so maybe it will cope with being waterlogged.
DeleteHi Sue, this looks like a really interesting garden. I've just had a little holiday down south and visited some gardens too. It really is a great way to spend a day : )
ReplyDeleteIt is Anna but it was so cold that we didn't stay as long as we might have
DeleteMy brassicas have had it too - not from pigeons but the weather the leaves are like brown paper - and from the look of them my lavender plants they seem to have died a death too - hey ho!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check our lavenders Elaine - I hope they are OK.
DeleteThe garden looked beautiful even in winter and it really is a neat vegetable garden. I love to visit gardens even in winter but I rarely get the chance to these days (I must change that)
ReplyDeleteThere is a lovely winter garden at Dunham Massey, Lisa
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