There are lots of roses on the plot. Over twenty at the last count. On the first half, we have the roses that we have labels for, we know vaguely what they are. On the second half however, contains roses that are lost label roses. I have no idea what their names are, or even what variety they are. What I do know, is that they are pretty. From what I remember, they are pretty in pink, but there are a few yellow ones in there.
These have now been on the plot for three years, so they are getting more established. In essence, the second half the plot, Project othello, has an avenue of roses and fruit trees that line the central path.
I am going to take it as good omen, that the roses are kicking off the growing season. Can’t eat them, no, but they do look pretty and add a spot of ambience to the plot.
I have no idea what this rose is called. Only that is nearly as tall as me-I barely scrape five foot- has two limbs as it were, it’s a mystery lost label rose and there are lots of buds waiting to burst open. As we approach the end of the May, more and more of the plot roses are starting to bud up to blossom. Half of the plot, has mystery lost label roses. The aim of this was to form an avenue of roses, that were interspersed with fruit trees Most of these are pink, I think. The top half is something of a fruit orchard, with the raspberry canes, fruit trees and strawberries The other half has the posh roses, and I even know some of their names. There are roses such as Harry Wheatcroft, blue moon, Christian Dior, the peace rose and Lovers meeting. Lovers meeting is the bright orange bloom that you see in the images below.
These are the pictures from last years rose harvests. As you can see, there was something of an abundance. Hopefully, there will a repeat performance this year.
With the growing season over, the plot takes on a whole new appearance. The colour and foliage has all but gone. What does remain, is the hardier spinach and chard like creatures, and of course the weeds that were missed from the first time they were spotted.
The plan was therefore to go down to the plot and start weeding and digging. I did the weeding, and some digging but not as much digging as I would like. The plot is clay, or in this weather, heavy clay. It is solid, sticky, and squelchy. The red wellington boots were covered and caked in the stuff.
I concentrated on the one bed on project othello, the second half of the plot.There are seven beds on project othello, two of which are currently occupied by cabbages. The aim is to fill a few of the others with soft fruit.
Welcome to Hobbitland
Project othello is on the right hand side of this diagram, and the bed in question has already got mint and a rochester peach tree in it. This particular bed had been full of gladiolus, tomatoes and courgettes, so was in need of a tidy up. There were quite a few clumps of grass that had sprouted across it. These were all pulled up, which was made easier by the soil being wet.
The chard is still going, as is the perpetual spinach. Neither of these likes the warmth or direct. The chard in question is bright lights and vulcan chard. Bright lights does as it suggests, lots of yellow stalks. Vulcan chard, is the red one,and always reminds me of Spock. It doesn’t bleed green, I checked. It does however make nice pasta sauce and onion bhajis.
Over the summer, the roses were in full bloom. And they are still going, some of them at least. Even those hacked down and dead headed, have new blooms coming through.
Welcome to Hobbitland, or at least my little part of it. In Birmingham, England. For the benefit of new and future readers, this is a patch of land. A vegatable pot, rented from the local council for, the cultivation, funnily enough of fruit, veg, and flowers.
What started off as 100 square metres, is now 200 square metres. I took on the second half last year, and to be fair at that point; it felt as though I was running out of space.
There have been perils and puddles, you can read all about them in the past posts. But now, the plot is starting to get going properly. The amount of things you learn, is phenonemonal. Yet one growing season won’t necessarily be the same as the next.
The black and white diagram that you see above, is something of an annual exerise. An opportunity to plan out and prepare for next spring. Each of the squares is either a raised bed or a bed in open ground. The shaded boxes, are the smaller wendy house and the large 2m x 3m Polytunnel. The polytunnel is currently home to a clutch of Chilli Pepper plants.
As it stands, now is time for me to tidy up the plot and to also grow over wintering crops such as garlic. Sadly, there are times where the British Winter does get in the way. Come to think of, the summer also gets in the way too. Especially when it is wet, windy, and downright drab. At the moment, the one bed does have garlic in it. There is also fenugreek and spinach still cropping, as well as lovely red vulcan chard. In years passed, I have at this time of the year sunk lots of bulbs for the spring. However, I am happy for now to have roses up and down the plot. There two dozen, perhaps, roses, that in the height of summer have produced fantastic blooms. I concede that they are not really edible. But what would an English Garden be without a few roses. There is even one called William Shakespeare 2000. As well as would be posh roses, there are some less posh ones. Some from a poundshop, some that are mysteries entirely. They are lost label roses, and could be anything. All of them will be pruned in the coming months to help them regenerate for next year.
You might have observed that there are some fruit trees. I have forgetton, to label the rhubarb. Most of these trees are two-three years old. I have victoria plum, braeburn and falstaff apple, rochester peach, a cherry tree the name of which escapes me. Concorde pear as well. The plot is home to one domesticated ‘Reuben’ Blacberry. In being domestic, this is thornless. Wild blackberries are full thorns and will tear you to shreds. I am lucky that the plot is edged on the far side by such wild blackberries. These have been jammed quite a bit this year.
Gulab not only means pink, but it is also a term used for roses in Hindi/Punjabi. Now what you see is not the same picture twice; though it could’ve the same rose variety. Would appear that that some of the lost label roses on project othello are very pink.
I had thought that the roses on the plot would be the first to bloom. However the one rose that a mama h filched and planted in the garden has bloomed. Lovely bright pink thing, that I actually missed and didn’t realise was there. No idea what it is called!
There is something in the air; that is for sure. Whilst William Shakespeare 2000 grows into a what is five headed hydra, the other roses are starting to slowly bloom into life. The more established roses have grown leafy, waking from their winter and spring slumber to start throwing out buds.
Last autumn, seven mystery roses were sunk. Mystery in that they were not labeled, therefore these are the lost label roses. Compared to the more established roses, these are smaller; but have definitely started to settle down. One of the roses has got a single solitary bloom.
There are two climbing roses, one is called golden showers; I forget what the other is called. But these are now also starting to send out buds.
It has been rather stressful of late, and time spent on the plot has been something of a premium. Today, I planned to get a couple of jobs done.
First thing to be done was to sink Rose Climbing Danse De Feu and rose Climbing Golden Showers beneath the arch that mama H and had constructed during the summer. This would act as the gateway to project othello. I have high hopes for this, as the other roses did so well.
Then there was the sinking of tulips. My second favourite flower after roses. Approximately 210 were sunk today. I got somewhat inpatient with the bulb planter and trowel. Ended up making small trenches with the magic spade. Probably not the best way, but a lot got sunk at once. Sunk today were Darwin, purple collection and everlast.
horticultural 'obbit 