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Visit 4
to the feature when Lee and Noel went along with John to buy the plants. See the plants they purchased and Noel and John planting the first plant, the Yucca.


Well I have had fun, literally at Noel’s expense. Cherrie and I helped select the plants and Noel and Lee paid for them!

We all met at the local garden centre. There were lots of impulse buys at the front entrance but Lee was past those in a flash. Straight to the shrubs and climbers. Attention was paid to the height and spread of each plant and season of flower. Lee wanted a Japanese maple and was set on Acer palmatum ‘ Atropurpureum’ but those available had
recently been repotted. The clever girl settled for a beautiful Acer palmatum ‘Garnet’ which will, in spring, have red-purple leaves as deeply cut as those of ‘Dissectum’.

to this week's feature.

The incredibly sweet scented Sarcococca confusa, in flower, was added to the trolly. Hamamelis intermedia ‘Arnold’s Promise’ with fragrant, spider -like golden flowers was included. Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’ with its evergreen, red edged leaves and red, all male flowers was snapped up. We thought it was all over bar the paying and headed off for a much needed coffee. Lee managed to sneak in Gaultheria procumbens, complete with bright red berries. It is a little gem and well worth the price.

There are already Christmas presents to plant. The Yucca gloriosa, Potentilla ‘Red Ace’, Choisya ternata and Leucothoe ‘Red Lips’.

It was a rotten day for planting. The date was decided by our lovely producer and it was blowing a gale with horizontal rain.
Noel had dug the bed and set out a big board to stand on. It is easier to work off a solid surface rather than loose soil. It also prevents soil compaction.

The plants were spaced according to their ultimate size. There will be gaps for a few years but these can be planted with fillers such as bulbs, annuals and small herbaceous perennials. The superb view of the sea has been allowed for with only the potential towering flower spike of the Yucca gloriosa to detract the eye.

The ground was lovely to dig and each planting hole was made twice as large as the plant’s rootball. A handful of bone meal was worked through the soil, while Lee handed me the plants, Noel dug the holes, together we back filled with soil, keeping the plant at the same level as in the pot. The soil was firmed and Cherrie raked the surface over for a finished job - team work!

Noel looked a bit funny when I asked him to water the plants to settle the soil round the roots.It hadn’t stopped raining all day.
It was then off with the boots, then into the warm for tea and chocolate biscuits.