By Christine Swan
As autumn begins to show its hand, I reflect on a year of growing. Two years ago, we purchased a greenhouse which allowed me to overwinter tender plants, to start seeds earlier, and grow plants year round that are intolerant of huge ranges in temperature.
Additionally, having a garden is a luxury that I appreciate and am never complacent about. Over the seasons, we enjoy a succession of blooms, and this year, we have needed to work hard to help plants through a prolonged drought and extreme temperatures.
Double tulips in springtime
Successive trips to the Netherlands have resulted in an ever-expanding collection of tulips. I tend to have a couple of window-box type containers of bits and bobs, and long-established clumps of different types. The containers allow me to propagate tiny bulblets, which may only produce leaves this year, but will flower next, almost as a nursery of young tulips. My particular favourites are the exotic double tulips and the Rembrandts with their perfect form and precise colours. I can see how Dutch markets became obsessed with them in the seventeenth century. Tulip bulbs became the first documented example of a speculative bubble, leading to wildly inflated prices, followed by the inevitable crash. Fortunately, online offers in modern times, make tulips an affordable treat for growing in pots for just a few pounds.
Tulip mania boom and bust within the space of a year
I have always adored Lily of the Valley. When I worked in a florist shop as a teenager, I remember that a bunch of ten stems sold for about one pound. The delicate white bells are a symbol of spring in France. Their shape almost looks artificial and the scent is far stronger than you might expect from so small a plant. Many people requested them to be included in their wedding bouquet but, they were a luxury addition. I can remember that they appeared at the florist shop at the same time as bunches of scented violets. For my personal tastes, scent is as important as appearance.
What a luxury to perfume my home with Lily of the Valley sprigs in my mum’s Batley glass bud vase
I also admire other people’s gardens. At a summer party I was fascinated by a beautifully scented rose that I intend to buy to add to my collection. It’s name is Comte de Chambord and, I believe, that they are also grown in the gardens of Biddulph Grange. The scent is quite different to my Fragrant Cloud hybrid tea rose. It definitely had the aroma of rose absolute – heady, beautiful, and memorable.
Comte de Chambord rose – so beautiful, and a must for my garden next year
I have had huge success with Pansies this year, and they just keep coming, even into October. They are tough, seed themselves, and survived the drought, searing temperatures and now, plunging ones. They are available in a huge range of colours which led me to try to grow some black ones this year and, the cynic in me thought they would be a shade of deep purple, but, I was convinced.
Black pansies – another success!
I have also grown a number of edible plants this year too. Pansies are also edible and a very pretty addition to salads and on top of cakes. I have had some surprising successes, plus a couple of disappointments too. I have a collection of small citrus trees which blossomed quite late in spring, but too early to put them out into the garden, so I was very surprised when it appeared that life was definitely giving me lemons. Unfortunately, as temperatures rose and the air became very dry. A friend who works in the fruit and veg supply industry suggested that my citrus plant was under stress as the lemons failed to grow and ripen, despite my best nurturing efforts.
Life didn’t quite give me lemons this year
I did more success with other fruits. I was tempted to try a patio watermelon and melon combo and my enthusiasm was well-founded. Watermelons unsurprisingly, require a great deal of water to grow successfully. I felt guilty using fresh water, so began using cooled washing up water, so-called grey water. My guilt-free watering was successful and watermelopns flourished in Worcestershire!
Mini watermelons were a lovely addition to summer salads
I had an idea that if I kept the seeds from a red pepper, a few might germinate. This theory was incorrect. All of the seeds germinated. As I speak, I have a greenhouse part full of huge pepper plants, some of which are currently flowering. I appreciated that I probably started them too late in the year but, they are still doing well and I may yet get some fruit.
I ran out of pots for baby pepper seedlings
Our entire family enjoy spicy chillies and the greenhouse allowed me to welcome some plants early in the season that fruited very well. I decided that the best method to preserve them was to make some hot sauce. We also enjoyed a short-lived glut of cooking apples. Research drew me to a recipe that contained both chillies and apples – perfect! The result was delicious and I was very proud of my first attempt.
This year’s first crop of chillies
The resulting chilli sauce
With my chilli success behind me, I am now looking forward to the next planting season. I have purchased a variety of more edgy varieties that might make this year’s vintage seem mild in comparison – naga, scorpion, and pit viper are ready to be sown next spring ready for another hot, hot, hot summer!
