Unprecedented Times

One of my favourites, the native primrose, Primula vulgaris

What an unprecedented week! The UK is now in, what will surely be term of the year, ‘social distancing’ mode following the spread of COVID19 or Coronavirus. At Betley Court Gardens, we’re all glad we aren’t trying to launch the opening of the gardens at this time. Most people, advisedly, would be staying away. That said, I speak for everyone in saying we all rather the reason we’ve pushed back the opening wasn’t because of last August’s devastating fire in the main house!

Is has been interesting seeing how businesses have been adjusting to our Prime Minister’s announcement. There’s been a gradual realization of how this will impact everyday life. I work in a community of small businesses, and its been a case of ‘adapt-as-well-as-you-can’ for my creative friends. We’ve all taken deep gulps as events that we have committed to financially have been cancelled for the next twelve weeks, at least.

Recycled daffodils

It’s been less painful, though to comply with ‘social distancing’ in the gardens at Betley Court. Working in fresh air is always beneficial, distances easier to keep. Bluebell Cottage Nurseries, who we were dealing with last week, now have a ‘click-to-buy’ coupled with delivery service, thus eliminating unnecessary travel. As they recommended us buying plants though the changing seasons, shopping from their website for delivery to the gardens may become the new norm!

New cardamine flowers

I nipped over after work one evening to start planting up the new beds created since the visitors’ hub was built. Melvyn and Shane have made excellent progress on the paths, and I had the fun task of softening those paths with plants. All the plants we have chosen are suited to shade/partial shade. Many of them are natives, and we’re hoping that by planting now, they will flower, set seed and naturalize. Others will spread and cover the soil with a weed-suppressing mat. There is the odd welcome dash of colour now, and the new planting will help bed the visitors’ hub into the landscape. My favourite of them is the little native primrose, Primula vulgaris. I’ve also rescued some of the bluebells and daffodils that were disturbed by the building work. With a bit of luck, they will naturalize and spread in a year or so. Like most gardeners, I like getting plants for free!

Planting areas by the visitors' hub

The windowsills at home are once again makeshift greenhouses for a host of bargain plants I’m propagating from bulbs, tubers and corms. Most of these are funny looking things, shaped like claws, potatoes or strange droppings.

Weird claw-like tubers of Ranunculus asiaticus 'Orange' or the Persian buttercup

Strange dropping-like tubers of Anenome cornonaria 'Hollandia', or the wind flower, which will bear bright red, poppy-type flowers in the summer.

It’s hard to believe they will grow into a stunning floral display by summertime. The peony Dahlias Bishop of Llandaff’ that Nigel and I saved from the flowerbeds (in the dark, in our gardening slippers) last autumn are being coaxed back into life, by the warmth of the radiator.

Peculiar potato-like tubers of Dahlia 'Bishop of Llandaff'

They’ll be joined in the flowerbeds by two new varieties, Gladioli ‘Peter Pears’ and Ranunculus ‘Orange’, amongst others.  It should be a stunning display in the summer!

Somebody's been to the garden centre, AGAIN!

All best wishes

Ladybird Su