HIGHER MORWELL GARDEN DIARY 2023
30th January
These pages are a rolling diary of the changes
and events in the garden for the year 2023 in
words and pictures.
January to April
Not a great start to 2023 in the polytunnel. After
the carrot and parsnip leaves disappeared we
discovered that the wood mice had eaten the roots
of the crops as well. And had all the parsley plants.
We have dug everything useable up apart from the
last remaining swede and cleaned up what the mice
left for us.
The mice seem to have made a particular target of
the raised bed, the soil gets very dry and is easy to
burrow through. The trap has caught several now
and there is nothing left for them to eat anyway,
but we need to guard against this happening again.
21 January and one hole has become two. Also the
voles are involved - caught one of those in the trap
too. Seem to be taking the parsnips now one by
one.
3 February was fine and
allowed us both to help
our gardener to start
clearing the weeds and
brambles from the bed
beneath the trees in the
protected area. Plan is to
put a small hard standing
with a pair of seats under
the trees and put
woodland plants in the
surrounding ground. The
box plants came from the
gunpowder store bed years
back and have survived
despite serious neglect.
In the week after this
prunus was planted in
summer 2020 the deer
ripped the branch on the
left so badly it hung
straight down. We repaired
it with wire ties and some
soft plastic hoping it would
recover and graft back on.
Pity we didn’t think to
look more closely sooner
than 6 February this year
as the tree has grown
around the wires. Still the
graft looks to be good and
the trunk will close up the
gaps. We hope.
18 February, the spring bulbs planted around the
cleared base of big beech are looking good. Rabbits
seem to have seen off most of the cyclamen
planted there though.
The two years previous
to 2023 gave us frog
spawn in February but
no other signs of
activity. This year has
been gratifyingly
different with many
frogs splashing around in
both ponds, and on 19
February we saw the
first spawn in the top
pond.
It has been much colder
this February which may
be why the spawn is a
bit later than last year.
The big straggly
pieris sat
underneath Big
Prunus has really
improved this year,
plenty of blossom
and life about it,
seen here on 14
March.
We did once
seriously consider
removing it, but not
after this fine show.
A week later and the
magnolia stellata is
covered in blossom.
Rather worrying
though is the lack of
life evident on Big
Prunus behind. In
previous years these
two have vied for
most blossom in
early spring, this
year it’s no contest.
Varying fortunes elsewhere too. Above is the pendula
rubra prunus next to the gin palace which has
flowered at the usual time but has concentrated
flower clusters at the bottom of the tree with a few
at the top and none in the middle, although it has
since leafed up normally.
To the right on 3 April the pieris rescued from a pot
in the Warwick garden shows it appreciates our acid
soil, covered in white flowers and new red leaf
growth
After a lot of weather delays both while laying the plinth and painting the
wood, the new arbour is finally in place 10 April ready for warm weather
G&T-aided contemplation of the southern end of the garden. Planted
around it are clematis and roses with one daphne on the right. At the back
is a kiwi fruit vine which we hope will grow to the top and spread across.
This has taken a very
long time to finish, again
because of the cold and
wet we’ve experienced
making concrete work
impossible. Started last
November, this is 18 April
so about six months!
The planned four steps
became six in the end
with brick edging against
the sloping garden. It is
planned to remove the
grass from here and lay
bark chips.
Left is the amelanchier, right is prunus ‘Shogetsu’ both rescued many years back from a very crowded
bed and now flourishing in their own spaces. The blossom has been exceptional, but as always seems to
be the case we suffer from strong winds when they are at their best, and the blossom soon disappears.
The fruit cage is now
home to a fruiting
cherry, seen 24 April.
With limited
headroom we have
bought a grafted
dwarf variety and it
has arrived bearing
blossom. Being self-
fertile we may even
get a cherry or two
before the year is
out!
Trees doing less well. 24 April and the golden rain tree,
left, has been dug up and potted. It has never
recovered from being eaten badly by the deer in its
first year so this is an attempt to salvage something!
Sadly Big Prunus has been showing signs for a
couple of years that it isn’t in the best of
health. Brown leaves hanging on branches
over winter indicate trouble and there are
many dead branches. This year little blossom
and leaves only on a few branches. It may be
time to cut it down.