Gardening and dogs

Have you ever thought about fan pruning a hydrangea?

Fan pruned Hydrangea

Some years ago, I worked for a few months at a company that had a number of small buildings and between the walls of the buildings and the paths, they had some narrow beds.  There I first saw a fan pruned hydrangea.  I was fascinated by it.  It was winter / spring when I was there and so I never saw the plant in flower, but I felt that the structure of the plant gave it interest throughout the year.

When I came to plant my garden, I realised that we had created exactly the same situation in the pond garden and decided that I wanted my own fan pruned hydrangea.  The garden designer thought I was absolutely mad as he had never seen this done.  I didn’t want a big and blousy mop headed plant as that would have been out of place in the pond garden.  Instead I went for a pale lilac lacecap called Silver Slipper which has fitted into the location beautifully.

So, a few years on and I now have my own version of a fan pruned hydrangea.  What do you think of it?

I had a great time at Crufts last weekend and it was great to meet so many dog owning garden lovers.   It is crazy how much one day can take out of you.  Your feet really ache after all that walking around the halls and standing watching breed judging or just looking at trade stands.  It’s not just the day itself that takes its toll though, it is all the preparation, getting dogs ready, making sure that you have everything you need and then ofcourse the insanely early start. 

Miscanthus - Before

I always feel that Crufts is the start of the gardening year.  I know that many people argue that the autumn is the start as that is usually the best time to plant, and I have been known to argue that too.  But when you see all those green (and some red and black) shoots coming up out of the ground, it really is a magical time.  The days are getting longer and warmer – you can almost feel the plants’ alarm clock telling them it is time to wake up from their long sleep.  As with humans, some plants are early risers and some refuse to wake up until they absolutely have to. 

Miscanthus - After

What can be surprising is that some green shoots are hiding.  Before I trimmed my miscanthus, you would never have guessed that there was new growth hidden in all the straw-like leaves and delicate seeds.  In previous years, I have to admit that I tended to be lazy and just take the whole plant down to the same level.  This year I decided to be a bit more delicate about the job and prune out individual stems as necessary.  It took quite a bit more time, but hopefully I will see the benefit later in the year.