Saturday 12th September 2020 - A Few Changes and Clubs' Meetings

Well that was a bit of a blow, a change in the Covid-19 restrictions, announced by PM Boris Johnson on Wednesday. Is this a national punishment after people have not socially distanced, resulting in another spike in cases? I’ll leave that question with you!

I am making a few changes, nothing to do with Covid-19, mine are in the garden. Nothing major, just removing some plants, moving or cutting back others, which will be followed by an application of manure before planting some new plants, bulbs and the winter bedding. I purchased a colourful leaved plant from the first village open gardens, back in 2009. I had no idea what it was and for a few years it did little but recently it has become quite the bully. Using a plant app I identified it as a harlequin plant which is most suited to ponds edges or boggy areas. Situated in a part of our garden where an underground stream runs, it has obviously been taking advantage of the moist soil. I decided to reduce its coverage but once I started forking clumps out I discovered it had a root network like nothing I have ever seen before. I thought convolvulus was bad, but this one really ‘takes the biscuit’. Reflecting on my original intention, and taking into account there may come a time when I can’t get down on my knees to reduce this plant’s coverage, I decided there was nothing for it but to remove it completely. Buckets of roots later, I am still not sure I have eliminated it all, but I do know I have got most of it out and will just have to keep removing new shoots and their roots as they appear. My planned changes are definitely going to be a project over autumn the months. We watch a gardening programme, broadcast from Scotland, titled Beechgrove. The gardeners have provided us with a number of tips, particularly since Covid-19 when the programmes have featured their own gardens. Amongst other things, George Anderson has shown how to take cuttings from erysimums. Ours was looking particularly straggly so I had to have a go. At first I was unsure if the cuttings had taken but then they started to grow and this morning when I was potting them on I just had to show Peter the amazing root system generated and told him, ‘George would be proud of me!’ I have now got the bug and have set some dianthus cuttings to see if they too will provide me with new plants for next spring. I wonder what else I should try.

Today’s photos have nothing to do with gardening but record another beautiful Overstrand sunrise, observed not only by us but the gulls on the beach too. It has been a difficult year for village clubs. The Gardening Club have taken the decision not to hold any more meetings this year. The WI group held an informal get together in August in a member’s garden but with the latest restrictions have no plans to meet again this year. The Strand Club were able to hold an outdoor meeting this week, but as with the other two clubs mentioned this is likely to be their last one for 2020.