More Curves On The Quad Lawn

View From The Cloisters (Old Design, Right Corner)

The new curved design on the quad lawn was first seen at the beginning of May, see blog entry 9th May 'The Curves On The Front Quad Lawn', but they have been causing some concern to Joss with regard to their visibility from a certain aspect. From the right hand side of the cloisters, as you walk into the college, he felt that the new design had little, or no impact so improvements have been made.

New, Additional Curves (View From The Cloisters)

Starting from the adjacent corner, Joss has mown a new set of curves to improve the visual impact from the cloisters especially from the right hand side. Both sets of curves will be mown into the lawn throughout the summer, becoming increasingly prominent over time.

Both Sets Of Curves (View From Staircase 6)

An Brief Encounter With Three Young Goldfinch

The Wisteria 'Black Dragon', located on he terrace of the quad, has finished flowering and now putting on a growth spurt, producing long, whippy green shoots. These shoots are protruding out across the path and starting to cover the windows so need to be cut back. To reach the highest of these shoots, Ali climbed the large ladder, footed by Simon, and had a surprising, but brief encounter with three young Goldfinches. Unseen by Ali was a nest hidden amongst the wisteria and, as she went to cut one of the whippy shoots, got too close to its occupiers who, startled by this invasion of their space, jumped out of the nest, landing safely on the ground below. Not far off from fledging, usually between 13-18 days old, the Goldfinches were carefully picked up and placed back up in the nest, all this under the watchful eyes of the two adult birds who remained in the vicinity. 

The Large Plants Are On The Move

The large architectural plants are bursting out of the greenhouse roof desperate for more room to grow.

Extremely heavy and awkward to carry, it takes four of the team to carry each banana plant out of the greenhouse and load it into the waiting tractor and trailer for transportation to the herbaceous border. The unloading and planting is just as difficult, see blog entry 24th May 2012 'Five Strong Men' for photographs of how difficult it really is!

Planting Out Begins For This Year's Summer Display

Following their visit to the Chelsea Flower Show yesterday, the team return to work inspired and ready to create this year's summer displays in the garden. Joined by Danny, a new volunteer to the team, they plant up the border in the corner.  

The signature plants of the Worcester College displays, Banana Plants, are added, these three are the Red Abyssinian Banana, Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii'. In addition to the bananas, another signature plant is used, the dark purple houseleek tree, Aeonium arboreum 'Schwarzkopf'. The colour of the under planting this year is similar to that of last year's, the warm colours provided by various Rudbeckia, see last year's blog entry 1st August 'The Warm Glow Of Rudbeckia'. (The team were happy with the display last year but felt it could be improved, so have tweaked it a little!). The Rudbeckia have been joined by Marigolds, Calendula officinalis 'Candyman Orange', Tagetes tenuifolia 'Golden Gem', Tagetes tenuifolia 'Paprika', Tagetes patula 'Yellow' and Tagetes patula 'Orange'.

Another border to be planted up today is the one found at the bottom of the quad, but before this could happen the wallflowers had to be dug up, the weeds and debris removed and the border lightly forked through. In the afternoon, and in the pouring rain, the plants, grown from cuttings and seed, were added to the perennial planting. (Why does it always rain when the team plant out this border?, see last year's blog entry 28th May 'In The Pouring Rain The Planting Out Begins').

The favourites, and mainstay planting of this border, are used again this year, Salvia 'Penny's Smile', Diascia personata, Plectranthus argentatus 'Silver Shield' and Osteospermum 'Purple Whirligig'. Other plants used, also favoutites, are Panicum elegens 'Frosted Explosion', Antirrhinum majus 'Royal Bride', Ammi majus 'Graceland' and Cosmos bipinnatus 'Sweet Sixteen'. New plants this year, not used before in the gardens, are Rhodanthe manglesii 'Swan River Mixed', Agrostemma githago 'Milas Snow Queen' and Lavatera trimestris 'Loveliness Mixed'. (Further plants will be added to both of these borders over the coming weeks but they are too small to be planted out at the moment so will remain in the greenhouse for now)

A Visit To The Chelsea Flower Show

On a lovely warm Wednesday, Ali, Simon, Kieron, Graham and Ady spent the day at the Chelsea Flower Show. Walking around the Great Pavillion and the many wonderful show gardens they were inspired by this year's planting displays and, most noticable to them, the use of Cow Parsley in many of the gardens, a plant that the team are forever digging out as it invades the college orchard! A wonderful day was had by all.

The Telegraph Garden

The Extending Space Garden

RBC Waterscape Garden

Help The Heroes Garden - 'Hope On The Horizon'

 

The Brewin Dolphin Garden

Removing The Winter Display In The Corner Border

The winter display in the corner border has gone past its best so it is time to rip it out and prepare the area for the planting of this year's summer display.

Wallflowers, Myosotis and the West Point tulips were dug up and taken to the compost heap. The border was then forked through to remove weeds, levelled and, once the box balls had been lightly clipped, raked through to remove debris from the winter plants and the box clipping. The border is now ready for planting.

All Change In the Provost's Yard Pots

Seven months ago, 10th October 2013 blog entry 'Gone In Just 40 Minutes', the summer display in the Provost's yard was ripped out and replaced with the winter display, see blog entry 21st October 2013 'Planting For A Winter Display'. Today that winter display was ripped out and replaced by this year's display for the summer.

The wallflowers and bulbs have been added to the compost heap and all the evergreen, architectural plants have been heeled in for use next winter.

This year's summer display is not based upon foliage and texture, as with previous designs, but soft, pastel colours and repeat planting. The three small pots are planted with a pelargonium, variety unknown but the gardener's call it 'Bright Pink'. The three medium pots are planted with the variegated Swedish Ivy, Plectranthus coleoides and the purple flowered Salvia 'Amistad'. The large pot in the centre is planted with more of these three plants and a large standard of the Purple Glory Tree, Tibouchina urvilleana with its violet-purple flowers, see blog entry 30th September 2013 for a photograph of it in flower.