The Mitcheldean Garden 2024
Over the Rainbow

This page is part of a series of garden blogs from 2024. Click here for the index.

This year we returned from Penang a full month later than in 2023 and this together with a reportedly mild winter meant that we missed the snowdrops, the crocuses and the best of the hyacinths. It had also been very wet as evidenced by one corner of our living room ceiling.

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Frankly the UK in 2024 is a pretty depressing place to be, but only if we go all the way down our 33 steps. Up here in the clouds, it's another matter altogether, it's not perfect, of course, but we can control our environment to a certain extent.

With the amount of rain that was coming down, then sooner or later the sun was always going to force its way through, that's as good a double rainbow as we have ever seen here. As always, early mornings were best for sunshine, just as well with the hill behind, of course we were all alone taking it in.

Our #1 Magnolia Soulangeana was simply magnificent but there again it seems to get better year by year. It helped that there was neither a frost or strong wind during the critical period. At the other end of the garden there's another tree growing like a rocket, now that's not good news... It came as a 'gift' soon after we arrived.

The azaleas in front of the spare bedroom have been outpacing their colleagues for some time, I'm not sure why. Some 5 years plus ago I gathered a lot of bluebell seeds from higher up and scattered them in front of the house and now they are thriving. Fortunately they will have died back before summer comes and then keep themselves hidden until next spring .

Our tulips in the front are a bit of a lottery but these did well and it was unusual to see them out with the daffodils.

Lidl had their usual bargains but their million bells, like those from other suppliers before them, were a near disaster. It's not us, we checked later deliveries at the supermarket and they were displaying the same symptoms.

The hyacinths behind the house are always a bit later then those in the front which get more sun, it was just as well this year so we still saw them at their best. I'm not quite sure where the wallflowers came from and quite what inspired Yuehong to plant them in the bed next to the bungalow at the back, but it worked a treat. One has escaped into the front and will have to be returned here where it will do better it seems.

The best tulips are always those in pots, they seem to drain well and the mice keep away from the house. The geraniums over wintered well but it's been too cold for them to thrive so far.

On the bank behind then tulips, the baby Scarlet Wonder rhododendrons put on their best show ever. The Forsythia behind the kitchen has galls and has been heavily cut back, which has been good news for the Magnolia Susan. The unsightly stock fence has so far kept the Muntjacs out but I'm not celebrating yet - we had our first Roe Deer of the year tasting the few remaining roses at the front last week. 

I have never consciously planted forget-me-knots but if you just let them be when they find a suitable spot, they will reward you all summer long. These are in front of the upper wall at either end of the fuchsia bed. At long last I seem to have the Aubretia right here but they will have to battle the dahlias soon. I have to say that the white Juneberry behind didn't have a great season, maybe it's another plant that doesn't like its feet stuck in the equivalent of a bucket of water.

There's all sorts of rubbish in the bed under the honeysuckle next to the summer house, but last year I attacked it and as a result these azaleas responded, they are perfectly placed for morning and midday sun.

There are more Scarlet Wonder in front of the summer house. Behind, the Camellias and bluebells have put on their usual show. The bench wood has lasted just over 10 years as the salesman warned me. as I foolishly tried to save money on untreated wood. ..

The view looking the other way is also special but I doubt there are (m)any other residents in our area who have noticed it from their properties. Last year Yuehong's baby apple tree was savaged by the deer, but as long as my defences hold then it has a chance to make a height where they can't reach the growth points. Behind we have lost a fair number of peonies, it's normally well drained but it seems that prolonged daily heavy rain overwhelmed them and the bluebells are thinner this year too.

It's now the beginning of May and it's time for the larger rhododendrons (all 12 or so of them) to star. They will have to make the most of their chance as it turns out that some are too close together and have to be pruned every year, but they will be brilliant for 2-3 weeks as usual. It's finally turned mild, the grass and hedges are rocketing and the ground will soon be warm enough to plant out the dahlias. The list of jobs pending is growing and at the top is the worst one of all, cleaning the pond tank and its sponge filters of the fishy equivalent of pigeon poo.

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