Welcome Tua Pek Kong, the Mitcheldean Garden 2018
Mostly Bluebells, Azaleas and Rhododendrons

This page is part of a series of garden blogs from 2018. Click here for the index.

Spring in the UK came rather late following a cold winter and a final 'Beast from the East' fling which saw us snowed on after our return from Penang. This did our tadpoles no good at all, but the few that were left will have enjoyed the lack of competition no doubt. I fished out a few dead adult frogs, but as I have gone about my regular garden tasks, I have found plenty more, they love to hide behind the patio pots and in the holes in our irregular front lawns where they risk leaping out into an approaching grass strimmer. Yuehong has continued her daily exercise routine of 7-10km (any more would hurt her weak knee) and when I can tear myself away from the garden, I go along. Mostly, it's repetitive but to the north west of us, the woods at the north end of the Wigpool area have seen an amazing bluebell display this year, unlike much of the Forest of Dean, this seems to be traditional woodland where they can do their business before the leaves develop and shade the ground.

Of course, we have our own bluebells but they have to put up with more competition, especially grass and so they start and finish rather later. They look best in less than full sun (as above). Our primroses are rightly renowned but this year I found a close relative growing near the bluebells, it looks like a traditional cowslip to me. I will have to remember to cut carefully round it.

We have had a welcome change of southern neighbours, the young couple aren't avid gardeners (yet) but at least they cut the grass and have plans to keep everything tidy. Part of that involves removing the final Leylandii and the aggressive sycamores at the top, which is scheduled for mid-June. We'll meet the bill which will be large but worth every last penny. Where and how I will get to burn it all is still in the planning stage, removal from the property would be an expensive option. Expect the southern half of the top part of the garden to shoot even higher, the rockery plants and the vegetable patch will be the major beneficiaries.

At this time of year, with the greenhouse full of seedlings, the patio is a work area with larger plants awaiting final transfer although the last of the winter plantings, the anenomes have been excellent.

We have an acid soil and hence we get great spring displays from a number of shrubs. One of our lilacs flowered for the first time last year and was better this time around.

Our small magnolias are thriving, the bushier Susan had rather more flowers this year while its relation the Soulangeana is still putting all its energy into growing, it's going to be a monster. We've also got a Stellata but it's only on its second full season in the garden and just happy to have survived the winter.

In front of the house, April's hyacinths have been extracted and are now 'resting' in the small upper greenhouse. In their place are 'bought in' small begonias and salvia for instant colour. Behind them, the small azaleas have been as attractive as ever.

The regular tulips are gone, but Yuehong invested in some special ones and these are not only stunning but also last longer. Our star performer this year has been what I believe is a cytisus which came in a small pot from the Abergavenny Steam Rally a few years ago. It nearly failed to last its second summer when we let it dry out too much but it's another monster in the making.

We have 'private' rhododendrons in the upper garden, that on the left is more than a metre wide having arrived a fraction of that size, on the right is a job lot of miniatures

The public ones in the lower garden have reached critical mass, it will soon be difficult to walk between them. As a rule of thumb, the whiter ones bloom first and the flowers are at their most beautiful just after opening.

It's not all good news, the winter was too cold for many of our rock roses although to be fair they had grown too large and were increasingly unruly. Of the top four only one is healthy and behind, my temporary support for the flower bed had collapsed. The small bushes have moved to join their fellows by the giant honeysuckle and yet another temporary fix applied, so I could plant a mass of dahlias.

The solution will be a proper wall but that can't come till the autumn. In the meantime, it's fingers crossed time. At the last count we have well over 250 dahlias (including 'dark' dahlias), the number inflated because I bought further (bargain) stock in anticipation of overwintering problems, I had no time to prepare the tubers before storage and then it was colder than average. In fact they loved the rough treatment and survival rate was near 100%. These are the two main beds just after planting out, the precocious purple and white variety have been relegated to the back in each case to give the others a chance to be appreciated.

At the time of writing, I have just 50 more dahlias to plant out, I planned to complete this by the end of the month but owing to other commitments like a long weekend in the Netherlands, I'm not sure I'll hit the target. The first half of Yuehong's hanging baskets are out but not yet at all photogenic, the various tubs for the annuals are still some way off and while we have plenty of rose buds, there are very few flowers. In other words the 'street view' is still rather plain, but come the end of June, it will look rather different...

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