Old Normal, New Normal, the Mitcheldean Garden 2022
Front of House

This page is part of a series of garden blogs from 2022. Click here for the index.

At the time of writing in June 2022, I have just reversed my earlier decision not to run a blog this year owing to likely lack of time and, dare I say it, a risk that it might simply be a rechurned version of previous years. Unfortunately, after a 100% record over the last 4 years our little BB disgraced itself in East Anglia at the start of the Jubilee weekend. So we are stranded temporarily in our friends' house waiting for repairs to be effected. It could have been a lot worse, it wasn't mortally wounded and we got safely back to base from where it was collected later by the RAC. I couldn't think of a better place to be in the UK in the circumstances except in Mitcheldean itself. Garfield won't think anything of it, but I guess that the two cats here are happy to have us around to feed them 'on demand' as opposed to the normal twice a day. 

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This page covers the area in front of the bungalow up till the end of May 2022.

Only we would notice that we can now see #35 from this position, the new owners have removed all the trees that shaded the southern part of the garden in front of the bungalow. We can now see across to Dene Magna School and the plants have indicated their approval. I haven't included a picture; what they do (or not) there is down to them. Suffice to say that with an extension going on at the back, they've had no time for creative gardening. It's now very difficult to see much in our lower garden from the road, not that we are greatly bothered as it looks quite nice looking down. For some reason the lilacs weren't wonderful this year but the camellias were as consistent as usual. It was rather dry at rhododendron time, to the extent that some decided to give this year a miss. They are strong plants and will come again.

Since we were again unable to visit Penang, we could celebrate late winter by recording both snowdrops and crocuses in mid-February.

We have two white magnolia here, this baby Stellata is now well established (as is its twin nearby) but the Soulangeana is rapidly turning into a monster. The upper flowers were again hit by a sharp frost but the rest carried on regardless. There are four of the Susan variety but they are still so small that they all have had less than half a dozen flowers each.

At the top, the many hyacinths provided a month's colour and were followed by the daffodils and then tulips. The azaleas are gradually bulking up and it's now quite a squeeze to get the tulips in.

This is probably our most successful aubrieta, elsewhere it gives the impression of just hanging on. Down by #35, last year's dahlias were very successful but the fancy primroses were pleased to see them go and behind we had a minor tulip display.

Such was the success that Yuehong suggested that the bed should be extended northwards. The primroses followed and the effect was to reduce crowding round the lupins and give a little extra space to the dahlias although they won't know that there are lots of new gladioli by the fence.

Lidl again offered sets of three plants, two of which more or less matched our roses. The roses next to the bungalow keep warmer through the winter and usually come ahead of the others in front of them.

A motley collection of small flowered and pompom dahlias were again slipped into the bed by #31's greenhouse. The baby willow badly needs a trim but the peonies next to it  are now 'mature' and produced a good set of blooms.

One pink rose hadn't read the manual and produced a single early bloom. I have transferred some peonies from the back garden into the south-east corner with its extra sun. One expressed its gratitude in the traditional manner but most found this spring a little dry and I shall have to watch out for this in future.

With hyacinths and tulips ejected, baby begonias and lobelia were put in front of the azaleas and snapdragons behind. The azaleas never look very happy but as always they put on a good show..    

We have two sets of lupins here. Those on the left are at the top of the smaller bank that runs down to the road, those on the right are in the new dahlia bed. 

The alliums need no attention, they flower reliably and I think they are gradually expanding. Yuehong has been very busy watering our clematis on a daily basis and has been rewarded with the best display ever from them.