The Mitcheldean Garden 2025
Transitioning Part 1

This page is part of a series of garden blogs from 2025. Click here for the index.

Notionally Summer commences on 1st June but this year it was running well ahead of itself and most of the pictures here were actually taken in May. 

Click on a picture for a larger version and click on that to return to this page.

It was situation normal at the front of the house. The roses were out to accompany the azaleas and the clematis joined in the fun.

We don't talk about the original roses here any more, but some of the remaining standard roses are doing their best as are those growing right next to the bungalow.

A couple of years ago I planted several peonies to replace the life expired hebes. This year, three out of four flowered for the first time but they didn't think much of the dry conditions. They will need some support in years to come.

The tulips have gone to storage in the garage, they will be back in the autumn. This has not long been a flower bed, so I gave it a proper dig and, while I was about it, I added a couple of bags of autumn leaves to encourage the earth worms and improve water retention for when the rains return.  Which they did a few days later. The permanent occupants here are some nice lupins which will give some colour until the dahlias put their heads up. Yuehong isn't back running round the garden, but she has 'thrown away' the sticks she was using after her knee operation. However, she has to remember not to kneel down, something that doesn't come easily to a dedicated gardener.

There's plenty to see by the front door. Reading inwards, we have baby begonias, lobelia, a late flowering white azalea, tulips for storage and last year's snapdragons which decided to take up permanent residence. There are new snapdragons in there too but they are still a little bit off flowering. The hyacinth bulbs have been out of the ground for a few weeks and are now ready to go into summer storage in the garage. It seems likely that we shall not be around to see next spring's flowering but I will still plant them all, it's the best way to keep them alive!

The greenhouse has been emptied and swept clean, just in time for the arrival of Mr. Tyack's assorted tomatoes. He has surpassed himself this year, each of the assorted plants is very strong and in a couple of months you won't be able to see the far end.

There are miscellaneous hanging baskets around the house, all of them going very nicely and panting for water every day 

Yuehong returned to action as chief patio gardener to celebrate the official arrival of summer and immediately set about removing the weeds and detritis left over from my temporary occupation. Last year she gave the Albertine a much needed hair cut. The result is fewer but much higher quality blooms.

Looking out from under the pergola, (all!) the round tubs are Yuehong's favourite geraniums. The rectangular tubs have a variety of dahlias being started. They are doing quite well considering I have had little time to pander to their needs. The second picture taken from the living room shows mainly annuals but also the Johnson's blue which is just 'starting'. With little rain, we have seen a procession of local cats coming here for a drink from the fish pond. Two must have arrived at the same on one occasion. We didn't hear the scrap through the double glazing but next morning we found that several of the pots had taken a tumble. There was fur everywhere and the remains of a collar and bell.

Click here for the next part and click here for the 2025 index.