An Open Garden, preparing the garden for a spring book launch

Rosa "Clair Matin"

Well "An Open garden & Visiting gardens by Motor car" is being printed and we have nominated saturday 22nd September , 2PM for as book launch and garden party here at "The Shambles". There will only be 100 copies of this hard cover book and we haven't formalized any invitation yet.
All sorts of routine winter pruning, plant feeding, cleaning beds of weeds etc occupied us today. After a cold wet week it was lovely fine mid winter weather.
We have planted some Violas, Pansies, Petunias and Dianthus. There is silverbeet, bokchoy and new peas on a frame. Vegetables and herbs are planted in with the flowers here. There were yet more mountains of prunings from various parts of the garden to add to our mulch mountains.
A large climbing tea rose, possibly a sport of "M Tillier" called "Lauren Emma" by Kate Stock who found it has been placed around our front covered gate. It may end up being a mislabelled "Souvenir de Mme Leonie Viennot" but I hope not.
We need to learn what to do with our tall bare winter Philadelphus coronarius and Abelia floribunda. 
Japanese maple has coloured beautifully but other usually bare winter trees and shrubs are holding their leaf. Yet another warm winter so far.
Michael Simpson

An Open Garden, our new book is at the printers

Our new book "An Open Garden, & Visiting Gardens by Motor Car" is at the printers and will be launched shortly. It is a personal look at the experience and practical aspects of Opening a garden to the public. It is a grown ups picture book about visiting other beautiful gardens but has plenty for the serious gardener and garden historian. At 144 pages, hard cover and full colour we haven't held back on the books quality because if you write a gardening book it may as well be the brightest and most colourful it can be.

New plants added Winter 2012. At last we have added Justicia aurea and two new species/hybrid camellias, Camellia luhsiensis and Camellia lutchuensis x "Tinsie". An area which has been crowding in on the front path garden has bee pruned back and a group of Abutilon megapotamicum and various Abutilon x hybridum of  all varieties plants. We call it an Abutolinarea. Which sounds botanical if you say it quickly.

The roof and exterior walls and windows of the old "Plough Inn" are finished. Now we just have to ine the old building fior it to assume new usefulness at the north end of the garden.
Happy Days
Michael Simpson