Okay, it was probably closer to two hours, but I can confirm it didn’t involve any alcohol! That was probably why it was so productive. This is what I did:
1. Weeded out the pesky green alkanet:
I’ve already commented on this one recently! It’s important to get the whole root out, and the big ones certainly hold on tight.
Green alkanet - Pentaglottis sempervirens
As a rule, I keep the perennial weeds separate from compost destined for my own garden compost bin. The perennial weeds go in the green municipal waste bin, because the composting temperatures reached at the waste facility prevent the plants from regenerating.
2. Trimmed away old foliage from the Heucheras
I bought these Heucheras last year when attempting to give the bed in the front garden a bit of a face lift.
Heucheras - old, more silvery foliage, and brighter, new foliage
The paler, softer new foliage and flower spikes of the Heucheras grow up from the centre. To give them some room, I snipped away last year’s darker, greyish foliage from around the edge.
Heucheras after trimming
I use my dead-heading scissors for this one; their narrow blades make it easier than secateurs for making direct, targeted snips near the base of the stems, without running the risk of damaging the stems you want to retain.
Dead-heading scissors - useful for snipping away old foliage, at the base of the stems
3. Trimmed away old foliage from the Epimedium perralderianum:
I’ve always been a little underwhelmed by my three, slowly spreading Epimedium plants - but perhaps that was because I never treated them right.
Last year’s foliage on the Epimedium perralderianum
Having just last week been given appropriate instruction and a demonstration in the border outside the front entrance to Cheadle College, I now know that early spring is a good time to snip away the old foliage at the base of the stems, to reveal the new, hairy leaves coming through. I’m hoping I’ll feel different about them this year.
New, hairy foliage starting to emerge
4. Transplanted the winter-flowering heathers from my container
My containers are definitely looking past their best, but the heathers can continue to look nice in their new location in the bed. I mixed some ericaceous compost into the planting holes, since they are an acid-loving plant.
5. Finally, just a few moments before it started to spit with rain…
I gave everything a thorough water. It has been a very dry spring so far, and this particular bed has to compete for water with an enormous beech tree. And since I had the bag of ericaceous compost to hand, I also put a few handfuls of it around the base of the ericaceous Camellia and the Pieris and watered it down again.
Next week’s plan…
I swear that my Bergenias are the most dog-eared and moth-eaten I’ve ever seen. I can’t remember the last time they flowered. I don’t think it's slugs but I believe Bergenias are prone to Vine Weevil; the destructive larvae feed on the plant roots whilst the adult Weevils eat notches into the edges of the leaves. My plan is to lift all the plants with the intention of dividing them. The presence or absence of the cream-coloured c-shaped larvae will determine whether I bin them or replant the divisions. I’ll keep you posted.
Bergenia cordifolia - possibly suffering from attack by Vine Weevils