July – when things don't go according to plan

If we're going to share our successes in the garden, it seems only fair we admit to the failures as well. Those plants that, despite our best efforts, turn their noses up at the conditions we have to offer; a firm 'thanks but no thanks' – perhaps putting on lacklustre growth, looking distinctly unwell, or simply disappearing never to be seen again.

This year we don't need to look far for an example, as scores of resentful sweet peas sulk at us from all over the garden. Their planting in spring was accompanied with dreams of towering riots of colour and perfume, of months of freshly cut posies scenting the house. Unfortunately, the reality has been a resolute failure to thrive, with most plants initially putting on meagre amounts of growth, before deciding to stop all that and focus instead on the more pressing matter of 'clinging on for dear life'.

Puny? Feeble? Pitiful? There are many words to describe this years sweet peas, not one of them complimentary...

The truth is, this is not the first time. At Gasper Cottage we are usually firm adopters of the 'right plant right place' motto: if a plant isn't suitable for our very well-draining, sandy soil, we consign it to history and move on. Everyone has their soft spots, however, and Bella's fondness for sweet peas has seen her persevere more than she usually would with a plant that clearly fails to return the sentiment.

"We have plans to try again, giving them more space and lots of extra soil nutrition. I'm determined to fulfil their needs!", she declares.

Another memorable disappointment was a stand of rodgersia (a large-leaved, moisture-loving perennial) next to the pond, which looked decidedly peaky for a growing season before giving up altogether. The problem was something rarely mentioned in the legion of advice on ponds, but which surely many gardeners will have encountered. Like most 'man made' or artificial ponds, the feature here was constructed using a liner to prevent the water draining into the ground. While conditions within it remain reliably wet, on the outside they are as dry as anywhere else in the garden – more so, in fact, due to the lack of a moisture-boosting annual mulch. Mulching on ground sloping towards the pond would pose too high a risk to water quality, and the area therefore remains un-nourished and easily parched.

Following the sad and swift demise of the rodgersia, Bella quickly learnt (somewhat counterintuitively) to plant only drought tolerant plants around the outside of the pond, though remained intent on achieving success with moisture-lovers. You may remember from a previous post that part of the newly extended garden has been used to create a bog garden, complete with a sunken liner and underground feed from a rainwater harvest tank. Here, Bella is excited to plant many of the damp-dwelling plants that have so far eluded her – including the (we hope) second-time-lucky rodgersia.

The planting outside the liner is now largely an extension of the meadow – a place where only the drought tolerant survive.

One of the new rodgersia plants settling into more agreeable conditions in the bog garden

Nor is Head Gardener Jack immune to disappointment. Success with Meconopsis nepaulensis in his own nearby garden led him to believe it would do well at Gasper Cottage – the slightly acidic soil pH and climate of the area were clearly spot on. Duly, he introduced it to the area beneath the silver birches, where surely the woodland-like conditions would be perfect. Sadly, the notoriously picky meconopsis begged to differ. Whereas in his own garden it had enjoyed the deep, rich, moisture-retentive soil of a built up, terraced landscape, beneath the birches it had to contend with hungry, thirsty tree roots taking more from the soil than fallen leaves and mulch could ever return. The conditions were simply too thin and dry, and whilst the plants have just about survived, they have by no means thrived.

Jack hasn't the heart to remove the Meconopsis nepaulensis altogether, though is resigned to the fact that it is unlikely to amount to more than this.

Thankfully, plenty of plants seem delighted to be here. Head over to Bella's latest video, where she shares her star picks for filling the 'July gap'; that tricky, midseason period when early-interest plants have finished and late ones are yet to get going.