Or up to a squirrels armpit. Over the last few weeks the water in the streams around has risen and fallen dramatically, and with it the water levels at the bottom of the new garden. The rise takes about 8 hours to top out after a few hours of heavy rain on already sodden land, and then thankfully drains away again quickly (unless of course there is more rain). The last few days have been boringly grey but no rain!
The stream banks will need to be built up in places when warmer drier weather hopefully comes this year. The garden is riddled with mole tunnels which presumably flood too and it feels (I imagine), like walking on a waterbed when the stream is up, we’ll also be adding some land drains before I can start properly on the garden. The watery aspect may lead to some interesting planting options. I didn’t entirely want a bog garden, but go with the flow I will have to!
I’ve been sowing seeds in my haphazard way over the last few weeks that require cold, although it isn’t very cold at the moment. The most expensive was Trauttvetteria from Plant World, I have also been dipping into Special Plants seeds for sowing NOW including Persicaria orientalis which is an annual persicaria growing to 5 feet. I think it may have been what I saw at East Ruston a couple of years ago in the tropical garden, so hopefully ‘Kiss me Over the Garden Gate’ will do its thing for me this year.
I have also just put in my order with the National Dahlia Collection for a bit of this and a bit of that, mainly in the deep purple /red zone again. Not being able to start on the garden proper until works are done means loads of pots this summer instead.