My wife and I started gardening in Fukuoka (Japan) in 2003. There was nothing but muddy clayey sloping land. At the beginning we made several structure such as steps and paths, and planted turf, fruit trees, roses, herbs etc.
In 2010, we visited several famous English gardens, including Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Mottisfont Abbey Garden and Hidcote Manor Garden. We were shocked by the glory of those gardens. Since then, we have been trying to make small but glorious gardens by ourselves.
The ‘High Noon’ tree peony has bloomed in the peony bed. Its pure, vibrant yellow captivates all who see it. A wonderful fragrance has also begun to waft through the air. It really is a magnificent flower.
The potager garden is situated on an isosceles triangular plot, with a shed positioned in the far corner. The long side to the left has been laid out as a border bed, whilst the rest of the plot is enclosed by a boxwood hedge. Furthermore, a trapezoidal enclosure of boxwood has been created within the garden, containing seven raised beds (one triangular, one square and four pentagonal).
The boxwood is evergreen and does not grow new shoots during the winter. It does not shed its leaves even in spring, but instead produces new shoots from the tips of its branches. These new shoots are a bright green and look very pretty. However, if left unchecked, they will grow too large, so pruning is necessary. As the new shoots had become quite dense by April, I carried out the first pruning of the year.
I pruned the trapezoidal hedge inside the garden on my own using hedge shears. Whilst this method has the advantage of being quick and producing a straight cut, the leaves and thin twigs that have been cut in half by the shears are quite noticeable on the surface, and when you look closely, it looks a rather pitiful sight.
Condition of the surface following pruning with hedge shears
刈り込みばさみによる剪定での表面の状況
I pruned the hedge around the perimeter using secateurs. As it was time-consuming, my wife helped me and we did it together. Using the secateurs, we pruned the new shoots that had grown this spring, one by one. You can usually tell the new shoots apart by the colour of their leaves. Last year’s leaves are dark green, whilst the new shoots are a lighter green. Furthermore, as new shoots often grow from two side shoots, we made sure to cut them just below the base (please see the video for details).
Pruning methods using secateurs and surface conditions 剪定ばさみによる剪定の方法と表面の状況
The length of the side facing the road is about 10 metres, it took the two of us half a day to complete the pruning. It took a fair bit of time and effort, but the result looks very natural and beautiful, and I’m delighted with it.
The season when English bluebells bloom in the Bluebell Garden has arrived once again. The garden is filled with beautiful blue flowers. Although they are at their best for just a week or so, the English bluebell is undoubtedly the star of the Bluebell Garden.
The crabapple tree next to the terraced herb beds in the main garden is in bloom again this year. It has such lovely flowers. The buds are a deep red, and the petals are a beautiful pink. It bears small fruits, which will turn colour in the autumn.
The apple trees trained as espaliers around the potager have started to blossom. They are the ‘Alps Maiden’ and ‘Maypole’ varieties. The other one, a ‘Fuji’, will bloom a few days later. The trees are losing a little of their vigour, and the number of apples they bear is decreasing year by year. I wonder if they’ll bear any fruit this year?
The asparagus has started to sprout in the potager garden. It is purple asparagus grown in a pentagonal raised bed. It looks as though we’ll be able to harvest it for a while to come.
Every year at this time of year, when new rose shoots are growing and beginning to form buds, a pest Syrista similis appears. On fine mornings, they fly in from who knows where and land on the new shoots bearing rose buds to lay their eggs; in doing so, they cut into the pith inside the shoot’s bark, causing the shoot to wilt and die almost immediately. Every year, around 100 to 200 new shoots died, which was a real shock.
So, last year I switched to covering the rose branches with fine-mesh netting. Although I couldn’t cover them completely and there was still some damage, it proved highly effective, so I’ve done the same this year. As the damage virtually disappears once May arrives, I expect I’ll be able to remove the netting in about three weeks.