Gardening Hits and Misses in 2021

While 2021 was slightly better nationally than 2020, in the garden it’s definitely been a year of gardening hits and misses.

Of course, I’m going to blame the weather – what gardener doesn’t? The summer was more than a little disappointing with low temperatures leading to a poor squash harvest and late flowering for many things, including cosmos. True once they got going they kept going but for a while I did wonder if all I would see was foliage.

I fear this was the last time I’ll have this blossom.

The biggest problem and one that caused the most heartache was the days of frost we had in late April. Naturally, it hit the wisteria – again – and a large rosemary got damaged for the first time ever.

However, the worst casualty was the prunus, a tree that was one of the first things planted in the garden more than 25 years ago. Now, a large specimen, it is a spring highlight and one of my favourites.

The blossom had just started to open and quickly turned brown. I had hoped that would be the extent of the damage but, unlike the rosemary which quickly recovered, the shock seems to have been too much for the prunus. No leaves appeared and it has every appearance of being dead.

I’m leaving it until spring – although I know deep down it’s a lost cause – and will then decide what to do. Taking it out isn’t really an option as it’s in a border full of bulbs and perennials. Instead, I think it will be cut back to form a framework for a clematis or rose.

I always say every plant death is a planting opportunity but this is one that I really didn’t want.

There were more gardening hits than misses though and lupins were an undoubted success. I grew these from seed and last year was the first time they flowered. I can already see new shoots coming at the base, thanks to the mild weather. It will now just be a question of keeping the slugs and snails off.

It was also the first year I managed to get the ginger lily to flower. The scent was incredible. Let’s hope there’s a repeat performance this year.

Planting more alliums was a decided hit.

Part of the autumn planting in 2020 included lots more alliums as over the years their numbers had dwindled. It paid off and the borders looked a lot better for the investment.

Also new to the garden in 2021 was this rose, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. Rose of the Year 2022, it was given to me at the launch – read about it here.

It’s proving to be a great variety, long flowering and with good foliage. Best of all, it seems to be coping with my less than ideal soil.

Tomatoes were a hit in 2021 — The tomato harvest was good.

For a while it looked as though tomatoes would be one of the 2021 misses as blight seemed to be sweeping across the country. Luckily, I avoided it until the very last week of the season and the harvest was good.