Mad Hatters Tea Party

I'm thinking, yet again, I should have planned ahead better. That I should've done this a week ago, perhaps even a year ago!!

I have decided, in honour of a big birthday, and everyone else's very merry Unbirthday, the most fitting way for me to celebrate would be to have a garden party. However, the last three years have been spent methodically removing every weed present, from bindweed, comfrey, borage, ivy, stinging nettles to Stinking Gladwyn, and stripping the garden down to its bare roots as it were. Reconstruction started last year.

I planted up two small shady borders with evergreen honeysuckle, cowslips, hostas, shuttlecock ferns and Alchemilla mollis. The Primulas were a complete disaster due to slugs and snails but everything else has returned this year looking bigger and greener. I have also added various plants to the patio border, dividing up the area with box balls, one area for a beautiful wisteria, another for a Magnolia and another section for Geranium 'Johnson's Blue' and Salvia nemorose 'Ostfriesland'. But the rest of the patio border has yet to be filled with Alliums and Agapanthus, with Lily of the Valley to cover any area of bare earth in any of the sections.

Then there is the long border. This runs the length of the garden from the patio border to the shady borders. Last year it was defined with brick edging. But it is totally empty apart from Rosa 'Rambling Rector', a garden bench, a rose arbour with Rosa 'Iceberg' and Rosa 'New Dawn' to climb it and the fences and an Acer. 

The rest needs to be filled. And there lies my problem.

Time and money have dictated that I will be flying by the seat of my pants to get the garden planted up ready for the garden party in just over three weekends time. The obelisks that I've ordered have a 21-28 day delivery time ... I ordered them 28 days from the party! Eeeek. This means that even if I get the plants for that area I cannot plant them until I receive the obelisks and have them in situ. And I think I need to shift brick edging where the border narrows to accommodate the desired obelisks and plants.

There lies the next problem ... last week a number of plants I wanted were available to order with 2-3 days delivery. Now many of the plants I want are 2-3 week delivery or NOT AVAILABLE!! When is the party ... in 3, yes 3, weeks time. I'll be planting by moonlight at this rate.

After this experience I will have a better understanding of the pressure Chelsea Flower Show exhibitors have of getting their gardens ready. However, unlike Chelsea, it will not look like a mature garden that has been there since the dawn of time. It will be more like Groundforce in my efforts as the planting will have room to grow.

Well the bulk of plants have been ordered. More roses and clematis to order online on Monday if not sourced locally over the weekend. Fingers crossed they arrive on time. Now to source the remaining plants ...