July | 2024 | Cardesque Garden

Recently I wanted to be able to cut back my hardy geraniums which I usually used my secateurs and scissors for. This year I decided to get myself some shears that I could use single handedly as I don’t have core muscles and tend to fall over trying to use the heavier, doubled handed shears with both hands. The Darlac swivel shears, as the name suggests, can rotate. The small version’s blades can rotate 360° with 12 cutting angles. I am right handed but tried using my left hand and found it just as good with my left hand. They really worked cutting back my hardy geraniums in the raised bed. For growth that was not the soft green growth I still had to use the secateurs as the blades just couldn’t handle it. The long handled version’s blades can not only rotate 360° but you can also adjust the angle of the cutting head so you can use it as edging shears for grass. I managed to cut the hardy geraniums in the flower beds well enough but the stems were a bit too tough for them. They are great for leafy growth and are light weight but they are not suitable for tougher growth. The long ones have a small front support which I initially thought I wouldn’t make use off, but actually once I got the hang of it I found it quite useful. So I a glad I bought them and I will also be able to edge the small bit of grass we have and cut back leafy vegetation with them but need to remember they are not sturdy enough for anything other than lightweight annual growth. They both have a locking mechanisms to keep the blades together for safety.

small single handed light weight shears with long-handled version with swivel cutting head — Darlac swivel shears

Finally the Generous Gardener rose is in full bloom over the arch at the back of the garden. It looks great along side the dark foliage and the pink flower heads of the Sambucus nigra f. porphyrophylla ‘Eva’ (PBR.) There is perfume everywhere from the various roses, honey suckles and philadelphus. However, the philadelphus flowers are now going over and there are white petals all over the ground beneath it.

pale pink rose beside deep purple leaves and pink flower heads of sambucus nigra — Generous gardener with sambucus nigra

pretty white flowers all over the philadelpus

The astrantias are flowering their socks off but the slugs have decimated the foliage of the white one which is in the garden. The pink and red astrantias are in copper pots that the slugs dislike so they have been spared. And speaking of damage: the hellebores are in a bit of a state, as are the brunnera Jack frost. Slugs and snails are not meant to like astrantias, hellebores and brunneras but nobody told the ones in my garden! To be fair I think most of the damage to the brunneras has been caused by the wood pigeons tearing bits from the foliage. They have been pecking away at the honey suckle too.

half eaten foliage of astrantia by slugs — Slug damaged astrantia foliage. (I took that photo a day or so ago and when I went out on slug patrol today there are NO leaves left and I found 6 slugs on it!)

damage caused by pigeons, slugs and snails on brunnera foliage — Damaged brunnera Jack frost

slug and snail damage to hellebores foliage — hellebore damage

And here are some of the culprits:

tub of Spanish slugs that cause damage in my garden — Tub of Spanish slugs

If I don’t do a slug patrol daily then these ones would grow to this kind of size or even bigger!

big Spanish slug on the palm of my hand — Big Spanish slug

I have resorted to putting some copper mesh around some plants but I have found slug trails over that too so now I will have to make copper hats to cover some plants until they get a little higher and tougher. I had no problem at all with slug damage on the Gypsophila paniculata ‘Compacta Plena’ but this year it just can’t get started without being chomped.

large clay pot with copper mesh around a plant that has been eaten by slugs, shows slug trails over the copper mesh — Copper mesh with slug trails on it.

The rhododendron and duetzia have gone over now but the sambucus, spireas, hardy geraniums, thalictrums, astrantia, lavender, cirsium, verbascums, verbena, alchemilla, gaura, erigeron, fuchsia, geums, cowslips and roses have now taken over. There are still a few foxgloves hanging on and one clematis; Clematis warszawski has a few flowers on.

pink generous gardener rose at the top of an arch — Generous gardener rose (excuse the barbed wire of the fence in the background)

pink mini patio rose climbing up a pole — Mini pink patio rose

damp corner of garden with astilbe, fern and alchemilla mollis — Damp corner

tall yellow thalictrum flowers — Tall Thalictrum flavium Glaucum yellow

It is back to being cold and wet today so we are still waiting for summer to appear.

Cardesque Garden

Gardening from an ageing, paraplegic perspective.

Monthly Archives: July 2024

Darlac swivel shears

Beginning of July 2024