May planting

It's been a busy month of planting in the garden.

Inspired by the budding of the plum tree, I've decided to cultivate a small orchard in the garden. So in addition to my aged cooking apple tree (variety unknown) and the new Victoria plum, I now have a crab apple.

The tree was a gift and is a Malus 'Wisley crab'. The label describes it as "a small tree with dark purple foliage and carmine flowers followed by large dark red apples. Height and spread 4-5m."

Purple foliage and red apples - that sounds interesting. I look forward to seeing how the tree develops. The variety is one of several mentioned in this article from The Telegraph (2005).

Looking forward to a grape harvest

Another plant I've been after for a while is a vine. I planted one in Hampshire nine years ago and within three years it had covered a pergola and was producing large bunches of edible fruit. Unfortunately, I did not make a note of the variety - something I have since learned to do.

Since moving to Dorset four years ago I've had an ambition to grow a similar vine, and finally I've decided where to put it. So this month I've bought and planted a dessert and winemaking grapevine called Rondo.

The description is "a hardy grape vine, producing masses of red grapes if grown on a sunny site. Sweet dessert grapes are obtained if trained on wires against a wall. Will grow in any soil except waterlogged conditions. Deciduous."

Clematis

Clematis Barbara Jackman

Another plant I grew in Hampshire, with limited success, was Clematis. Unlike the vine, I brought a couple with me and planted them in the garden, but they did not survive.

Now I've bought two more, Clematis Barbara Jackman and Clematis Rouge Cardinal. Both have large flowers. The challenge for me is to following the pruning instructions, something I never bothered with in Hampshire.

Rose

The other significant plant purchase this month has been a second rose, to balance the pink climber growing up the eastern side of the rose arch. Its new cousin, on the western side, is a Pink Perpetue, which should be a deeper shade.