Katy's Garden

In 4 months we made ourselves at home, the plants and me. This involved much digging, much sweat, hand blisters, and some fortitude (the hand blisters were mine, the fortitude mostly of the plants). We came from a comparatively mild Italian winter to a freezing German spring, several weeks of snow and icy winds. Still we all came through in one piece. Several hydrangeas lost the flower buds, but are recovering.

Some plants did astonishingly well after the move. Geranium machroryzzum and Bergenia "Silberlicht" doubled in size in a matter of two months or so. I think they like lifting and dividing a lot more than books and nurserymen let out. Others are sulking, but not dramatically. My magnolia x "Soulangeana" produced a single bloom of astonishing splendour that did however look quite ridicoulous all alone on the plant. Like it had gotten there by mistake. I lost my beautiful Hydrangea serrata "Shinonome" to the last bitter cold spell, but luckily I had cutlings, some of which survived.
The mexican Hydrangea seemannii also came through, surprisingly.

Most of the digging was made to make the kitchen garden. It was started late (end of march), and I only planted out my tomatoes yesterday, but it's there, which I did not think possible: I thought I wd have to leave it until next year.