2016 − Barum's Final Year Opening for the NGS

This page reports the events of 2016. The reports for previous years are appended to "Barum's History".
Thumbnail pictures on this page are for the use of speed-readers, anyone who wants to examine any image in greater detail has only to click on the thumbnail.

Family Report

During this year Alice has been going from strength to strength, no longer someone who can just totter about, but someone who can dash about causing havoc wherever she goes, and terrorising Teddy. Luca has developed a very mature patience towards her. He has also started middle school (they do that in some of Hertfordshire - strange people up there).

This photograph was taken in the low afternoon sun on Boxing Day, that explains the long shadows and inferior quality − that's my excuse anyway.
Boxing Day Rugby


The daughter has noticed that the Head & Under-gardeners increasing decrepidation has progressed sufficiently far to demand that they move house to be nearer to their new house on the South Coast before they become too much of a drag on the children. So, we are no longer allowed to just ignore our decline into senility.


Teddy Wheaten is frequently almost well behaved now − his training of us is proceeding at a pace.
In order to placate the daughter, we spent a week in September in the South Coast area and actually visited some estate agents to see if that part of the world has anything we can afford, and attractive enough to drag us out of our comfort zone. We took the opportunity to go through the New Forest where Teddy could hone his prowling skills − he has since been awarded the "Prowler" badge.

In New Forest

Garden Report

The garden has now matured to the state where most of our time is taken up with maintenance − removing the dead plants, and deciding what to replace them with; chopping down the overgrowth; and trying to keep on top of the weeds.

NGS Openings

Early in the year we decided that this would be our final year opening the garden for the NGS after 18 years with a couple of years off.
This will enable us to devote all our concentration on considering the pros and cons for moving house, not an easy decision after 25 happy years here.

The Weather

This is covered in the "Introduction to the Veg Patch", so, in the interest of idleness (and to emphasise Veg's importance), I will not repeat it here − but we had a couple of extremely strong gales one of which (Imogen) felled one of next door's conifers − see Storm Damage below.

The Front Garden

A Hibiscus 'Blue Bird' was being engulfed by a Photinia 'Palette', and we considered moving the Hibiscus, but decided it was too big, so bought a new one to plant alongside − strange but true.

Near the House

The Banksia rose is becoming a menace − I pruned it after flowering, thinking that was enough, but by September it needed doing again.Now, March 2017, it is budding on the Winter's growth.

The Top Garden

Only maintenance carried out here, not even a photograph taken, so as a sop here is a picture of Teddy in the garden. At least it shows willing. Teddy in Garden


The Paved Plant Maze

Storm Damage

As mentioned above, the very strong gale (Imogen) felled one of next door's conifers - onto our shed / greenhouse / liquidamber. The shed's roof was already dodgy, so I replaced the roof in Summer; the greenhouse only suffered 2 broken panes; and The Liquidamber had its top-knot broken, and has recovered well during the Summer.
All things being considered, we got away with very little damage and were very lucky.
Fallen Tree

The Greenhouse bed

The succulents were, again, planted out. I've included this photo to show off the magnificent Agave americana mediopicta 'Alba'. A photo taken in September 2007 shows a much younger plant

The Aeonium collection continues to consider itself too important for this page.
But the author still refuses to update , "that page" since there is no point in further glorifying the Headgardener's perfection.
Succulents 2016


Fascicularia bicolor

This wonderful plant had outgrown its apace (a mere 1.5m diameter), as decided by the Headgardener, because there is a small risk of slight inconvenience if it scratches her delicate hands. So the UnderGardener was forced to dig it out, running the real, and serious, risk of hernia.

Here is a picture of a segment rescued by the UnderGardener, in a 10cm pot.
A picture of it in its prime, together with one showing it's flower, can be found in the Plant List.
Baby F bicolor

The Veg Patch

Details of our successes in the realms of food production are reported on the veg pages.

Beyond Civilisation

During storm Imogen a mature ash tree in the woods, beyond the bottom fence, fell over to lean against its neighbour. I have no idea how many years it will be before it falls over properly, but there is minimal risk of damage to the garden.

The Dahlias continue to spread, and gave a wonderful show in the Autumn.

Website Changes

No significant changes to the design, only the normal updates. Is this an indication of perfection or author's indolence?


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