Refuge from a mad world

A sunny weekend was just what was needed as an escape from an ever madder world, and a chance to distract myself by sorting out the garden.   Despite an occasionally chilly wind, the first little daffodils in the windowbox came out, set off by the blue crocuses (‘Blue Pearl’), and the pulmonarias sheltering in the lee of the north wall have also started flowering, in time for the early bees which have been making an appearance. 

Colour in the windowbox

I was able to make progress in the veg plot.  The last of the brassica plants were cleared; there were two rather nice savoy cabbages, both taken to the kitchen, while the rest of the spent plants went to the new compost ‘bin’.  The alkanet plants were also dug up, providing further useful green material for the ‘bin’.  It was an opportunity to spread the mushroom compost that has been sitting, waiting, up against the garage wall since last autumn, but which I hadn’t been able to deal with; better late than never.  The veg beds are looking a little better now; just waiting for this week’s rain to soak the compost mulch, let it settle a bit, and I can then start sowing broad beans etc. 

A few surprises seen from the dining room window this week: first a male greenfinch visited the patio, followed shortly by a male yellowhammer with his bright yellow head, investigating the shrubs; then the next day a treecreeper was checking over the plum tree while a brambling called by.  Four birds not often seen in the garden.

Dudley, Eunice and Franklin

The Tommies

It has been a windy week, with three (three) named storms one after the other, Dudley, Eunice and Franklin.  And it’s not impossible that we shall have Gladys before too long, as the forecast is for more wind through to the end of the month.  Dudley hit further north, and had little effect here; but Eunice (and, to a lesser extent, Franklin) were gale-force, with flooding along the Severn.  We had little damage, other than the big hellebore being knocked sideways and a lot of twigs blown out of the plum tree.  We were glad that the three ash trees had been taken down, otherwise damage would have been greater.

Last week was rainy too, and no real gardening was done; but this week has sunny spells, and a chance to check the garden over and get on with preparations for spring.  Temperatures have been mild again (I haven't needed a jacket much for gardening this winter!), and growth is beginning apace.  The first crocuses (the Tommies – C. tommasinianus ‘Whtewell Purple’ – and the little group of C. angustifolius by the drive) are in flower, as well as some of the later ones in shadier spots, and the violets are starting to bloom.  I noticed that the purple primula outside at the base of the signpost is also out; I always forget about it until it blooms.  The snowdrops, even the species G. nivalis (which are always the last to flower here) are in full flower and making a fine show; and I’m pleased to see that the ones I planted under the hedge across the lane – a spot of guerrilla gardening – are doing well.  The daffodils are in bud, especially the miniatures in the patio tubs; we might have daffs for St David's Day this year.

Today I managed some tidying up.  The Mahonia ‘Winter Sun’ had to be deadheaded (a rather prickly job, but worth the trouble), the peony had its dead stems removed to the compost bin (the little red shoots of this year’s growth are already pushing through), and the Epimedium sulphureum, now rather wide-spreading, had its old leaves cut away to reveal the new flower spikes beneath.  I think it probably needs dividing, as the flowers are mostly round the edges of the clump.  That enabled me to prune the rose that grows through it (R. alba ‘Koenigin von Daenemark’).  A couple of brambles that were where they shouldn’t have been were also pulled up; I’m not sure whether I removed the roots or not, but at least it will have done something to weaken the plants.

Progress in the greenhouse: the first signs of germination in the sweet pea pots.

On the less windy days, the birds have been very lively, getting ready for spring.  A pair of bluetits – we have several, possibly the result of a good breeding season last year – were busily checking out the nestbox one day; it’s still too early for them to nest, but they seem to have been getting their towels down on the deckchair to claim ownership for the coming months.

Bottom of the garden

 

February gold - hazel catkins

Unsurprisingly, January turned out to be one of the mildest and sunniest on record; February is proving to be a little nearer normal temperatures, but with some mild days between the chillier ones.  Last Friday morning we even had a little light snow, which didn’t last long, and there have been some gusty winds.  But there have been enough pleasant days to get on with some proper gardening.

Most of the jobs have been down at the far end of the veg plot, and in the adjacent Dump corner.  I’ve been wanting to make a start on a new compost ‘bin’ – actually a builder’s white sack in which some flint for the drive was delivered.  For ease of emptying, the bottom of the sack was slashed open, which makes a good drainage hole.  First, I had to move the bags of sawdust left over from the ash tree demolition work which were taking up the space where I wanted to put the new ‘bin’, and I took the opportunity to start using some of the sawdust on the veg plot paths.  The alpine strawberry plants that have been blocking paths have been heaved out and left to wilt before being added to the compost heap; a few of their seedlings have been planted in the little square bed in the bottom third of the plot, replacing most of the existing but rather old strawberry plants that I had pulled up in the autumn.  This was mulched first with mushroom compost, and the adjacent paths – now cleared of obstructions – are gradually being mulched with cardboard and some of the sawdust.

The new compost ‘bin’ is now in place, and  I’ve started filling it with garden waste in the hope of eventually generating a reasonable quantity of mulching material for next year – it’s a long-term business!

The honeysuckle and clematis that grow alongside have also been thinned and pruned.  Originally they were intended to cover the trellis that concealed the Dump corner, but said trellis has mostly disintegrated and the honeysuckle at least is now fairly freestanding.  Some alternative plan for screening will have to be found at some point – the white sack is a bit obvious - but not just now (too much else to do).

In the veg beds I’m trying not to dig out existing weeds, but some digging will be necessary in that bottom corner to control the encroaching lily of the valley, and up at the other end I need to remove the alkanet that has self-seeded.  It’s an attractive plant with blue flowers – properly blue, not the ‘purple-going-on-blue’ that you see on so many plants, and I leave it to flower for the bees, but it’s a bit of a thug and I need to be ruthless.  Generally, though, the 'no dig' practice does seem to be keeping weeds down; I just need to extend that practice to the outer edges of the plot!

Above all this activity, the hazel trees – which provide a fairly effective screen between the veg plot and the Dump – are giving a great display of catkins; long and pale gold in the sun.  The catkins look good in a vase with snowdrops, but they do shed a lot of pollen on the tablecloth.

Up in the greenhouse, the sweet pea seeds have been – rather belatedly – sown; whereas I would normally put them in the cold frame, this year I’ve tucked them up in an unheated propagator on the greenhouse staging.  Once planted out in their outdoor positions (probably in the two pots near the back door, which has been successful for the past couple of years), I’ll sow some more seeds alongside, for succession of flowering – and to replace any that don’t come up first time!

Sweet peas, all nicely tucked up