New Year flowers

2024 started wet.  After a few weeks of very rainy weather, the ground was sodden; there were (and still are) the inevitable floods in the usual flood-prone places, but fortunately we’re on much better-draining ground.  The downpours eased a day or two into the new year, and we’re now having a week of dry, cold and frosty weather (to be replaced by milder temperatures and more rain and gales at the weekend).

Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn'

I managed to get outside briefly to do my usual New Year’s Day flower count, which produced a measly 9 plants.  There were the five stalwarts: winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum), winter honeysuckle (Lonicera purpusii), Mahonia ‘Winter Sun’, doing its best to live up to its name, despite the dismal weather, viburnums (both V. tinus ‘Gwenllian’ and V. x bodnantense ‘Dawn’) and rosemary.  But the cold spell earlier in the winter has knocked back nearly all the plants that sometimes have a bloom or two hanging on from the previous year’s flowering, except the Vinca major in the front wall, which has a couple of flowers on it.  There were some early spring flowerers that had got their act together in time: two primula plants by the entrance to the drive, and the snowdrops (Galanthus elwesii) by the pond.  And some meadow grass, which flowers pretty much all year round, weather permitting; but that was all.  As usual, there were a few ‘nearly there’s: the hellebores by the terrace, and a speedwell plant in bud; a reminder that 2024 flowering is already under way!  I’ve already crunched a few daffodil shoots underfoot at the side of the lawn, and marked them off to remind me to tread more carefully there.  There are even tulips (‘Exotic Emperor’, an early variety) nosing up through the compost, and orchid foliage showing in the grass.

Nearly there: hellebores in bud

I’m looking towards the Big Garden Birdwatch later this month and keeping an eye on what species we have visiting, apart from the usual suspects.  We have at least five blackbirds battling it out over the apples, in competition with a fieldfare; three bullfinches (two males and a female) have been hanging around, and occasional goldfinches and a chaffinch.  A kestrel was being seen off by a crow the other day, and three buzzards did a fly-over of the garden this afternoon.