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

End of mild January

Helleborus x hybridus

More colour is developing in the garden: the winter aconites are starting to bloom, and the two hellebores (Helleborus x hybridus) near the back door are showing their first flowers.  The garden is slowly starting to wake up again!

 

Winter aconites

As January draws to a close, I’m gradually getting back to gardening, with the garlic and shallots going into the veg plot.  I still can’t bend down properly so the rows are going to be a little wobbly and some of the cloves aren’t as upright as they ought to be, but still ….  There are two short rows of the newly purchased garlic ‘Kingsland Wight’ and two rows of the old ‘Edenrose’, plus two rows of shallots; and an old sheet of fleece over the top, to let them root without being tweaked out by the birds. 

Talking of birds, it was the Big Garden Birdwatch this past weekend.   We had a good showing across the species, with four blackbirds and three robins (and of course ten sparrows).  There was even a quick sighting of a song thrush; a mistle thrush turned up earlier in the afternoon, but not during the one-hour ‘watch’ period, so wasn’t included.  There were a chaffinch, goldfinch and two long-tailed tits as well, plus the usual woodpigeons, collared doves, blue tit and dunnock.  No pheasants or woodpeckers, unusually, nor any starlings or wrens, but it wasn’t a bad count.

There were three red kites wheeling above the field behind us this morning; presumably they are pairing up as well.

It has been rather blustery and chilly, but the two recent storms hit much further north, and the weather hasn’t been especially cold for the time of year, with a couple of days being decidedly mild.  Are we going to get a winter?

Spring in winter

As the days get longer, nature starts moving towards spring, even though the coldest days of the winter are probably still to come. The January weather has been relatively mild for the time of year, on the dry side and with no serious wind.  There have been some chilly days and some frosty nights – the max-min thermometer outside the back door registered -4C the other night – but on one sunny day last week there was a definite touch of warmth in the sunshine.  Altogether it’s more early spring than midwinter at the moment, and animal and plant life is responding accordingly.

Some of the dahlias are still in the ground outside, with the remains of the panicum collapsed on top of them; I’m hoping that that might help protect the dahlia tubers from the worst of the cold.  (I am gradually progressing towards being physically able to bend down and dig them out.)  The panicum is rather dishevelled but modestly pleasing in a Piet Oudolf sort of way; it’s not my preferred look for the garden, but it’s better than the straggly strands of old couch grass that prevail in some other parts of the borders.

Galanthus elwesii

The early spring flowers are starting to put on a show; although the first snowdrop to open was one of the Galanthus atkinsii, the first clump to be in full bloom was the G. elwesii under the purple-leaved prunus.  The big hellebore in the front garden is showing a few flowers, and the winter honeysuckle (Lonicera x purpusii) is looking – and smelling – good.  (It really needs hacking back; it’s a big sprawling shrub which frankly has little to offer for much of the year, but its little scented flowers through the winter and the fresh new foliage in the early spring earn it its keep.)  And in the veg plot, the Rhubarb ‘Timperley Early’ is starting to push up its first stalks.

First hellebore flowers

Winter honeysuckle

The rhubarb coming to life

There are also definite signs of spring in the bird world, rather earlier than normal.  What I take to be the usual two patio robins – the thin one and the plump ‘Christmas card’ robin – seem to have paired up again and are regularly feeding together, and there have been another two at the opposite side of the house, by the garage.  The sparrows that nest above our bedroom window are already refurbishing their home.  Usually at this time of year we occasionally see birds, particularly sparrows, picking up a feather or blade of grass, as though they have a vague notion that this will be useful to them in due course but they’re not quite sure how, before dropping it and going on their way regardless; but this year there is definite building work going on, with strands of grass left hanging out of the gutter and the odd dropped feather drifting slowly down past the window.  Lefty the lame pigeon is still coming regularly to the patio for breakfast, but his lady is now coming too; perhaps they’re also thinking of nesting? 

Down beyond the bottom fence, the pile of big branches from the big ash tree is still lying in the field; the contractors may be leaving them until the ground dries out enough for heavy machinery to come and move them.  The wildlife seems to be enjoying them; one day there was a small flock of finches (chaffinches, goldfinches and a few greenfinches) poking around in the grass around them, a blackbird (we have several at the moment) perched on top and a wren fossicking about in the pile.  Fieldfares are making the most of the windfall apples, a pair of mistle thrushes sometimes perch in the trees and the long-tailed tit family call by the fatball feeder from time to time.  Next weekend is the Big Garden Birdwatch, and I hope we’ll have a good turnout for that.

The birds' swimming pool

Speaking of woodpiles, the firewood stack saved from the felling of the tree on our drive has provided an unexpected amenity for the birds.  The wood is covered by an old blue tarpaulin to stop it getting too wet, with various weights on top to keep everything in place (no gales this year yet, but it’s only a matter of time).  Because of the irregular shape of the stack, there are dips and hollows in the tarpaulin, and one of these has filled with rainwater, creating an ideal bathtub for pigeons and the odd blackbird.  It’s even the right colour for a swimming pool.  It wasn’t our intention to create a lido for the birds, but they’re welcome to enjoy it.

Opening 2022

Open or not?

It was a relatively warm start to 2022; a mild December finished with the warmest New Year’s Eve ever recorded (16C / about 62F in London) and 2022 began with the warmest recorded New Year’s Day (17C / about 63F n London).  Not quite so warm here, of course, but still well above the norm.  This was followed by a few days of much chillier weather, with a couple of frosts overnight, and now things are swinging back to single figures C during the day.

The mild weather was evident when I went out to count the number of species with open flowers on 1^st January.  Of course, it depends on what you consider to be an open flower.  One of the early snowdrops (the Galanthus atkinsii down by the summerhouse) was showing the outside of its flower but wasn’t yet actually opened; but really, you can’t see inside a snowdrop flower anyway unless you get right down to its level, so does it count or not?   Let’s say not, in which case there were 15: the usual winter shrubs:winter jasmine (jasminum nudiflorum), winter honeysuckle (lonicera purpusii), the winter viburnums, especially Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’, Mahonia ‘Winter Sun’ and the rosemary; several out-of-season blooms on the senecio (or whatever it’s called nowadays); a few blooms on some of the hardier perennials: Comfrey ‘Hidcote Pink’, the little red chrysanthemums, the alpine strawberries, some rocket running to seed, and one flower on each of the purple/blue campanula by the drive (one of the spreaders - portenschlagiana or poscharskyana?) and the vinca major in the wall; as well as a few weeds: daisies, euphorbia palustris, and meadow grass.  And a day or so later a creeping buttercup flowered in the lawn.

I discounted a few plants with summer 2021 flowers still hanging on grimly, but in too poor condition to be reasonably regarded as ‘flowering’: the rose ‘Blush Noisette’, the gazanias (now moved into the greenhouse for protection from the frosts) and a couple of antirrhinums.  Likewise a number of early-flowering plants were showing well-developed buds: the snowdrops as mentioned above, the hellebores and the choisya.  And the first daffodil leaves are nosing up in the lawn just beyond the buddleja; some supports have been put in place to stop me walking on them.

The birds have been visiting in search of food, especially on the colder days.  They are mostly the regulars – good numbers of blue and great tits especially – though a brambling dropped by one morning.  A pied wagtail was around one afternoon, scrapping with one of the robins, and a long-tailed tit (they haven’t been much in evidence these past few weeks) came to the fatball feeder one day.  A tawny owl was calling the other evening from somewhere very close.  We have three robins in the garden, and two of them are starting to tolerate each other’s presence as a preliminary stage in their courtship; while we still have to ride out the worst of the winter, they are obviously already starting to think ahead to spring!

The turn of the year

 

Mahonia 'Winter Sun', brightening up the garden

It’s been a funny old year in several ways, and not a great one in this garden – but I’ve said a lot about that in recent posts, so I won’t repeat it here.  Suffice to say that my gardening New Year resolution is to get back to basics and sort out the important stuff first and foremost.  There have been a couple of sunny afternoons this week which have got me outdoors again and making a start on the overdue clearing-up jobs in the greenhouse and garden: cutting up and composting plants such as the tomato plants (which had been surviving – just – on the damp atmosphere in the greenhouse without watering), unusable brassica plants (there are still a couple of usable cabbages and developing broccoli spears) and the fallen climbing beans, and spreading the used tomato-bag compost on one of the veg beds. 

The weather this year wasn’t great either; nothing extremely dramatic, but there were long periods of static weather systems that were either not at all typical for the time of year or not at all helpful to the gardener.  The year started cold and, except for a couple of unseasonably warm weeks in February and again at the end of March, it remained mostly cold through to near the end of May, April being very dry and May being very wet.  The summer brought a spell of heat in July, but also some chilly weather, and there was little sun in August; the autumn gave us some very wet and windy weather in October, although September wasn’t too bad and November was overall milder and less damp than usual.  There was wind and snow at the end of November, then December has been mostly misty, murky and mizzly, unusually mild but with very little sun, and in the last few days quite windy. 

Some plants have been enjoying the recent mild weather and a few are putting out new shoots, and the winter shrubs are all flowering well. The forecast is for rather colder but a little drier weather in early January, which might make it easier to tackle more jobs in the garden.  Happy 2022!