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SUMMER AND SOWING

This weekend the clocks go forward, and for us gardeners is the best time of the year because it means that at last the light has caught up with all our instincts to get out there and garden for as long as possible - Monty Don on Gardener's World.

How right you are Mr Don, and contrary to an earlier post I have been enjoying the gardening coming from your very large patch at Longmeadow.

I know I am going to be envious of your Dahlias come Autumn!

For well over a week now the UK has been basking in the most glorious sunshine, and today has been no exception and an excellent day for making a start on seed sowing - Beetroot, Tomato, Sweet Pea, Nasturtium, Calendula, and Morning Glory.

The seeds I ordered from Thompson and Morgan arrived yesterday, just in time for the weekend - Runner Bean Lady Di, Beetroot Kestrel, Tomato Vilma, Nasturtium climbing mixed and Patty Pan mixed with Cerinthe major Purpurascens to follow.

I also cut back and tidied foliage around the garden, and potted up cuttings from Coreopsis and Scabious - a simple and cost effective way of increasing stocks of perennial plants.



I love the colours of lemon and lime together, inside and outside.

Looking positively zingy and zesty in the sunshine have been the colourful blooms of the Mahonia and bracts of the Euphorbia.

Two seven-spot Ladybirds and butterflies of all colours have been emerging into the sunshine, a Comma, Holly Blue and Small White.

Also visiting, a pair of Goldcrests and the welcome return of Greenfinches to the garden.

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IN SPRINGTIME

I've been left feeling rather deflated after Friday night's Gardener's World - not sure why, I've been eagerly awaiting the return of Monty Don to the show for weeks.

Toby Buckland, Alys Fowler and Greenacre are no more, and the programme is now being filmed from Monty's own garden in Herefordshire.

It may be because having spent many hours thumbing through the pages, and drooling over the beautiful colour plates in his books The Jewel Garden and The Ivington Diaries, I'm already too familiar with the garden?

Having loved the garden at Berryfields, and being a big fan of Monty Don's approach to gardening, I'm sure to feel different once the season gets underway.

It's early days.

I'd be interested to know your thoughts?



I spent an hour or so this afternoon working on my Spring border - splitting Snowdrops in the green, and planting Honesty, plants grown from seed by my Dad.

Purple Honesty thrives in his garden of chalky soil, but up until now I haven't had much luck with this plant in my rich loamy soil.

It's Latin name is Lunaria, deriving from the moon because of its round and silvery looking seedpod.



This morning we had drizzle and light rain showers - it's been quite dull with short spells of sunshine breaking through this afternoon.

The beautiful lime-green Corsican Hellebore has enjoyed a good soaking.



The Spring border is on a bank which faces North, and sits opposite our workshop wall - it's not in complete shade, and gets morning sun from the East and evening sun from the West.

First to appear are Snowdrops, followed by Primula vulgaris, Hellebores and Euphorbia - I may be tempted to introduce some Crocus next year?

I'm not a fan of bulbs in borders, there's too much danger when digging in for other plants with a trowel.

So as not to disturb the Snowdrop bulbs, I surround each clump with chunky bark pieces, which also adds a more woodland feel to the area.



Whilst working, this lone Sparrow sat above - of course as soon as I came back inside the whole group (host) decide to come out of the hedgerow.

A bit nervous, or camera shy perhaps!

I could also hear a loud hum of Buff Tail Bumblebees - both on the Winter Clematis and on the bank, where they are happy to nest underground.



The Forsythia is not the only yellow shrub in Spring in my garden - there's Mahonia Japonica and Winter Jasmine which has just about gone over now.

I have two large clumps of drumstick Primula in pots coming into bud, and miniature Daffodils planted along the wall edge - though I notice many this year are coming up blind.


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There's colour appearing on the rockery too.
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This tiny flowered white plant is pretty rampant, and if allowed will quite happily spread a mossy blanket of green across the whole area.
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Soon purple Aubrietia will be in full bloom, amongst self-seeded(!) yellow Celandine.

I'm finding myself starting to like these out of focus colour blur pics!


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All nature seems at work, slugs leave their lair,
The bees are stirring, birds are on the wing,
And Winter, slumbering in the open air,
Wears on his smiling face a dream of Spring!
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In Springtime - by S T Coleridge

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HOW TO GROW YOUR OWN

If your passing a Robert Dyas store, pick up a copy of this.

It's a 24-page, one-stop guide to tasty home grown crops.

As well as advertising their gardening products, inside are concise articles, hints 'n tips, recipes and money-off vouchers.

On the centrefold is a Grow Your Own pull out and keep planner showing the best times to sow, plant and harvest.

All this, and it's free!

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IN FEBRUARY

The frozen ground is broken
Where snowdrops raise their heads
And nod their tiny greeting
In glades and garden beds.

The frozen stream is melted
The white brook turns to brown
And foaming through the coppice
Flows helter skelter down.

The frozen air is golden
With February sun
The winter days are over
Oh, has the Spring begun?

P A Ropes

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WINTER JASMINE

A pretty shrub to brighten up the garden in the bleak of midwinter is Jasminum nudiflorum, commonly known as Winter Jasmine.

You may well think it ordinary, but do you know of the interesting history it has?



More often than not these days I find myself snapping away with the camera, when I really should be gardening!

I like the blurry effect these two photos have taken on.

You could compare the yellowness of the Jasmine to a Summer's day - William Shakespeare Sonnet 18.

Happy St Valentines Day!

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THE DARKENING GARDEN

Where have all the colours gone?



Red of roses, green of grass
Brown of tree-trunk, gold of cowslip
Pink of poppy, blue of cornflower
Who among you saw them pass?







They have gone to make the sunset.







Broidered on the western sky
All the colours of our garden
Woven into a lovely curtain
O'er the bed where Day doth lie.



Anonymous

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PAWS FOR THOUGHT

I found a dead female Blackbird in my garden today.

Mauled.

It's now in the dustbin, carefully wrapped up in newspaper.

It's upsetting.

It's just nature's way.

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JANUARY

Good progress has been made in the garden this month.

With a lot of ivy pulling, cutting back and trips to the tip, the garden is looking much better for all our hard efforts.

My back is now killing me!



The top photo is Hawthorn.

The bare branches of the tree are noticably striking against the bright sunny skies we've been seeing this month, adding interest to the garden in Winter.

The photo above is Hazel.

I had been contemplating using it to join in with the Tree Year Project, but this along with the Hawthorn, are now in for a severe prune!

However, I shall be following Flighty over on his blog, as he watches his plot Hawthorn changing throughout the seasons, and Glo who is keeping a sharp eye on a Hazel.

In the meantime, I've signed the petition to Save England's Ancient Forests over on The Woodland Trust.



I've noticed too how the bare branches of Philadelphus are adding interest to the Winter garden ...



along with Grasses ...



and Rosehips.

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HAZEL CATKINS

Long male Hazel Catkins (also known as Lamb's Tails) as seen on a walk through Clapham Wood in January.


ooooooooooooooCicely Mary Barker

Click here for more photos from a walk in the woods.

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LOOKING IN FROM THE OUTSIDE

I'd rather be out than in.

Being outside is where my heart and soul really belong.

Guessing my love of the outdoors stems from my childhood, and from my Dad who chose an outdoor occupation, as a farmer.

My Dad liked to work alone, just as I like to be alone in my garden.

This is a place where I feel calm and relaxed. To just be me. A place where I can fully escape from the mundane in life. A place I love to be.

Even a heart-shape has formed all by itself in the shrubbery, to remind me of this.



I have missed being outside.

It's not like me to be absent from the garden, or my blog for so long.

Truth is, over the past seven weeks I've been fighting a bout of Laryngitis, and all the symptoms that go with it, and what with everyday life getting in the way too, there'd be zero energy left for the garden, or this blog.

I've felt happy to be back in the garden this past week.

The winter bees are back out too, happy to be buzzing around scented winter clematis.



Bronze carex
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A garden at this time of year, brings with it hope.
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With the prospect of warmth, bulbs will burst into growth, plants will flower, and birds will nest.
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Spring brings with it, new beginnings.

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Click on link above for more Today's Flowers.


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BLUE SALVIA

I like the garden at this time of year.

It comes alive again, replenished by increased rainfall.

The dry months of Summer do it no favours.

Blue Salvia.

I need no convincing.

This plant I really, and I mean really, love.



Salvia 'Black and Blue'.



Salvia 'Mystic Spires'.

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URBAN FOXES

Over the last month or so, I have seen what appears to be a young fox on a number of occasions just chilling in our garden border, lapping up late afternoon sunshine.

I do know that foxes have used our garden in the past. Evidence of tunnelling on the banks, holes dug in the soil, and calling cards left.

I once found a buried parsnip!

This fox looks a little undernourished, but it must have a food source close by.

Chickens!



Inbetween scavaging, this fox enjoys Basking.



Scratching!



Preening!



Sniffing!



Then sensing me from behind the curtains. It scats!



Now this is another fox, which appears older. Possibly a parent of the above?

The other evening we caught it peering in from outside the front door - the next day I disturbed it lying in a flower border close to the property, and today I opened up the back door and it was looking over from the garden bench.

The audacity!

This one doesn't seem nervous at all. For a wild animal it seems very tame, and casually trots away up the steps to the top of the garden. Where the grass snake lives!

What is your view on urban foxes?

I would not leave food for them, or water, but to be honest I can tolerate them around our garden, for now anyway.

Foxes belong in the countryside, but it looks like they are in and around our living space to stay.

Once I get a whiff of any major damage around the place, Ill turf the Renardine out the shed.

So any urban foxes who happen to be out there.

Beware!

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COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY

The female of the species, is much browner than the male.





These Common Blue butterflies have been enjoying a small space in my garden.

I'm glad I managed these photos. They sure were 'flitty'.

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GREENBOTTLE

They may not have a lot going for them, but a Greenbottle's metallic suit of many colours is nothing short of spectacular ...



and they appear to be good swimmers too.

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