February round up.

It’s been a busy month starting with the first snowdrops finally appearing and ending with the first daffodil!

I have pruned – wisteria, apple trees, various shrubs and lots and lots of roses.

Standing about and thinking has occurred as I ponder what needs to be dug out and what could be moved. Work has also begun on actual digging and moving too!

There has still been a bit of cutting back to do of the last perennials and deciduous grasses ready for the new growth which is now happening.

The weather has been typically British, ranging from snow to warm enough to cut grass in a t-shirt but mostly grey and cold. Not forgetting storm Doris which caused a bit of disruption too!

Seeds have been sown, seedlings have grown and seed beds have been prepared ready for planting out next month, hopefully. And slugs have appeared right on cue to have an early salad  grr!

So far so good, the gardens are under control but with a long list of jobs for next month which is only tomorrow. Just as I get bored of snowdrops the next phase arrives, here come the daffodils and anemones!

Here we go again.

Two weeks on from my last post and things are definitely moving. Having eagerly awaited and documented, see instagram, the first snowdrops the masses are now flowering and at their most perfect right now. With some unseasonably warm weather at the beginning of the week and a storm forecast for the end I am not sure how long they will last but I am enjoying seeing them on roadside verges and gardens,  popping up all over the place.

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

The aconites are looking pretty good too!

In the flower borders I have been ruthlessly digging out plants, ok pink geraniums, which are taking over and moving other bits around to try and add a bit of variety. I do this every year but have so far still ended up with a sea of pink come June. Let’s hope that this year is more successful. In amongst the geraniums, I have been pleased to see lots of tulips emerging. They have been in a few years now so are doing well.

Tulips – yay!

Also very happy to see day lilies, irises, poppies and very, very happy to see crown imperials  (fritillaria).

Not so happy to see vine weevils in the geranium roots. I will have to take this into account when choosing new plants as they prefer some to others. I have dug out the sedum and potted up to put somewhere else as they are a particular favourite with their fleshy roots. So a morning of squashing grubs, they squirt quite far if you squeeze hard!!

Meanwhile in the veg plot better news, the vegetable beds have had plenty of muck added (thanks Trevor!) and the soil is warming up nicely. I have finally made a proper cage for the broccoli so all we need now are some purple sproutings,  and begun sowing seeds in the greenhouse and my own little  polytunnel.

I keep consulting my lists but there is only one more week of February left and I have the feeling that it may be harder to stick to the plan once everything is growing like crazy.

Quite a bit has been sown and Cavalo kale, komatsuna,  speedy salad leaves, radish and cornflowers are up as well as an unlabelled pot of seedings on my windowsill, plan what plan?  I am hoping that there will be something to pick in the pub garden in a few weeks, but you never know we could well go back to winter before it is really spring and I really shouldn’t get too carried away.

More snowdrops to finish, doubles this time, and I’m ready for the next show. I do love the seasons – bring on the daffodils!

Early February

 

What a relentlessly cold and grey week! I even postponed my birthday celebrations until it warms up a bit, so I haven’t been very enthusiastic about leaving the house in the morning but work goes on. I have continued with pruning climbing roses, tying them in and  saving a few stems from the deadly wire ties.

To cheer myself up a bit and get out of the rain, I sowed some seeds in the unheated greenhouse even though it is still too cold. Cornflowers for the edible flower beds and salad leaves, chicory and radish for the pub veg garden.

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

In another garden, the polytunnel is now ready to go and I found a hedgehog under a pile of leaves in a border.

I can’t resist an overgrown garden, especially one so close to home so here we go again with before and after photos. So far 2 1/2 hours and two wet knees has resulted the the kind of transformation I like but there is loads more to do and the box hedges need reducing by half in all directions at least.

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

It’s supposed to be getting warmer this week!