A pretty Pulmonaria bloom
At last a pleasant couple of hours in the garden. I really struggle at this time of year as with the short days I only get weekends to garden and then I have to do the weekly household chores first so gardening time is very precious.
I set off with the intention of preparing the ground to move a shrub which is driving me mad. It is in direct view of the living room window and is just wrong for the spot. I know where I want to move it to but of course this means moving other plants and so on. I should have done all this in the Autumn but time ran away and we had an early fall of snow. I decided that regardless of the timing I was going to get on with it so the first plant to be moved was a Helleborus foetidus (Stinking Hellebore). It has been moved up the garden to a woodland area I have been creating around a Prunus tree. It looks so much better in its new home which is a bonus. I hope it doesn’t sulk too long.
Of course instead of completing the job I became distracted with what was coming up in the garden, clearing leaves etc from around bulbs, cutting back old flower stems. I then decided that the spring bulbs would look much better against a mulch of compost. I discovered a Pulmonaria in flower and some Christmas Roses slowly unfurling. I was thrilled to see evidence that I haven’t lost my Eranthis which was a relief as everyone else seem to have been enjoying their flowers for a few weeks. Primulas are also beginning to reappear as are my Lobeilia Cardinalis and Delphiniums so I have applied a judicious amount of slug pellets. I often do this as if I believe that it gives the plants a real chance to get going rather than battling with the slugs later on in the year. It seems to work as my hostas are generally untouched.
Eranthis beginning to appear
I was particularly thrilled to discover a big fat red bud on my Tree Peony. I bought the plant last year at the Malvern Spring Show, planted it and then discovered it had died back. I thought I had neglected it and to be honest I was incredibly upset as the plant was not cheap and I was annoyed at my stupidity. However, I am an optiminst at heart and so I carefully potted up the sad looking stick and tucked it into a corner of the patio. It got covered with snow and was frosted but today there are distinct signs that I didn’t fail to look after it and all will be well.
Oh dear!!
Less promising is my Phormium much admired by Anna at Green Tapestry though she may change her mind now! It has been outside for some years and survived the snow last year and this but then we had two days of extremely cold and driving winds and I think this was just too much for it. I am hoping that it will re-shoot so when the cold weather is on the wane I will cut back the damaged growth and see what happens. Also my new Pittosporum is looking incredibly sorry for itself so this too may be a casualty.
Oh well you can’t win them all I suppose and loses can lead to new space and new opportunities.
Sounds like quality gardening time. Sorry for the losses, with the very harsh Winter I suppose it was always probable that a few marginally hardy plants would go the way of the legendary parrot, but it sounds as if you have loads of lovely harbingers of Spring. Brilliant that the Tree Peony looks set to survived and thrive. There’s something deeply satisfying about mulching a bed with compost, it looks so neat and you know the plants will love you for it. Have a good week, and roll on those light evenings!
Hi Janet – I am thrilled that the Tree Peony looks set to thrive especially considering it has really gone through it this winter. I should be more patient!!
So exciting to see little babies like the eranthus pushing its way up through the soil. Too bad about your phormium, though I’m jealous you could keep one in the ground at all – I’ve got a couple in pots, now sheltering in my dining room! As you say, it could be an opportunity for something new though.
Hi – I’m still hoping the Phormium will pull through. I’m not clearing away the dead growth until the weather improves as I am hoping it will protect the crown and magically new growth will appear!!
I am a little obsessive when it come to moving plants. I have a hellebore in mind and when conditions are right, I know just the right place for it.
Everything is frozen at the moment.
I’m not too bad at moving plants but the trouble if I always come up with the solution late at night and by the morning I have forgotten what should move where!!
Sad about the losses but as you say maybe it gives a planting opportunity! I think I’ve lost the Cordaline I planted in autumn 2009. It wasn’t all that happy after last winter and really we didn’t have a lot of cold weather last year. The temperatures are back to hovering around zero again now, though it was the minus 6 or minus 8 that seems to have done for the Cordaline. Christina
Hello Helen, i have to confess to being rather jealous of your pulmonaria, one of my favourites but i have seen none so far this year…sorry about the phormium..ours have survived well which considering the winter is good luck…heres hoping for the tree paeony….
Dear Helen, What excitement with the newly shooting plants in your garden. Do not give up on even the most dead looking individuals for at least several months since I have found even the most unpromising plants have sprung to life for no apparent reason. I do so love the Eranthis and think that it is a good idea to cluster your early spring plants together since they make a wonderful show when grown in drifts.
I’m not surprised your tree peony is showing signs of life. The plants themselves are extremely tough and hardy. The blooms, on the other hand…
hello, you have a lot coming through, re your Phormium I don’t think the wind would do the damage as I garden on the outer Hebrides, we get many gale force winds in winter some last for several days yet Phormiums are a plant that does well here, however we never get as cold as the mainland not even as cold as south east England were my family are so I think it was the cold December, like Edith says though leave until well into summer before deciding as the root could well be thriving under ground, Frances
Oh no Helen ~ I am weeping into my bedtime cocoa at the sight of the phormium
Keeping my fingers crossed that it pulls through and dazzles again. Glad that your tree peony is o.k. I have lost a pittosporum too 