Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day fell earlier this week, so I thought it would be interesting to see what is currently in flower in the Pennine garden. It was not hard to find quite an array of blooms in a multitude of colours. Quite a selection to lift anyone's 💖💕

J Parker's, the garden supplies specialist, reminds us that the occasion is synonymous with the start of Spring and the gardener's year. 

St. Valentine’s Day, popularly known as Valentine’s Day, is celebrated as the lovers day every year all over the world on February 14. The celebration of this day is thought to have originated from a Roman festival called ‘Lupercalia’, which celebrated the start of their springtime. Later on, the festival changed into a Christian celebration where they decided to use it to remember St Valentine too, and gradually, St Valentine’s name started to be used by people to express their feelings to those they loved.

Now its time to peruse that catalogue.......

Top tip : start your planning early, there is little that is more frustrating than having missed the boat to sow those early seeds or even to get your mail order garden essentials in good time

Time for Action

The blog has been dormant for a while but this has only been a reflection of a lack of opportunity to get outside into the garden. I would like to blame the BBC for setting the trend of hibernation, taking Gardener's World and Beechgrove off our screens for the duration of the dark months but the reality is a combination of bleak weather and being largely confined to the indoors has limited my activity.

This is not to say that I have been idle but rather taking it a little easier. Key jobs have of course been done. The shed has been tidied, tools sharpened, the conservatory deep cleaned and the first seeds have been sown. 

However, inspired by some beautiful late afternoons and seeing the buds beginning to emerge will undoubtedly re-energise the horticulturalist in me. It certainly seems that Hecate and Mili have missed the big outdoors. So roll on spring.