Anticipation, from the wisdom of Winnie the Pooh to Aristotle

“Well," said Pooh, "what I like best," and then he had to stop and think. Because although eating honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called.”

 A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

It is abundantly clear that the garden is about to spring into life. I can practically hear the blossom about to burst forth. The anticipation is palpable and the plants overwintered in the conservatory are simply aching to get into the soil. They have been given regular daytime hours outside on the patio but the cold nights have necessitated them being brought back indoors. But patience must prevail over the sense of anticipation. It would be a shame to leave the half hardy and tender plants outside to suffer the ravages of our unusually cold spring. So I will leave the top tip to Aristotle

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” 

Spring Foliage

Foliage is an element in the garden which should never be underestimated. Colour is undoubtedly eye catching but is frequently ephemeral and sometimes elusive. A fickle spell of weather can scupper the best planned flower schemes. However, foliage is far more often, reliable, longer lasting and with an infinite variety.

The little raised bed by the upper bench is dominated by the laburnum tree but it is underplanted with an eclectic mix of shade loving plants. Admittedly, there are some primroses in bloom but for me the star of the show has to be the contrasting leaf shapes, sizes and hues. What I also appreciate is the different leaf textures. Rough, waxy, hairy, ridged, smooth they can also be very tactile. They do coincidentally, at least in the Pennine garden, provide a convenient feline hiding place where a watchful eye can be kept for neighbouring bandits looking to invade their territory!

A garden designed with foliage as a first principle will prove to be a less fickle mistress and virtually guaranteed to deliver. 

Top tip: when designing or replanting a patch of your garden think about the impact the foliage can have, either the stand alone effect of the plant leaves or the intriguing combinations which can be created.

Heuchera Green Spice

 

April Snow

When snow falls in the middle weeks of spring it can cause of few concerns. Accumulations on plants with new growth can be damaging, so this morning I was out brushing away the snow piles from the more delicate plants. Of course, I did have two helpers, both of whom needed a human to show how to negotiate a path through the cold wet white stuff.

Top tip: It’s always wise to remove heavy snow that accumulates on your plants before it freezes and breaks or deforms the branches. Gently lift branches upward (if need be with a broom) and shake the snow off, starting near the top of the plant. If snow has already frozen on the branches, or if there’s ice, it’s best to wait until temperatures rise above freezing.

Trees and shrubs with horizontal branching tend to be less susceptible to snow and ice damage. Most conifers, including juniper, yew, spruce, and pine, have relatively flexible branches and are well adapted to shedding snow before it becomes so heavy that it breaks branches. Multistem shrubs and trees, and those with narrow upright branching, can be seriously harmed when heavy accumulations pull branches apart. Some gardeners go further and tie the stems of such shrubs together which can reduce winter damage. But prevention is a better approach: prune properly, and maintain your plants so that they develop strong branching that resists winter injury.

However, not much can be done for some spring flowers, the daffodils have taken a bruising.

     

So while today there was a temptation to linger outside and enjoy the sunshine the indoor jobs were calling.

          

Nice Surprises

Those of us who have a garden or outdoor space of our own are indeed very lucky. We get to know our patch with an intimate detail. We might think that this knowledge would preclude us from unexpected surprises but this is far from the reality.  Nature has a way of invading, wildlife has a habit of making itself welcome and the weather has a power to change everything.

The secret is to embrace all these influences, to enjoy the dynamisms and to not become disheartened when, bindweed, badgers and bad weather take their toll, to quote Kipling,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, 
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools

Whilst I might sometimes feel like a worn out tool, there are so many pick me ups to be discovered every day. Even in these fraught Covid ridden times you do not have to look far to spot something to gladden the heart. These primroses have decided that the corner of the steps will make a good home....

..... the birds are preparing and checking the suitability of our garden 

..... and finally, I have finished building my new cold-frame, my excuse for the dearth of new posts in recent weeks!

Winter into Spring part 2

 Winter has been largely wet, icy, cold, snowy and grey. The garden has been somewhat neglected for a few weeks. But at last the Spring seems to be close. 

However, even on the gloomiest of days, the garden can still be alluring for humans and felines alike. 

     

      

The winter aconites and iris reticulata are bringing colour and life back into the garden. On a bright day their colours are magical. 

“A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.” 

Francis of Assisi

Top tip: winter aconites can take a while to establish, be patient, ours took about 3 years to get going properly. 

Historically, the winter aconite was identified with the classical aconite, a poisonous herb dedicated to Hecate, a moon goddess in Greek mythology teaching witchcraft and sorcery. 

Winter into Spring part 1

It seems like I write a little piece about the snowdrops every year. I will not be making an exception this year. This is because it was so interesting to see the pollinators at work this afternoon, flitting between the dazzling white blooms, which are still going strong in late February. They are caught on video below, the additional background track is supplied by Mili who was, as usual, by my shoulder when filming.

Despite the prolonged period of snow these tough little flowers have done their stuff again this year.

        

Oh No Bunny!

One of my favourite garden writers and columnists is Bunny Guinness. Her knowledgeable and erudite articles, her varied media commitments (including over 20 years on  Gardeners Question Time) as well as her many landscape garden creations put my modest efforts into perspective. Bunny's You Tube insights into her own garden are just a delight to view.

However, it is highly likely that if any two randomly sampled gardeners were to compare detailed notes, there would be a world of differences, in approach, plant selections methods and philosophy. This is because there is an infinite number of ways of approaching and tending our gardens. So it should be no surprise that there is at least one matter that I must take issue with when comparing my approach to that of Bunny's. 

In last Saturdays Telegraph supplement Bunny reiterated that she had a love hate relationship (my words) with her local wildlife. In the past she has used a four strand tensile electric fence to keep out the badgers, a squirrel trap to humanely kill nuisance grey squirrels and has endorsed the killing of moles on GQT (or at least employing your dog as a mole guard!). It is understandable that she might be very wary of local wildlife incursions onto her garden, given her very difficult episode with Lyme disease. It is testament to her courage and determination that she remains a steadfast outdoors woman but I would be firm in my view that we can all share our outdoor spaces with the neighbouring fauna.

Of course, it is a little easier for me to say, given that our garden is by design a little wild and woolly around the edges. Bunny has a pristine garden befitting of her reputation and likely to showcase her skills to prospective clients. It is less difficult for me to cope with the constant lawn repairs caused by badger scraping, the tubs with a covering of chicken wire to deter squirrels from excavating the bulbs or young saplings with their own protective enclosure to ensure the deer don't strip them prematurely bare.

The compromise therefore comes with the aesthetics. It is surprising how with time you cease to notice (as much) the array of chicken wire defences. When the new shed was finally, erected last week (replacing the cheap and cheerful 33 year old model), I was proud to do the dismantling in the quietest manner possible. I had organized with the supplier for a minimal disturbance delivery. So the badger set which lives beneath the shed was (hopefully) subject to the minimum of human disturbance. 

So whilst the badgers may be exasperating at times and they do make inroads into our invaluable earthworm population, they do also enjoy the occasional slug and snail. But above all they are welcome to share our space..... with the deer..... the squirrels..... the odd shrew.... fox..... and a multitude of bird, insect and amphibian wildlife.