February is such a trying month… Far enough away from Christmas to be boring with the cold and wet upon us and not enough light to make a massive difference. January has the advantage of being an exciting start to a new year. February is simply what comes between January and spring.
The garden looks grey – fallen leaves abound. This month we have had plenty of breeze and masses of tree fall and have even lost a tree, which always makes me sad. The grass is just starting to grow, but not enough to make a difference, with Ghillie’s tummy being perpetually covered in mud. His tracks through the house are easily spotted from the muddy paw prints…
Of course, we are having a very mild spell, with things rustling and budding. Slowly the garden is just starting to come to life.
I worry that the ‘Beast from the East’ will visit sometime again in March and scorch all these brave blossoms and bulbs who clearly think that it is the right time to put in an appearance. The sound of bird song is deafening…
Here are some of my picks – Sarah helped me with the photographs – of some of the courageous fellows who are springing into life and they are so welcome…
Periwinkle – with its vivid blue flower winding around a fallen tree stump which we have left by the Foxes’ home.
This inelegant basket goes everywhere with me. We are starting to weed and clear beds and to remind them of the fact that last year they had edges! We are also starting to plant. Saturday saw a camellia and some bluebells – orphans from a garden where they were no longer needed.
Our camellia in the top garden. This lovely red is just starting to flower and will be fab in a few weeks.
Crocuses are splendid things. They spread like crazy and with their vivid colours their flowers look like spinnakers billowing.
The magnolia in the top garden is starting to bud. See the lichen – moss and the like loves it here. Apparently it speaks of pure air and no pollution.
Cyclamen are cheerful fellows and we have whites, reds and some of these lovely pink fellows pepping up the garden.
Primroses are my very favourite. These are natural and are all over the place. I am afraid that they grow wherever they like because I just love them.
This white camellia with delicate pink fleck, comes from the very first clearance of the top garden and was replanted as a twig. He is now a stately fellow that grows like crazy and needs an annual haircut to stop him getting out of hand.
Pulmonaria – so pretty but needs to be taken in hand to stop him running wild.
With things now looking up the race is on to finish the new area around my lovely compost, plant wild flowers in the bottom meadow – a wild area that Simon has culled and to finish the planting in the entrance to the work area. How exciting!
Contact sue.grant@fernslodge.co.uk.