Put a spring in your step

Do not despair!

Winter aconites in Auckland Castle grounds

Spring must be just around the corner for, despite the night frosts and the cold, bleak days, the birds are stealing the linings from hanging baskets and  scrambling amongst the planted tubs, yanking out winter pansies, in their desperate need to prepare for nest building whilst creating such an upset in their wake.

Hellebores emerging

Daffodil and tulip bulbs are popping up all over the borders and we have been anxiously awaiting Norman's annual visit to prune back the overgrown leylandii and the crown of the old holly bush etc before the birds have had time to built their nests.

Almost despairing - today, despite the cold and rain, All Seasons Arboralists did arrive with their wood-munching machine. Within a few hours they had transformed the overgrown tangle of trees and shrubs at the bottom of the garden into a smart peripheral hedge.  The rampant white rambling rose, Kiftsgate, has been tamed, allowing the ancient apple tree some respite from the rose's tortuous thorns.

I can't wait now for some dry weather to allow me the opportunity to tidy up the rest of the garden, spring-clean the summer house and begin to plant both flower and vegetable seeds in the cold greenhouse.
Gro-bags and compost have been ordered from Pollards Allotments so I'm all set to begin gardening in earnest in 2013.

More hellebores - much more advanced, growingin the shelter of iris foetissimus

The greenhouse was cleaned and disinfected some weeks ago. Unfortunately, in my enthusiasm to capture the emerging spring bulbs on camera, I'd popped said camera into the pocket of my fleece whilst sorting out the cleaning of the greenhouse and, while washing seed trays in Jeyes Fluid, I leaned over and my wonderful digital camera disappeared into the soapy depths! Hence the paucity of garden images in the last couple of weeks.

Shy hellebore flower in close-up

I promise to do better in the future and spring into action very soon.

White Rabbits

From being small,on the evening of the last day of February, just before going off to bed, my aunt used to  remind me that the following morning,1st March,  I was to walk downstairs backwards repeating 'white rabbits'. I never asked why and now I'll never know. It was only as I altered the kitchen calendar this morning that I realised that once again I'd forgotten to do it.

February has been a difficult month -

One day - a sunny yet frosty morning

The next - the garden smothered in snow

Even so, while we were huddled together trying to keep warm indoors, miracles were taking place underground.

The winter pansies shook off the snow and greeted Kathrine Hodgkin, a delightful form of iris reticulata.

If gardening doesn't teach us anything else it should teach us faith in a future - as a sign of hope the elegant snowdrop is hard to beat.

Pablo Cat 1994 - 2013

R.I.P. little pal

What do cats remember of days?

They remember the ways in from the cold,

The warmest spot, the place of food.

They remember the places of pain, their enemies,

the irritation of birds, the warm fumes of the soil,

the usefulness of dust.

They remember the creak of a bed, the sound

of their owner’s footsteps,

the taste of fish, the loveliness of cream.

Cats remember what is essential of days.

Letting all other memories go as of no worth

they sleep sounder than we,

whose hearts break remembering so many

inessential things.

                                         Brian Patten

A walk in the park

When North Winds do blow

It’s too cold to garden but the perfect time to take a walk in the park - Auckland Castle Park of course - which is what friend Elaine and I did a couple of weeks ago, in the snow.

View from the Deer House

Quite a few others had had the same idea, including, of all people, a man riding a unicycle! A walk last year in the snowy park elicited a skier which was fairly unusual for Bishop Auckland, but a unicycle in the snow was completely bizarre. 

Close-up of amazing  tree bark

We wanted to take photos of the trees draped in snow, but, ironically, the snow had only just peppered the trees so we concentrated on the deer house. 

Sadly, the Deer House is almost a deserted folly as deer are rarely to be seen although there are substantial herds at nearby Whitworth Hall and also some miles away at Raby Castle. In its heyday, the Bishops, their family and guests used to picnic in the tower of the Deer House while watching deer caring for their young in the central courtyard below.

View of  the roof tops of the Deer House

The future of the Bishops’ Park and Auckland Castle are now assured with their recent purchase by philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer. His plans to make Auckland Castle a major tourist attraction and a centre of ecclesiastical history are on target and - especially of interest to gardeners -  work on restoring the walled kitchen garden has already begun and, hopefully, the garden will be open to the public later this year.

Looking upwards in the Deer House

 

 

The Christmas Rose

Midwinter and the dead earth

Suddenly parts to give birth

To thick clusters of stiff flowers

Whiter than scattered pear tree showers,

Marble monuments or morning milk,

Smoother than pebbles or old silk,

I touch each blossom, where they lie

With polished leaves and golden eye,

The hellebores of the January snows,

The plant I call the Christmas Rose.

                                             Leonard Clark

Sign of optimism and hope in the depressing days of January

A New Year but 'second-hand' resolutions...

Dr Clare’s prescription …

A new year but second-hand resolutions as per the erudite, sadly late-lamented Dr Anthony Clare’s prescription for life:-

Cultivate a passion

A garden is for life,not just for lazy, summer days

Be part of something bigger than yourself

Glorious winter Viburnum - bringing memories of Mr Swan and his passion for gardening

Avoid introspection

Remember that wise old owl - the more he heard the less he spoke

                     

Don’t resist change

Bronze Fennel - in the wrong place in Pablo's garden?

Live for the moment

Enjoy Witch Hazel flowers with their delicious perfume whenever you have the opportunity

 Audit your happiness

Take stock - even in the dullest January Prunus Serula's glorious bark brings cheer

Play the part and be happy

Happiness is the way...

Happiness is the way

Shed no tear! O shed no tear!

The flowers will bloom another year.

Weep no more!  O weep no more!

Young buds sleep in the root’s white core.

                        From Faery Queen by John Keats  

Today's pansy basket - with its promise of delight to come in the in the new year ahead

Don’t evaluate your life in terms of achievements, trivial or monumental, along the way … Instead, wake up and appreciate everything you encounter along the path.

Enjoy the flowers that are there for your pleasure. Tune in to the sunrise, the little children, the laughter, the rain and the birds.

Drink it all in… there is no way to happiness;

Happiness is the way. 

                                               Dr Wayne W. Dyer

Pablo's Christmas outfit

Compliments of the Season and best wishes for 'happy gardening'     in 2013 

                           Pablo Cat.