Time flies

May has all but vanished in a cloud of frantic gardening catch-up sessions with no time to ‘stand and stare’ and formally document the changes taking place in Pablo’s garden. The care of the two new arrivals also takes time but it is time well rewarded as Portia and Estella are delightful and help to fill the gap left by Pablo.

I acquired a goodly number and selection of perennials from the Botanic Garden plant sale and, unusually for me, have actually planted them all out in the borders as I already had ear-marked areas where there were gaps. Also a neighbour has had a tree removed near the perimeter fence, opening up more possibilities for additional planting. I’m currently checking out RHS books for likely, colourful shrubs to fill the shady gap.

I want something which will give good colour all year round and am leaning towards a particular acer which grows in neighbouring gardens and is currently a fantastic mix of yellow, orange and green. I can’t find it listed in my books and am gearing up to knocking on doors to find the answer! I also would like more dogwoods especially the lime green variety which will look wonderful against the euphorbia.

The glories of the bluebell wood

I did manage a walk in the bluebell woods adjacent to Durham’s Botanic Gardens a couple of days ago – hence the one solitary image shown – kindly sent by friend Elaine. It had rained heavily beforehand, making the walk difficult in places, but it was so worthwhile – hosts of bluebells with their sweetly smelling perfume – such an uplifting and glorious sight. The bluebells in Pablo’s garden are something of a misnomer as they range from blue to pink and even to white. I picked a few, together with garlic flowers and leaves, earlier today but need to place the jug somewhere safe from inquisitive claws …

No time to stand and stare

Starting to activate now sunshine has appeared I am in the throes of a manic tidying session.
My kind neighbour, Steve, has allowed me to fill his garden bin as well as my own, saving me another visit to the tip for the time being.

Yellow crocus

Seeds are mostly planted in the cold greenhouse and so far sweet peas and lupins have made an appearance and indoors the tomato seeds are also sprouting - albeit slowly. It is such a joy to see some of last year's newly-planted perennials begin to wake up - proof positive that nature, not love, conquers all. It is almost time to air the summer house cushions and prepare for balmy nights in the garden. The new cats have another two weeks before their next round of injections and only then they can be let loose on  Pablo's garden.

More spring flowers

In the allotment mountains of manure have been spread. Many more raised beds have been prepared and my International Kidney potatoes have been planted at last. The ground is beginning to warm up and soon vegetable planting can begin in earnest. Preparation for the annual Pollards Allotments plant sale on 18th May is under way and seed trays crammed with tiny bedding plants have made their appearance in the communal greenhouses.

Harrogate Spring Flower Show started today - voted the best garden show according to Which readers.
Well worth a visit, it continues until Sunday - enjoy!

Catkins

No time to garden proper this past week as two new arrivals have made their appearance - Estella and Portia - 8-month old sisters, from a cat rescue. We've forgotten what a handful young cats can be but, although only being here 7 days, they've already made a niche for themselves and wormed their way into our hearts. They are really nice with each other and, despite having lovely new beds each, prefer snuggling up together.

Their personalities have already made themselves known; Portia is extravertly friendly and likes nothing better than trying to eat my breakfast porridge, whereas Estella, the more introvert of the two and much more reserved, is really slyly mischievous and has already tried to climb up the chimney. Fun and games yesterday when the vet arrived to give them their first injections and worming. Blood was drawn - both Jean's and mine - and Estella took the huff and spent forever lying above the cooker hood, refusing all coaxing to come down.

Today, however, all seems forgotten as they vie for food and attention.

I can't wait until they're allowed out into Pablo's garden but fear for the birds..

Estella musing

Portia reflecting

Spring Has Come

Easter flowers

There is an old saying that sping has come when you can put your foot on three daisies and at The Bowes Museum at Barnard Castle on Wednesday some of the lawns were awash with them. I  was always told it was unlucky to step on a daisy and in the Jubilee Park in Spennymoor as a young girl I had to tread exceedingly warily. My Aunt Bell had a lovely poem she used to recite about daisies but for the life of me I can't remember it and noone else in the family can recollect it either.

In Scotland daisies are known as bairnwort because of children's habit of using them to make daisy chains. The leaves were used in Elizabethan times as a cure for rheumatism and gout.

Ringtons vase with spring flowers

Buttercups and daisies

Oh, the pretty flowers;

Coming ere the Spring-time

To tell of sunny hours

                                   Mary Howitt

                                                                                 

The Language of Flowerrs

I discovered a forgotten poetry book entitled 'A Present to the One I love' in a bedroom drawer. The poems are all anonymous and, despite being somewhat mawkish, I found the one below which seemed relevant to a garden blog.

Flowers Have Tongues

What flowers shall I select, love,

  To declare my heart to thee?

First, I will name the Moss Rose,

  An emblem of love in me.

Geranium Pink I prefer you

  To all the world so wide;

Mezereon, I wish to please you,

  The Violet, my love will abide.

Peach-Blossom, I am your captive:

  The Pink tells my love is pure;

Heart’s-Ease, you occupy my thoughts;

  Vervain, your conquest is sure.

Witch-Hazel, by love I’m spell-bound,

  Red Tulip, I declare it;

Valerian, do you accept my love,

  And live with me to share it.

The Honeysuckle and Heliotrope

  Avow my true affection;-

O point me to the Christmas Rose,

  To calm my sad reflection.

The Moving Plant I hope will touch

  Your breast with agitation,

And the green Palm a vict’ry speak,

  The Myrtle, love’s creation.

The Thornless Rose, I live for thee,

  The White Pink, thou art ever fair,

The Hawthorne tells me still to hope;

  Trefoil, we shall a Union share.

Friendship, like Ivy, will be the knot,

  Canterbury-Bell, shall constant be;

Then be it so, says Forget-Me-Not,

  Amen! Says the Everlasting Pea.
                                  Anon

Still not gardening weather although the sun has shone today.
We did visit the wonderful Egglestone Hall Gardens yesterday and enjoyed the delicious coffee and scones in the newly-decorated tea room but the plants in the nursery gardens were hidden under a covering of snow so I wasn't tempted!

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.