With the month of March well under way our garden is crying out for attention. I have great plans this year, among other things is planting more vegetables and in order to realise this I’m digging up one third of our small lawn. Exciting!
I have been suffering a bit from writers block for a while now, hopefully my muze will return soon.
Wishing everyone a glorious spring, or as it happens, autumn time. Much love.
During the very early spring days of 2016 I had the privilege to visit a beautiful garden in the South-East midlands of Britain, in Cambridgeshire. I received kind permission to use photos and information here in my blog from the lady who is the creator of this marvellous garden.
What appealed most to me was the way the eye was led effortless through a variety of colours and textures, shrubs, purposely dried flower heads, trees and their undergrowth, borders, arches, hidden corners, effective hedging and ornamental pebbles, trellises, wooden fencing, all making this garden into a whole that works, and that even in winter can, with ease, hold the interest of any visitor.
The hydrangea arborescence Annabelle, and the dry grasses here add some lovely beige colour in stark contrast to the evergreens. The Iris Unguicularis flowers give a magnificent bright blue among it’s own rather dull foliage. The Gold Dust Variegated Aucuba, looks indeed as if it has been dusted with gold, it is a lovely subject. The spiky foliage of the, what I think is a Cordyline australis Variegata, but I could be wrong because I can’t rightly remember the name I was given, highlight sharply the more rounded subjects around it. I enjoy such a variety of shapes and patterns.
Sometimes Ireland is called ‘the emerald country’, and it is no wonder, it is called this way because of the regular rain, this green is always a most beautiful, fresh and profuse colour. Seen from the sky the landscape does look like an emerald jewel.
So it was no surprise that I found young green foliage today along the side of a country road. Though early in the year, there are signs of a rebirth, and of green in the hedgerows. The Fuchsia hedges have brown branches with here and there young leaves opening up. The ferns are enjoying this particularly wet winter, a delight for the eye, their lacy leaves unfurling with a vigour that would surprise you, though having said that, some of the leaves had fringes of brown.
Nature is waking up slowly, spring can start very early in South West of Ireland. Even the birds songs are changing just lately.
The lesser celandine plants are almost ready to flower.
Though colder the last few days, we are experiencing some sharp frost and even snow not too far away, there are nevertheless signs of early, very early spring and new life.
I took a stroll through the garden today, underfoot the grass is still very wet, because of the very mild but wet winter so far the slugs have not hibernated in great numbers and have been eating my kale with a relish, meanwhile creating real pieces of lacy art.
I found some white fungi on logs that are lying around waiting for dryer weather and to be stored properly. Our little Korean Fir is back outside after the Christmas festivities, there are signs of new growth, fresh and delicate, a delight to the eye.
The sprouts, leeks and parsley are doing great in the garden, the rhubarb though, has disappeared, and as a result of all the damp and wetness there is moss to be discovered, beautiful bottle green moss, growing healthily and bountifully.
Normally during January I start to get a real early ‘spring’ feeling and it releases a lot of energy, the last few years this did not happen, however, this January I got the feeling back again, my energy is on the up, full of plans and excitement for the coming year, whether it is in the garden or in the house, the plans are being laid. I have always like this saying:
Early in the year, early in the week, early in the day…. that is how I like to get things done, it works for me. At the same time, life is not all about ‘doing’, it’s much about ‘being’.
I guess a balance in everything is the best.
agoyvaerts 