Garrya Elliptica at its best this month
Colour is mostly from foliage plants
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Variegated periwinkle |
A sucker of agave I moved from the parent plant seems happy |
Gold variegated euonymus |
You hunt have to hunt the few flowers
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An aubretia dares an early flower |
I should have cut back all the roses by this time but I haven't |
Winter heathers are flowering on time. |
17th Jan Wonderful weather
I could potter about without a coat, such a contrast to freezing yesterday. Several clumps of snowdrops were showing white.
Plantings made this month
1st Jan. Two rows of broad beans (Aquadulcia Claudia) at the far end of the garden
9th Jan. Sutton's exhibition onion seeds in conservatory in ordinary seed tray.
10th Jan. Early Peas (2 seeds to each sawn off plastic bottle) in conservatory. I hope to plant them out using the bottles as miniature greenhouses.
17th Jan Planted out 18 strawberry plants. The woman at the nursery put each of the three varieties in a separate bag but neglected to add labels. All I know is one of the blocks of six should be Elsana, another block is possibly Cambridge Favourite and the third something else but which is which I haven't the faintest idea. I also planted two blackcurrants, but again I am not sure of the varieties except they both begin with Ben
18th Jan soaked some more early peas in paraffin and planted them in the back plot in a row nearest the central path. I dug the soil some days ago and put in three bags of rotted leaf compost and sprinkled some Growmore. I spread two layers of perforated plastic on top to keep the soil from getting too cold if we have another big freeze, then stuck in a few twigs and spread a net over the site. The twigs now are to keep the net off the ground and stop the birds getting at slugs and snails
21st Jan The peas in the conservatory and the onions are both poking leaves through the compost
29th Jan, Another ton of pebbles shifted onto the paths in the back garden courtesy of my grand daughters, Janna and Jessica and they gave the lawn a rough cut - no easy matter when it is still so wet. We topped up the pond as well. There is a large frog at the bottom already. I know where six others are sheltering in various places in the garden. The fish are still safe lurking under the weed in the deepest part of the pond.
30th Jan A rather mangy fox has started to make diurnal trips abroad again.