GARDENER'S WORD

You would think that the little winter flowering violas that were planted in late autumn 2012 could never have withstood the weight of recent heavy snow that lasted days, nor the subzero temperatures that have been freezing everything in the garden on and off for weeks, but they have.  I really don't know how anything as delicate as flower petals can survive when the same conditions would seriously damage unprotected human skin.  All the below photographs were taken today, and the last of the snow disappeared yesterday.           

Roses are beautiful flowers but so often people seem afraid to mix contrasting colours.  I bought these today to liven up my living room, and they have.  I think that the individual flowers are so much more striking in contract.  The last Marks and Spencers' roses that I bought lasted for 4 weeks, and I hope these do the same.  I always buy the short-stemmed roses which, apart from being cheaper, makes sense as I'd only cut the stems off anyway.  Marks and Spencers Yellow and red roses Actually, under artificial light, they look very similar to the pink and white roses that lasted such a long time.  What was remarkable about them lasting was that they were in a very warm room, between two lamps in the evening.  Roses usually last longer in a cold room.  Don't forget to cut back the stems at an angle every now and then to make them last longer.   Marks and Spencers Pink and white roses

In my previous post about Acer Griseum , I mentioned that many years ago I had been hunting for small trees for a previous garden that I created.  Quite accidentally, I came across Acer pseudoplatanus 'Brilliantissimum'.  It's hardy to -10°C and deciduous.  Like many members of the sycamore family, Brilliantissimum leaves change colour but not in autumn.  In spring, the new leaves are flamingo pink, changing through yellow to mottled green in summer.  It has a bushy, round shaped crown and achieves a height and spread of less than 25ft over 20-50 years.  Like Acer Griseum it will tolerate full sun or partial shade and, although it is tolerant of most soil types, it still prefers moist but well drained soil.  I grew mine at the higher end of a sloping garden, facing south.  The clay soil in my garden was quite dry due to a nearby privet hedge that depleted the soil of water and nutrients but the tree did rath...

When I had a bigger garden many years ago, I used to delight in plant hunting.  I would drive many miles to try and find a particular herbaceous plant, tree, or shrub that I wanted, or discover plants that I had never before heard of.  I remember the first time I saw the Mexican Cosmos that smells like vanilla and chocolate: Cosmos atrosanguineus.  My main passion back then was hunting down small trees.  Although my garden was reasonably big by ordinary suburban standards, it wasn't so big that it could easily accommodate large trees such as oaks.  The likes of poplars, willows, and other talls trees that have potential to undermine the foundations of buildings was never on my list either.  No, I wanted small trees, under 35ft when mature, slow growers.   Acer Griseum (commonly known as Paperbark Maple) is such a tree and it took me 2 years to find one back in the 70s when you couldn't just look a plant up online, buy it online, or order...

I don't envy those who have to go out in this today.   The weather forecasters have warned 'Snow, sometimes heavy, bringing further significant accumulations, especially the Pennines, north and west Yorkshire'.  They don't say!      

Once upon a time in days long ago I had a much bigger garden.  Not vast, but certainly much bigger than the one I have now.  When I moved into the house, the garden was a jungle.  The weeds were so high they hid the fact that felled small trees were in there; as well as a smashed up greenhouse with broken panes of glass; and cans, garbage, and garden waste kindly donated by neighbouring houses.  The weeds hid the fact that buried alongside the privet hedge was a bathroom suite.  I discovered that one day when I was cutting the hedge with a 24" blade electric hedgecutter and found that I was bouncing.  Yes, bouncing.  I turned off the blade and investigated.  I'd been standing on rusting heavy gauge wire mesh laid over the top of a buried bath filled with water.  The weeds and grass had woven across the mesh, concealing the bath and the water.  It took weeks to clear the weeds, the rubbish, and the glass.  It took 2 ye...

The weather forecasters have forecast snow and they got it right. As far as I know, it has always been more likely to snow in January than at any other time of the year here in the U.K. The garden is looking better right now, all white and frosty, hiding the bare patches of soil, the ragged lawn, and the dormant plants, and yet it doesn't feel particularly cold. I know we shouldn't wish our time away but I do hope that spring comes soon. I am so looking forward to the daffodils, crocuses, irises, and tulips.  Snow in West Yorkshire, 14 January 2013   The snow doesn't stop the squirrels from being hungry and now they are taking an interest in the maize kernels that they have been ignoring for months.  Sorry, I know it isn't exactly a close-up of the squirrel running along the top of my fence and eating the maize from the pot suspended in the corner, but the below video was taken on my mobile phone and if I had tried to get closer, the squirrel would ju...

What a glorious day.  We have blue skies, sunshine, and a hoar of frost which has made the lawn sparkle.  What's more, there are so many flowers in my garden, considering that it is only the second week in January, and early spring bulbs are thrusting up shoots in the tubs, pots and troughs.  Days like this are heaven sent to raise earthly spirits like mine.  This time of year fills me full of anticipation for the coming spring and although we keep on having terrible weather throughout the year here in the UK, the optimist in me, the gardening optimist that is, just hangs on in there.  I took these photos of the primulas this morning.  For some reason I cannot make the primula photos appear landscape no matter what computer adjustments I make so do forgive that! Primulas taken on a frosty day, 10 January 2013 Primulas taken on a frosty day, 10 January 2013 Primulas taken on a frosty day, 10 January 2013 Arthur Bell healthy and blooming,...

Although we have not yet had more than a sprinkling of snow this winter where I live high up on the Pennines of West Yorkshire, we have certainly had plenty of dull, windy, cold and wet days with the occasional bouts of sunshine.  Today was a sunny day and I noticed that one of the Arthur Bell rose bushes at the front of my home is trying to bloom.  Yellow buds have appeared that I know would open if the frost could just hold off, but that isn't likely and the British Broadcasting Corporation weather forecast promises below zero temperatures tonight.   As long as I cannot enjoy roses in my garden, I shall continue to buy them for my home.  I wanted something to chase away the winter blues so this week I chose two bunches of short-stemmed roses in hot pink and white.  It's a pity that they aren't fragrant but you can't have everything, can you?        I've found that by trimming the ends off the rose stems every ...

I wish I had been able to take a video of the grey squirrels playing in the trees in the neighbouring gardens this morning.  Two of them were chasing each other around, leaping from the bare branches of the ash trees, like Olympic athletes going for the gold.  While I see grey squirrels every single day, I have never yet seen two together and I wonder if they were not at play or being territorial but actually getting romantic.  Apparently this is the nooky season for squirrels.   Grey squirrel on fence - August 2010 I have an elderly neighbour who feeds the birds with peanuts, seeds, and globes of seed-impregnated fat. The squirrels help themselves to whatever they want and they come and go, one at a time, and they disappear back from whence they came. Whence they came is actually only across the road from where I live to a small area of tree-surrounded water that once supplied a mill.  In the above (rather poor photograph) you can just see a sq...

First, let me take this opportunity of thanking everyone and anyone who reads my blog posts.  I wish you a Happy, Healthy, and Peaceful New Year and the best weather you can have for your own garden, if you have one.  For me, here on the Pennine Mountains of West Yorkshire, the year has started off well with blue sky, moderately cool temperature, and a fresh breeze.   Some of my beloved roses are still trying to bloom, although they should be dormant now and having a rest ready for next spring.  Arthur Bell is such a fabulous rose; not too tall, not too wide, quite compact.  I have a whole row of them at the front of my house and despite the awful wind that whips across from the moors, despite the lashing rain, they still thrive.  I took the picture of the rose below just 10 minutes ago.  I actually had to hold the bud to keep it still as the wind was lashing at it.  Although it is a little ragged, it's heartwarming to see it w...