APPROACHING SPRING 2017
On the 20th of March 2017 it will be officially spring. In my garden, which has been badly neglected over the unkind winter months of storms, rain, and general miserableness, encouraging signs of spring are appearing. A couple of crocuses have opened, green leaves of bulbs are sticking through the soil of my containers, daffodils have buds which are not far from opening, and the brilliantly coloured Iris reticulata 'Harmony' has two flowers in full bloom which I swear you could see from the moon. Well, maybe that's too much of a hyperbole, but you get my meaning.
At the front of my home, in a relatively narrow border, there have been signs of bloom all winter. The blue flowered shrub Lithodora diffusa (also known as Lithospermum diffusa) 'Heavenly Blue' has just about flowered all winter. It's a low growing everygreen shrub which flowers prolifically but, be aware, it's great for ground cover and if you are growing it in a limited space, you'll need to cut it back.
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| Iris reticulata 'Harmony' |
In the small exposed porch at my front door, I grow trailing pelargoniums in corner baskets. These pretty flowering plants which are somewhat sheltered have survived all winter, even when there has been snow all around. They have flowered, and they have remained green although a bit straggly. I've cut them back and shall repot them soon and, hopefully, they will keep on going throughout 2017.
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| Trailing pelargonium in November 2016 against a backdrop of snow |
Also, at the front of the house, primula denticulata. At the bottom right of the below image is Lithodora diffusa 'Heavenly Blue', getting in on the act!
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| Primula denticulata putting in an appearance, March 2017 |
In the back garden, I have primroses galore. Not the showy brightly coloured things that are so popular, but the creamy yellow kind with little orange centres. So pretty.
Oh, I should mention that my garden is always alive with birds but for two weeks I had a rather unusual visitor, a white pigeon with a ring around it's leg. There was no chance of me catching it and returning it to its owner, so I continued to let it feed along with the wild birds and now it seems that it has gone. Back to its owner perhaps.
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| White pigeon with ring on its leg - February/March 2017 |