Fed up with the rain

Is everyone else as fed up with the rain as me? 66″ and counting so far!

I can’t remember when we had our last dry week.  Vainly I check the weather forecast each morning only to see the same. Rain and more rain. Every so often the sun comes out and I dash outside thinking spring is here. Then I race back indoors pursued by raindrops.

Unseasonal snow

We even had some unseasonal snow. I had woken up early and was listening to the rain pounding the windows. At 5.15am it all went quiet. Oh good, I thought. It has stopped. Then I wondered what the big white shapes falling from the sky were. Luckily it did not stick around for long.

Everywhere is saturated. Local roads are flooded. The garden is a bog. And every time I venture onto the vegetable patch I leave a trail of puddles behind me.

Spring is not far away

However spring can’t be far away. This year’s magnificent display of snowdrops is over. But they were so good I have bought some more which I plan to propagate this year. Now is the time to divide them and spread them around. You can plant two or three bulbs together and they will bulk up into sizeable clumps within a couple of years.

Daffodils and dashes of colour

The snowdrops have been replaced by daffodils and camelias. Under the trees I have wood anemones, self-seeded cyclamen, primroses and primulas. I love the way they pop up in unexpected places. A dash of purple here or white over there. I am sure if I had planted them there in the first place they would not have done so well.

Glorious birdsong

Every morning I wake to the most glorious birdsong. The mallards have paired up on the pond and tits and robins are busy collecting nesting material. My bird feeders are mobbed.

Busy time for gardeners

It is a really busy time for gardeners. Now is the time to sow seeds, pot up early seedlings and take cuttings. There are so many jobs to do in the nursery I hardly have a moment for a mid-morning cup of coffee.

When I am not busy in the greenhouses I am clearing up the mess left by the rain or catching up with sending out orders.

Grateful for winter-flowering clematis

This year I have been particularly grateful for my winter-flowering clematis. They have given me a welcome splash of colour. I particularly like the pale pink blooms of Clematis armandii ‘Apple Blossom’. They contrast well with the luscious off-white Clematis cirrhosa ‘Wisley Cream’. I think my favourite though has to be Jingle Bells. It has delicate green and white flowers which look just like snowdrops.

Elsewhere the red edge of Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Bandit’ catches my eye as I walk by. It is an excellent groundcover plant and its white blooms light up the woodland floor. They contrast well with the ruby marbled leaves and yellow flowers of Epimedium x perralchicum ‘Frohnleiten’.

Lupins are on their way

The lupins will be arriving soon. They are a sure sign that summer is coming. I can’t wait to see the magnificent displays of Beefeater, Blacksmith, Blossom and Gladiator. I can guarantee they will cheer up any garden and make you forget about all the rain we have had.

Good to catch up with other growers

When I can I like to get out to visit other nurseries. It is always good to catch up with fellow growers. I also try to get to as many local flower shows as I can. They are a continuing source of inspiration.

Gardening tips  

Let the foliage of spring bulbs die back naturally to allow them to store up energy for next year. Sow vegetable and annual seeds in your greenhouse. Clean greenhouses if you didn’t do so in the autumn. Continue watering plants which have been dormant in the greenhouse over winter, to stimulate new growth. 

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Don’t be fooled

Don’t be fooled by Easter’s warm weather. My neighbour was. She planted out all sorts of tender flowers. Sadly, they have been hit by the colder temperatures and most of them have died. Here we have had late frosts. I try to stick with the old rule ‘ne’er cast a clout til May is out’. I’m usually itching to plant out at the beginning of April but I bide my time.

Garden centre are full of colourful annuals

Garden centres and nurseries might be full of colourful annuals. But they will still need protecting for a couple of weeks yet.

If you have a greenhouse or a cold frame you can put your more tender plants in there. My greenhouse is full of young seedlings. I have lupins, geraniums and dieramas. They are all growing nicely and I will plant them out soon. I have grown some lupins from seed

Glorious year for blossom

The garden is springing back into life. It has been a glorious year for blossom. The apples, cherries and plums have put on a magnificent display. It was a different tale for the magnolias though. They were hit by the frosts and their gorgeous blooms all turned brown.

Showy clematis

Clematis are putting on a good show. Amethyst Beauty lives up to its name. It has light purple flowers which often change to a deeper purple as they mature. It looks as if it is a multi-coloured flowering clematis which adds interest to the garden.

Clematis Armandi is one of my favourites. It is covered in highly scented creamy-white flowers. The bees love it too.

Another fragrant white flower is Phlox May Breeze. If you want a more colourful phlox try Chattahoochee. It has bright blue flowers with a red eye.

Preparation, preparation, preparation

I spent Easter getting my garden ready for planting. My vegetable patch had been invaded by moss. A sure sign that it is waterlogged and the soil is compacted. I’ve taken all the moss out by hand but this autumn I need to dig lots more compost into the patch. I might invest in some sand and grit to aid the drainage too. If you want good results you need to prepare properly.

We could do with some rain

It has been lovely out in the garden. Warm weather although the wind has been cold. But, we could do with some rain. We have had a very dry winter and spring.

First wild ducklings

For the first time in the 30 years I have been here a wild mallard successfully hatched eight ducklings on my pond. They were so cute. Unfortunately I wasn’t the only one to think so. Magpies decided they made a tasty snack. By day two we were down to five. By day three there was just one following Mum around. Now they have all gone. There is a chance she might lay a second clutch. I hope she does.

Gardening tips  Dead head spring bulbs once they have stopped flowering but do not cut back their leaves. Harden off tender plants. Water seedlings daily. Once the danger of frost is over transplant vegetables and flowers from the cold frame or greenhouse into their final spots in the garden.

#warm #flowers #lupins #geranium #dierama #clematis #phlox #planting #dry #seed