Spring – Page 2 – Notes From My Garden

Goodbye Summer-Hello Winter

Published on April 19, 2025April 18, 2025 by Catherine25 Comments

The warm and sunny weather we enjoyed during the first half of April ended suddenly last Sunday afternoon when the skies grew dark, thunder roared overhead, and hail came crashing down. My husband went out to close the greenhouse door and brought back two small snowballs! Summer in April was lovely, but now it feels like winter has returned. Let’s hope it’s a brief visit.

Gardens, fields and reservoirs were bone dry during those weeks, and it was a shock to find that we were under wildfire alerts. Yesterday was the wettest day in a long time, but the garden has greened up, and plants are finally starting to do what they should be doing: they’re growing.

Continue reading →

Finally, Real Colour

Published on April 5, 2025October 11, 2025 by Catherine27 Comments

It has taken a while, but the garden is finally embracing the arrival of spring! After a slow start to the season, the sun has awakened the remaining bulbs, and I’m happy to see some vibrant colors emerging. It’s not a grand display, but the colours of the flowers are visible no matter where I am in the garden. They’ve partly compensated for the performance of some other potted bulbs this year, mainly the Iris reticulata and Crocus.

Forget-me-nots are ready to fill gaps in the borders with their green foliage and bright blue flowers. Buds are swelling on the trees and shrubs, and the tulips are beginning to showcase their flower buds.

Don’t you just love Spring!

Continue reading →

Rain Please

Published on March 22, 2025March 21, 2025 by Catherine33 Comments

Heavy rain is forecast for this weekend and although I’ve enjoyed the abundant sunshine recently, the garden has quickly become like a wasteland. I can’t believe I’m complaining from this rainy country about having no rain for a couple of weeks. Frosty mornings, blue skies and loads of sunshine – how can anyone possibly be grumbling about that! The garden soil is like concrete and digging holes to get plants in has been a tough job. The garden hose isn’t enough to give the soil the depth of water it needs.

There is very little growing in the garden, plant growth is way behind and they’re clearly suffering, so I hope that this weekend’s rain works its magic and green shoots will finally produce spring flowers and allow summer-flowering perennials to start growing. Six on Saturday this week has been a challenge, but here’s what has caught my attention this week.

Continue reading →

Spring Gems and Woes

Published on March 15, 2025March 15, 2025 by Catherine36 Comments

This year hasn’t been as successful for my spring bulbs as I had hoped.

Several small pots were knocked over, and the contents spilled out. A couple of others had the gravel topping and compost scooped out. I don’t think that’s the type of damage I can accuse the slugs and snails of carrying out.

The main suspect is the same grey squirrel that has eaten my rhododendron buds for the second year. This garden is possibly the best restaurant for local wildlife in our neighbourhood. But if I see that grey squirrel, I won’t be responsible for what I might be tempted to do.

But there’s another problem – not all bulbs planted in pots have appeared. In some cases, 50% are missing. The tops of the pots are undisturbed, and I’m left wondering if something else has been at work that has entered from beneath the pot. Perhaps covering the pots’ drainage holes with mesh might help? However, let’s get on with this week’s Six on Saturday.

Continue reading →

Welcome, Spring of 2025

Published on March 1, 2025February 28, 2025 by Catherine29 Comments

Six on Saturday

Today, it’s all about the little giant of color – the crocus. I was starting to wonder when the flowers would make their grand entrance, and now, amidst this week of unpredictable weather with rain, sleet, wind, frost, and sunshine, the crocuses have bravely pushed through, their rain-soaked petals shining in the otherwise barren garden borders.

The tiny crocuses below are in a container of mixed-planting and have returned each February over the past few years. The three shots below were taken over four days. To my huge surprise our temperatures reached 12C on Wednesday and coaxed the flowers to unfurl. In the last shot, I caught them just before they closed the following day.

Continue reading →