Snowdrops and Hellebores

Published on by Catherine22 Comments

Six on Saturday

When Storm Jocelyn eased off mid-week I was quick to get into the garden to pull two of my garden chairs out of the shrubs (again) and try to capture a few photographs of snowdrops. The winds had eased, but they were still strong and blustery. I almost gave up. However, the forecast stated with great authority that the rain was only taking a few hours off, and we’d still have blustery, wet conditions for quite some time. It seemed like one of those now-or-never moments.

Snowdrops. I took multiple shots of this little clump of snowdrops in the garden, but not too many of them were successful enough to use. Light was at a premium, and achieving a fast enough shutter speed for wind conditions was difficult. Single result below.

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The Den

Published on by Catherine17 Comments

A few years ago three of my younger grandchildren discovered they could walk under the Japanese Acer at the back of the garden. It became a fun hiding spot. I thought it would make a good Den for the children to play in so we laid a path using a few stepping stones, added a base with old decking squares, and then topped it off with a lot of bark. A few logs became seating and my husband cut down an old wooden chair to make a table. I also discovered to my surprise, that this neglected corner had a few lovely ferns and hostas growing beneath the trees. Perfect.

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Rest and Renew

Published on by Catherine29 Comments

Six on Saturday

Our gardens, whether large or small, welcome winter as a season of rest and renewal. It’s a time when we can reflect on the plants we have and ponder new additions that will fill the beds and borders with colour and vitality.

We snuggle up in the warmth of our homes, browsing through plant & seed catalogues and making lists, often impractical because of their length and cost. But still, we optimistically plod onward, full of hopes of sunny, warm spring days when the garden bursts into new life.

At a glance, my garden feels and looks desolate, but everywhere, shoots are pushing through the ground, shrubs are sporting new buds and hellebores are beginning to flower. Spring will come. Winter is a time of hope.

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Dalia Decision Time

Published on by Catherine28 Comments

There’s been a lengthy debate taking place in my head for months about whether I should give dahlias a second chance. My 2023 dahlias were horribly disappointing. That failure could have been due to many factors, and I’m not sure it’s worth trying to analyse what went wrong. It happened, it’s over.

Before deciding to abandon them, I thought I’d look back over the past few years at dahlias that were more successful than recent efforts.

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New Year’s Day

Published on by Catherine29 Comments

Six on Saturday

New Year’s Day found me in the greenhouse potting on Erysimums, or wallflowers as otherwise known, that I bought last October as ‘jumbo’ seedlings. They’ve been sitting outside in 10cm pots since then, but by December, their roots were poking through the bottoms. I still hadn’t found a spot for them in the garden, so repotting them was at the top of my to-do list for the new year.

There are four plants each of ‘Fire King, ‘Ruby Gem’ and ‘Vulcan’. It didn’t take too long and I was pleased with my New Year’s Day achievement. With plenty of added drainage in the pots, they were shifted back outside before they got too comfy in the dry greenhouse.

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