Brunnera – Notes From My Garden

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.

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Having a Ball

Published on May 11, 2024May 11, 2024 by Catherine28 Comments

It’s been a glorious week of sunshine, and the lack of wind meant that we had fairly decent temperatures again; 20℃ is high for this time in May. With no school runs this week (our nearby family were on holiday) we decided to call it a ‘home holiday’ and ease off a little on gardening. We had a lovely lunch on Monday to celebrate my husband’s birthday and the following day made a visit to Dumfries House, which is set in 2,000 acres of land and where I took some photos of the grounds. I’ll post them as soon as I can get time to upload them from the camera. We also took a trip to a couple of garden centres and I managed to find two pots for my new roses, plus a few other goodies too, of course.

But we couldn’t resist the pull of the garden, especially with such lovely weather. Thursday found us back at work in the garden tackling the tasks at hand.

At this time of the year, the tender plants are just starting the in-out process of hardening off, but the greenhouse and the cold frame have been too hot and the plants are all out in the open now. I think (hope!) they will all be in the soil by the end of next week. Weather permitting course. 🤔 Here are my six choices for this week’s Six on Saturday.

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A Tantalising Glimpse of Spring

Published on March 23, 2024March 22, 2024 by Catherine23 Comments

In common with many folk up and down the UK, my wee corner of the woods has been drenched with constant rainfall. On Monday there was a welcome change to the weather. It was cold, breezy – but dry! Gardening jobs were tackled and every so often the sun appeared just to say ‘hello’. Tuesday was similar and on Wednesday, the wind dropped, the sun flitted out and in, and by afternoon it was warm enough to toss aside winter hats & scarves. Three days that provided a welcome glimpse of spring! And just like that it was all over.

It’s been a week of plant and bulb deliveries and I’m sure that many of you will have had a delivery man ringing your doorbells with boxes of garden goodies. I’ve started potting up some of mine into temporary pots. How about you?

Six on Saturday

My white Camellia has flowered. I wasn’t too happy with this photo and went back the following day to try to get a shot in better light, but the flowers had gone. The overnight wind and rain had taken them. There are buds and I’ll check again because I do like those semi-transparent petals.

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