After several winter storms and periods of heavy snow...
Blooms are finally beginning to emerge. Looking back over previous years, the bulbs are about three weeks later this year. The Rhododendron Christmas Cheer in The Yen is certainly late this year.
We spent a few hours over two days clearing each of the "rooms" that make up our garden.
It looks so bereft of colour this time of year but by getting up close and personal with each plant, there is more going on at first glance.
Very little needed attention in The Yen other than pruning the side shoots to two buds on the wisteria. Adam Frost of Gardener's World has some great tips, and one in particular sticks in my mind when it comes to pruning wisteria - 7s and 2s - prune the whippy side shoots to 7 buds in the summer and back again to 2 buds in February.
We have a number of evergreens in the yen including two rhododendrons and two azaleas. One of the azaleas has managed to keep hold of its leaves over the winter. There is also a variegated pieris and an evergreen honeysuckle, the latter growing over the entrance arch.
It's a peaceful place to sit and listen to the birds singing.
The other side of the path is a secluded reading nook, we call Mugwart's Retreat. Last summer our neighbours removed a thick conifer hedge that also made this spot quite shady. It'll be interesting to see how the plants cope with a little more sunshine. I think the rose "Dawn" will enjoy it.
Other than trimming back the evergreen shrub in front of the mirror and a light prune of r. Dawn that scrambles around the fence and r. Mum in a Million that grows within the obelisk, there was very little to do here but admire and sit awhile. A tiny blue tit flitted among the leaves of the shrub picking off any emerging insects. There are two bird boxes on the shed here but when our neighbours removed the hedge, we retrieved our open nest box, unsure until now where to place it. Beside the evergreen shrub is perfect. It's far enough away for us to still enjoy a quiet moment without disturbing any inhabitants and we can train the shrub to provide some cover for it. A prickly rose is already growing alongside, as well as a pretty pink clematis.
The two newer silver birches are beginning to develop white bark now so next winter all three will look spectacular. For now their catkins are providing interest. Most of the ferns here are evergreen but the older fronds will be removed once the fresh ones begin fattening up. The papery brown bracts of the hydrangea (a plant that is repeated in each "room") will also remain on the plant for some time yet to help protect the buds from frost.
This is a variegated form of pittosporum. It is still quite small but will eventually provide a distraction from the four compost bins in the workspace, when sitting in Mugwart's Retreat.
Our earliest flowering clematis is armandii Apple Blossom. This evergreen variety grows along the fence in the Terrace Border. If you look closely you can spot the swelling flower buds which will soon open to share their almond scent.
Beneath this clematis is a cacophony of plants. The Terrace Border is probably the one bed that isn't quite there yet. There's no rhythm or flow. There's a rose that needs a better soil, and there's a "found" hydrangea that isn't particularly happy in the dry soil. It's our problem area. Our neighbour this side has a fair few large trees including two spectacular acers which suck out any moisture. This border is south facing too, which means full sun.
Sun loving plants like this sedum, pushing up fat glaucous buds thrive here though, as do irises that prefer their woody rhizomes baked in barely covered soil.
At this time of year, there's a certain scent that fills the air. Tiny inconspicuous white flowers trace the stems of the sweet box in our Long Border. Our patio is quite large but I should imagine that if you had a small enclosed space, just one of these evergreen shrubs would be sufficient to bring its heady fragrance into your late winter garden. Plant at the back of the border because for the rest of the year the otherwise dull shrub makes a good foil for other plants with its darker shiny leaves. I tend to prune to shape after flowering but left alone, black berries replace the white blooms.
Snowdrops are a clear feature of the garden at this time of year and we have a handful of varieties. I don't know any of their names but the markings are beautiful.
We also have a pretty selection of hellebores. Once the flower buds emerge I cut off the old foliage. The flowers last many weeks and I'm more than happy for them to colonise an area.
In the Terrace seat, lilac primroses are beginning to bloom. They always look a bit tatty at first because I wait a while before removing the overwintered leaves.
All the spring bulb containers are moved into position.
Daisy here, celebrated her first birthday on 20th February. She loves the garden too.
We are also very fortunate to have a front garden. This is terraced due to the steep incline from the level of the house to the level of the road.
By having a terraced garden, we are able to create a stage to be viewed primarily from the front window.
In prime location is our bird feeder as I am a big fan of wild birds (other than pigeons and magpies). We have several squirrel proof feeders containing seed mix, niger seeds which are a favourite of the gold finches, sunflower hearts which are high in fat to help busy breeding birds at this time of the year before the insects are readily available, and their favourite snacks once the babies arrive - mealworms. We also have a fat block which starlings and tits adore. One of our blackbirds has also learned to hover to eat from this!
Around the base of the bird feeder the season begins with a swathe of dwarf narcissi. I adore daffodils as they remind me of my granny's front garden. She lived in an old farmhouse and the huge lawned front garden was a sea of yellow beneath old gnarled trees in the springtime. I don't remember what the trees were but I do remember the daffodils. I don't have much joy with the standard sized daffodils so I tend to grow mainly dwarf varieties. They're not the large pools of yellow from my childhood, rather we have puddles!
In the top terrace we have a stone wall with large shrubs providing both shelter from the wind and privacy from passers-by. These include an evergreen photinia, rhododendron, pieris and ceanothus, along with a garnet acer and a huge lacecap hydrangea.
Beneath these shrubs we are building up groupings of spring bulbs to take advantage of the light before the canopy leafs up. Beginning with snowdrops and crocus, then narcissi and muscari before the tulips lead us toward summer.
Until then, we enjoy those hardy enough to tolerate late February at 523ft in Yorkshire.
We are ready for spring 2021.
