I can’t believe we’re nearly in March already. If you live in the UK I think you’ll be glad to see the back of February’s rain – it’s been never ending hasn’t it. I’ve managed just 4 gardening days so far this year, but I have to say they’ve been productive. Despite GR’s efforts with a sledgehammer, there is no more room in my garden waste wheelie bin and it’s another 3 weeks until the first collection.
I don’t have room for a compost heap. The Gardeners’ World presenters all seem to have oodles of space and several composting skips for various stages of decomposition. Not everything has gone in the garden bin though. I decided to try making leaf mould – the GW presenters always seem to have an abundant supply to hand and extol its virtues. It can enhance soil structure and microbial activity, improve moisture retention and supress weeds, among other things. I bought 2 hessian bags marketed for the purpose at some ridiculous price and I’ve almost filled them both with leaves. The label says I should have leaf mould within a year. When I’ve Googled, opinions seem to differ on timescales, some predicting more like 2 years. It’s a long time to wait isn’t it, but I do love a garden experiment. For now I’ve propped the bags up against the barbecue because the instructions said to site them in a shady area. I think GR might have other ideas about this once the weather warms up.
A couple of weeks ago it dawned on me I hadn’t checked on the geraniums I’m overwintering in my plastic greenhouses – another experiment. It wasn’t a pretty sight – they looked a bit like something off Miss Haversham’s dining table – all grey and mouldy. So, I’ve picked off all the mouldy leaves and stems and moved the remains of the plants to the top of the freezer in our utility room. Some of them look like they’re making a bit of an effort, so you never know. In contrast the strawberry runners I potted up are looking exceedingly healthy in their greenhouse home, so I am feeling optimistic about them.
Towards the end of last year we decided to pay an expert to prune 2 acers and a magnolia in our front garden. He did a great job and I also asked him to remove the viburnum that for the last few years GR has treated to a bad haircut. This has really opened up the front garden and let a lot more light into our lounge. The trees were planted by previous owners, along with various shrubs and azaleas. The trees were planted too close together so as they have grown they’ve started to compete for light. At the moment, because there are no leaves on the trees and the viburnum hedge has gone, the ground beneath is now more visible and looks very bare. I decided lots of winter flowering plants would brighten things up during the winter months. So, in went some cyclamen, hellebores and 50 ‘in the green’ snowdrops. I have planted snowdrop bulbs in previous years, but never had much success – I believe they are a gastronomic delight for mice and squirrels, so that could explain it. Apparently snowdrops ‘in the green’ have a much better success rate. It took me hours to plant them all but it all looks disappointingly sparse at the moment. However, these 3 plants do multiply at quite a rate, so I’m hoping for a magnificent display in future years!
Another bulb mice and squirrels are partial to is tulips. So far the ones I have in pots, which bloomed beautifully last year, have been spared. But, I noticed a strange phenomenon – one of them has produced a flower already – granted it’s stunted – but definitely a flower. I was straight on to my trusty RHS garden advisers because I was worried it may be diseased and affect the others in the pot. I am relieved to report this is not a disease but can happen as a result of fluctuating temperatures and wet weather – so I think that’s our answer.
Talking of squirrels, one of them has wrecked a bird feeder I’ve had for many years. It’s partly my fault because I hadn’t got round to pruning a buddleia growing in a pot near to it, so the squirrel had managed to spring onto the feeder from it. It must have tugged and tugged until the whole thing was virtually annihilated – I’m not sure that even superglue will rectify things but I’ll give it a go. Silly I know, but I was really attached to that feeder – it was a gift from work colleagues – I think for my 50th – so yes, I’ve had it quite some time.
Just before I go, I have to tell you that I have recently returned from a wonderful family holiday at Center Parcs in Cumbria where we were lucky enough to see a number of red squirrels, one of which was expertly captured on camera by Daisy’s* mum. It’s such a privilege to see them scampering happily in the forest, protected from the grey squirrel pox.
Ooh and one final sighting – I haven’t seen a woodpecker in our garden for some years. I was sitting in Victoria’s* lounge having a coffee last week when I spied one visiting her feeders. I’m relieved to know they are still in the woods behind our houses, but I need a cunning plan to lure them from her garden to mine!
*The characters featured in my blogs are family members and friends – you can see who’s who here
Rambling Rose 