The first daffodils in my garden
Who’d have thought it, such a beautiful weekend of weather with warm spring sunshine and still only February. Last weekend I was wearing snow boots and several layers for our visit to a frosty Wisley and it felt we were still in the grip of winter. A week later and it was warm enough for just a t-shirt. Of course the vagaries of the British weather mean it could be snowing again by next week but the recent dose of sunshine has put a spring in my step and I’m feeling positive that we’ve turned a corner now.
Such great weather coinciding with a weekend and at this time of year is a rare thing so I jumped at the opportunity to get Wellyman’s help to cross some jobs off my ‘to do’ list. Of course things never run completely smoothly and on Thursday afternoon it felt like it was going to end up being one of those frustrating weekends where no matter how much you try you never actually get anywhere.
The newly edged garden path
A path in our front garden is edged with those half log rolls you can get from most garden centres. This was the most aesthetically pleasing option we could afford when we first moved here and seemed to fit with the idea of the cottagey style garden I wanted to create. Unfortunately, even though the logs are treated with a preservative they have only lasted 4 years before starting to rot. They were looking scruffy and they needed replacing before the plants start to grow so I knew I needed to do it soon. Last weekend we had measured up and purchased replacements and then on Thursday I discovered we’d bought the wrong size. This was, of course, after I’d started pulling the old ones out and generally created a bit of a mess. Fortunately, our local garden centre said that we could just pay the difference and get the other size but I was rather frustrated that I couldn’t see any progress for my effort and concerned that the sore elbow I’d had for a couple of days was now very painful.
Scroll forward 4 days and not only is our path now all neatly edged and looking tidy but we now have a new path at the allotment, where Wellyman removed the turf. We laid down some membrane and even found some piles of chipped bark by the side of a local road which we bagged up and then used to cover the path. On a roll, the compost bin was emptied and spread on the beds at the allotment. The fruit bushes were mulched with manure and the final patches of green manure were dug in. I even planted up some shallots.
Pulmonaria 'Blue Ensign' now flowering in my garden
Back at home I cleaned out my shed. All those bits and pieces I had moved into the shed last autumn for protection over winter, such as my hosepipes and garden table and chairs were brought outside. We’ve used all the wood now so that has freed up some space, so that I can now actually walk into the shed. It had got to the point where I couldn’t get any further than the door. We even made a trip to the tip to get rid of some detritus that was lurking behind the shed.
I do have to say that I couldn’t have done half of this without Wellyman’s help this weekend. All this and he still managed to put in a great performance at his piano teacher’s soiree for her adult students, despite being worried his hands were too sore and blistered to play. My elbow was painful all weekend and after all the exertions we are both making groans and grunts when we get up off the sofa, well to be honest whenever we move. It was a very satisfying weekend despite the aches and pains and both the garden and plot look good for their early spring cleans.
I am also aching after a couple of days digging out Gaura from too close to the roses and moving some elsewhere. But a quite nice ‘I’ve been physically active” lind of ache. Well done for getting spring under way. Christina
Wow, you certainly were busy, what a lot you got done! What a difference it makes when the sun shines, plants and people are so much happier, Spring is definitely just around the corner!
Ah, the weather… This morning we had glorious sunshine and mild, springlike weather with barely a breeze. Then came the afternoon with heavy wind and snow, replaced – of course – with rain as I was leaving the office… Denmark gives Britain a good run for its money when it comes to random weather!
I guess it’s the price to pay for having such long coastlines. (The Danish coastline is roughly half of the British coastline, but then our area is less than a fifth of Britain…)
It sounds like you and the WellyMan makes a good team! The path looks tidier than anything in my garden…
Wow, all the seasons in one day. After all that lovely weather it’s grey and wet here today but I don’t mind too much. The more rain we get now means no hosepipe ban in the summer and my aching joints could do with a rest.
We had no summer today, but we sure did get the rest of the year within 8 hours!
As for hosepipe bans this is something I will never have to worry about. Our garden is so low-lying that the water table is normally between 50 and 80cm below ground level, so the soil never dries out completely. (Of course we do have to worry about flooding, rising sea levels and so on…) And because we’re on a peninsula between two fjords we do tend to get enough rain to keep even the pots in the courtyard suitably watered. Under circumstances like that it would be absolutely foolish to water the garden, not to mention a waste of resources.
I do, though, sympathise with gardeners who deal with droughts. It must be horrible to see a spring’s worth of preparations resulting in plants that are wilting away before your eyes. Britain, in my experience, is not one of the worst-hit countries, though. A British summer can be scorching (I remember 2002 being VERY hot and dry in London), but hopefully you will get the sort of showers that gardeners and farmers enjoy and the rest of the country moans about!
Last week the government issued drought warnings for most of southern and eastern England. Parts of East Anglia get less rain than the Middle East apparently. Anyway there was a very dry spring last year followed by a dry autumn and not much rain over winter so the government is preparing for a drought similar to the last serious drought of 1976. I live in Wales fortunately and we’re not short of rain here so no hosepipe bans for us. They are talking about building a pipeline network so they can move water from the west and north of Britain to the drier and more populated parts of south east England.
Britain is a strange island… I mean, the South East is where you have the largest number of dwellings built on flood plains, so if they could only harness the water they actually get down in that region they might be just fine. (Though it DOES take an awful lot of water to keep a city like London going, I guess.)
No Sunshine in Ireland but it has been mild. Today is mild and mizzly. We sorted out our compost area last week. That was a major job! We too had our beds edged with wood which is now rotting in parts. As boards rot we are replacing them with stones. Much more long term!
Out of curiosity: Where do you get the stones for the edging? I love stones, so even though I live in Denmark I’m keen on getting some inspiration…
Welly man sounds like a gem! We;ve been out and about tidying up and getting on with projects. I even took photos of the mess that is the shed….and it’s still a mess…
I was really comforted to read that your shed is probably as chaotic as my own. I am off this morning to sort it out with a sturdy tin for matches and fire lighters. We cleared loads of brambles from the perimeter at the weekend and it’s the last month for a bonfire. But it’s so good to be back..
had to enlarge the Pulmonaria just to get a hit on that blue. Phew! Know about logrolling a border and fortunately had filial help to hammer and stake. Makes for a neat edging which is then scruffed up with overhanging plants. Please pop over to me and help with brick bordering and gravelling a new area!!
Wow, that’s a lot of work you got done. It’s amazing how some better weather can encourage us to tackle some jobs. I can’t believe you’ve got daffodils out already, I haven’t even got the Tete a Tetes out yet.
Sometimes there are spells where everything just clicks
Your revived path is looking great. Hope that the elbow is giving you less grief. Take care.
Take care of your elbow! The gardening season is just beginning! Your daffodil looks so cheerful, and how beautiful your garden must look now with new edging. That’s one thing my garden needs desperately, but something I’ve been procrastinating doing.
A very productive weekend. The path looks great! BTW, do you completely empty your compost bin every spring?
Hi Jeanne, We have only been composting for a year so this was our first batch. But I think we will probably be able to empty it every spring.
Everyone seems to have daffs out already – but not yet one at the Priory! And being able to walk into a shed is a fine thing (having lived with one that was chocabloc with stuff).
Hi David,
My daffs are February Gold so are an early variety. I wonder whether they would still flower in February in my parents garden in the north east. They always seem to be about 3 weeks behind us. Maybe that’s an experiment for next year. Did you have a good holiday?
Hi, I’m afraid even the February Gold haven’t opened yet – though they are imminent! I’m off work today (car service) so I won’t know whether on this gorgeous day they managed to do the biz befor 1st March. Great holiday – thanks. Will post soon! D
Most noticeable…from a frosty crocus to blooming daffodils! xx