Well we are most definitely still deep in winter here! The cold has relented slightly, which has meant a few gorgeous sunny days spent prepping the garden for the coming year but also some pretty serious wind, rain, hail and plenty of lightening! With over eight and a half hours of daylight comes the smallest signs of the spring to come. Crocus, iris, daffodils and very early tulips are poking through the soil, as are many perennials and the tunnel planted anemones and ranunculus are putting on lots of new growth!!
Slowly, slowly, I am getting the garden and greenhouse ready for sowing. Seed trays and pots have been scrubbed, the greenhouse is sparkling and the seeds have been organised and reorganised so many times I’ve lost count!
With a little help from my wee sidekicks I finally finished filling the last polytunnel bed with compost and planted a few trial roses and peonies, I’m hoping they will be more protected and bloom slightly earlier than my outdoor planted ones. I also finally planted out the final succession of ranunculus one very stormy afternoon and filled three crates with freesias which will hopefully begin to bloom in early summer, just as the last of our spring flowers fade.
My forced tulips were a massive success and I’ve had bunches adorning my kitchen table for the past few weeks, they really have made me excited for the outdoor blooms to come! This month's fail is that the mice have had an absolute field day in one of my tulip beds… thankfully I planted significantly more than I need for this year but it’s still devastating to see and a stark reminder of the challenges of working in and alongside nature.
Whilst there’s little other than gorse in bloom I am looking forward to the end of the month when I should be able to bring early pruned blossom branches into the house for forcing and will hopefully have some hellebores to arrange alongside them. There will be seedlings appearing in their hundreds, dahlias being potted up for cuttings and perhaps even a few living spring wreaths being created (watch this space!) In the meantime, I plan to enjoy this slower time of year and continue to dream of longer, lighter days! Until next time,
Kitty Rose x
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