Mid March and it feels like we are still in winter. Rain, more rain, wind, frost, tiny bits of sunshine then more rain. The patio pots are all still water logged but most of the plants look like they have survived although some are covered in moss like the red astrantia. But I am hoping the astrantia will soon pop up through the moss.
The crocuses that were eaten when they flowered in the trough last year have survived as I put one of the seed tray lids over it this time. They looked great in the little bit of sunshine that we did get.
Most of the hellebores are in full flower now so here are a few:
In the stumpery: the small white erythronium are almost flowering. The pulmonaria are looking lovely with their spotty leaves and pinky/mauve flowers. The tortured hazel looks a little half and half as the side that gets the most sunshine has the most catkins on it and the shadier side is looking a bit bare. Even the dead witch hazel that is still clinging onto it’s dead leaves has some colour – the leaves look almost red. There are some very fragrant flowers now on the sarcococca and also on the winter flowering honeysuckle.
The best news is that we spotted the first lot of frogspawn on 6th March this year and the other day I counted at least 30 frogs and loads of frogspawn – at least 11 clumps! And even better than that- Harry saw loads of newts in the pond at night (he counted at least 10 but they move really fast so getting a photo was tricky).
The mouse plant that we are trying to get rid of in the raised bed came back with a vengeance so Harry dug down and got most of the soil out of that corner. Before we put and soil in there we will wait and see if any more reappears. We have already waited over a year to get rid of this stuff. Right next to that area is a small clump of tete-a-tete narcissi and at the other side a clump of hardy geranium so I am hoping the mouse plant will not appear in amongst them.
With a bit more sunshine the rest of the narcissi out the back will bloom while the large yellow daffodils out the front garden are flowering away and the mahonia it just about to bloom. I can’t wait to get out and enjoy the garden without having to wear about 6 layers of thermals. I have just got over a horrid cold and am still struggling to keep warm even in the house. On the plus side – I haven’t seen any huge slugs yet this year – it is only a matter of time.