Well that describes Februaries weather to a T, a month of complete oppersites, a pretty cold spell followed by the warmest February day on record, then in steps storm Doris, flicking her windy locks though the trees, homes and gardens. March is the moth that’s supposed to come in like a loin and out with a lamb! One thing I have learnt about the weather is that it will do what it wants to do, and we as gardeners have to live with that and enjoy the challenges that brings.
Above all I have to say I enjoyed February, made great process on many of the projects I aim currently engaged on, as well as carrying on with my beloved pruning, fruit trees have nearly been finshed and wall roses have been started. The new rose garden I am building near Salisbury, now has its shape and will be waiting the compost to be added and then, the roses planted, that’s the bit I am looking forward too! The back garden work in Winchester is slowly nearing completion, with the wooden poles added ready for the hornbeams to be pleached on to them, wires on this week and then we are ready to go. Also have visited some great gardens this month, new places like Waterperry and old favourites like Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Wisley and a beautiful oasis of a garden in Chandlers Ford that holds over 250 different snowdrops, enjoyed seeing new and old plants just generally looking good! And speaking to some great people, that have huge amount of knowledge that they are so willing to share. That’s the lovely thing about is job, you never stop learning whether it’s a new plant, new method, always something new to learn and kind generous people who love talking about their experiences. Can’t beat this job at times
The title, madder than a March hare could also be summing up the month workwise! It is the busiest month in the whole of the garden Calender. There is so much work that needs to be finished or just started this month in readiness for the growing year ahead. The last of the fruit trees need finishing off before their blossom starts to fill the garden with its white pureness, roses need their annual trim before they start putting on their growth, it’s the end of the bare root season so new bare rooted trees and shrubs need to get their roots into the warming soil. That’s just a few jobs to finish off let alone the ones to start like weeding the beds, seed sowing both indoors and outdooors for vegetables and flowers really starts now and of course, seeds sown inside also need potting on into larger pots as they slowly change from seedlings into plants that will either satisfy our hunger visually or physically. Then there’s the purely boredom job starting, mowing the lawns, it’s one of those jobs that starts off slowly, but before you know it, needs doing at an alarming rate
But fear not, the plants have a way of distracting us while we toil away, they thank us with their beauty, the yellow daffodils shining away in the borders and grass, each one like a mini sun, warming our hearts with their warm yellow tones, then there’s the crocus, remaining solidly shut until the sun works its magic, then they open their goblet like flowers up, in a plant sun bathing way. Of course it’s also the month the queen of the trees makes her move, the mightily magnolias open up their annual display of flowers for us to enjoy, even if its just a few days, if Jack Frost is around, from the small sized magnolia stellata covered in flower to the mightily magnolia cambellii, the size of an oak, covered in huge scented flowers, there’s one for everyone to enjoy
February was also a very busy month on the blog site, I am over welmed that so many people have enjoyed my ramblings and thank you so much for following and reading me. I am so grateful! Last month saw the launch of a new feature looking in a little more detail at weekly jobs todo in the garden, if there’s anything you would like explained a little more, email me and I can take a look and maybe do it in the future. This month will also see the launch of a new pruning forum, not sure when, still fine tuning before I am ready to release it onto the world!
Well that’s about it for my monthly ramblings and I hope you enjoyed it, until next month, happy gardening