Six on Saturday: there’s change afoot (16 February 2019)

Last Sunday morning I was feeling a bit fed up. It seemed every weekend was turning out to be grey, wet, blustery and generally miserable. It had been weeks since there’d been a chance to do some proper gardening. I was missing my ‘fix’. But by 2pm the rain had finally stopped and I ventured out in my serious gardening get-up (paint splattered jeans held up with Monty Don inspired braces, my ancient green fleece and my old gardening shoes) determined to get a few things done before the showers resumed. A few more patio slabs were dug up (possibly a new problem to add to compulsive plant purchasing and shrub moving), the new Hibiscus was planted and a bit of weeding was done. The rain held off, the sun made the odd appearance and the fragrance of the Winter Honeysuckle and Sweet Box filled the garden. The afternoon flew by and my mood was buoyant.

And it’s continued to be buoyant. As the week has gone on the sun has risen that little bit earlier and set that little bit later each day, there’s been blue sky, a bit of warmth, and dusk has been accompanied by the welcome sound of birdsong. There’s change afoot. The garden is stirring. Whisper it quietly (cos it’s early days yet) but Spring appears to be on its way. However, enough waffling, it’s time for my first Six on Saturday.

1. Another box containing something rather box like…

…an Ilex. I’ve decided the bed nearest the conservatory requires some evergreeny structure but rather than go for an actual box plant I thought I’d give this a go instead. A pessimist by nature, I worry about box blight striking. So I’m curious to see how this compares to good old buxus.

2. Last week I was a bit miffed that my mixed pack of crocuses had apparently all turned out to be yellow and cream. However, I was wrong! Look, crocuses of purple hue!

3. All of our hyacinths were originally grown indoors and later plonked in the garden after they’d finished flowering. They come back each year, although not usually as large and showy as they were as indoor plants.

4. The Viburnum farreri has finished flowering and has now started to come into leaf. It had more flowers than it did last winter but has yet to achieve its full floriferous potential. Perhaps next winter.

5. I nipped out during my lunch break on Tuesday to buy a few bags of compost and ended up with a pot of iris too. I do like miniature iris.

6. And finally… the Prunus cerasifera ‘Hessei’ is now in full flower and looking rather splendid. It needs a good pruning to allow a bit more rain to get to the plants beneath it during the summer, and apparently the best time to do this is as soon as it’s finished flowering. The tree received a rather severe prune two years ago while in full leaf (the solar fairy lights that adorn it nearly came a cropper) but is just as large now as it was back then.

From what I’ve read online the thing is supposed to take 20 years to reach a height and spread of 2m. Pah! Here it was when we moved in over 6 and half years ago and here it was last summer.

And they were my Six on Saturday. For more Sixes on Saturday, from all around the world, take a look at the site of the chap who started it all over at https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com.