Prairie Mush

Even on a dry day; what's to like?

It's that time of year when, after the world's wettest winter that I wonder what the UK prairie planting fanatics' gardens are looking like!  Even those who promote not cutting down dead stalks and seed heads (leaving them for the birds to feed on or the frosts to dust in a picturesque manner) must be having second thoughts!  Surely, their garden views must be a brown, wet and soggy mess?  I know what you're thinking! When the winter storms end (if they ever do) and the new spring growth starts to peep through, everything looks fresher and full of hope. What I don't understand is exactly what winter pleasure is there in a UK prairie garden. Our winters can be long, wet and gloomy - the very time we crave colour and interest in a garden. Having scoured Google; there are no pictures of UK prairie gardens on a dark and wet winter's day. Come to that; no pictures of anyone's anywhere else in the world.  No pictures of flattened brown mushy stalks smashed down by high winds and persistent heavy rain. However, I did find this one and I'm still not convinced that it's thing for the average UK garden!  It's even taken on a dry sunny day!! I'm not usually controversial here so, tell me. Am I missing something?

Baking for Borders!

My new kitchen toy!

Heavy rain and strong gales definitely stopped play in the garden today so, border work was swapped for baking and I took my new kitchen toy for a test drive! There's something peculiarly comforting about baking on a day when the weather is particularly filthy and rain can be heard beating against the windows.

Of course, it's silly to say that having this fine beast to help in the kitchen isn't amazing but, I'm tinged with a little sadness at selling such a faithful old friend! Anyway, I started off with cheese scones for lunch and, as you can see, even Paul & Mary would have been proud! 

I'm posting a picture of the new beasts's predecessor and he's now being offered for sale complete with attachments on EBay at Kenwood Chef so, feel free to have a look.  As stated on EBay, my only reason for the change was to go for a bowl with bigger capacity.

Good home wanted for Kenneth (note the missing eaten scones!)

Not just outdoors

Prunus blossom

A mixed posy

I simply couldn't resist bringing a touch of spring to the kitchen windowsill.  Unlike Hellebore, at least the Narcissus and a few twigs of Prunus give days of scent and pleasure.  Note the use of an old pewter teapot, a Marmite jar and an old chipped jug. 

...And I'm most definitely not supersticious about bringing Snowdrops indoors!

Sunshine at the sink!

Spring in February!

Hellebores

Pulmonaria

Snowdrops

Actually, not only is it looking spring-like in the greenhouse but, the Woodland Border is definitely waking up.  Although the Hellebores started to bloom first, the snowdrops are fast catching up and the Pulmonarias are on their starting blocks. I did pick 3 Hellebores to enjoy on the table. I KNEW I shouldn't have because they never last 5 minutes in water. Yes. I know you can float the heads in bowls of water but does anyone actually know why they don't last if left on their stems?  Is there a trade secret I need to know? It's exactly the same with Camellias - even if you smash the stems. Just when we're desperate to have just a little taste of spring indoors, we know that those spring favourites are best left to be admired outside.

More Snowdrops

Spring-like despite the Storms!

Cyclamen

Primulas, Iris reticulata & some Tete-a-tete Narcisuss

A few little Violas & Dianthus in the wings

Despite the high winds and power cuts, the greenhouse remained put! Never had I seen so much movement in the persisting gales - the entire structure shook with the gusts.  However, it's looking quite spring-like inside. Luckily, in anticipation of Storm Henry, I had thought to move all the garden wind chimes to places of safety.  A whole evening without electricity merely meant cooking dinner by lamplight (I always keep a couple of filled paraffin lamps to hand!) and winning (big time!) at scrabble by candlelight!

Bamboo Battles & More Mulching

Black Bamboo (Phyllostachys Nigra)

Possibly the world's best compost!

Mulching borders.

Emptying the compost heap and mulching borders continues! How could we have made so much?? At the end of the day we had moved less than a quarter of the volume and it was all uphill from the heap........yawn!  

Actually before starting, we spent ages in the Henclosure taming the black bamboo which had ideas way above its station in life and was stealthily invading the whole area underground.  We dug up barrows full of shoots and roots which were ready for a surprise spring attack.  Now all is under control and the girls will still have their summer shade!

Dark but Short.....at last!

                                  

                   

After days and days and DAYS of rain with weirdly mild temperatures, I was desperate to mow the lawns.  The grass was ankle deep and almost long enough to hold a tiger shoot.  However today, the winds strengthened and dried the grass enough for me to sneak round with the lightest, smallest mower on its very highest cut.  I kept turns to an absolute minimum and almost tip toed around! I know that the ground beneath wasn't as dry as I would have liked but with storms expected tomorrow it was only ever going to worsen so it was now or never!  I don't remember taking so many clippings to the compost heap in January or even seeing so many stripes at this time of year.  Even the girls down in the Henclosure were very eggcited (sorry!) to have a box of clippings to peck and scratch around in. Of course, I had left the wind to do its job of drying as long as possible, so, it was rather late by the time I finished and was much darker than these photos (which have been edited to depict the curvy strips) actually suggest.  The garden lights were on and I would have been happier with headlights on the mower.  Some gardeners are just never satisfied!

Guess what happened when I'd finished.  Yep!  It rained!  Smugness or what?