Flowers in February.

Hellborus

Wild Euphorbia (Wood Spurge)

Elsewhere in the garden, there are pops of winter colour in the Woodland Border with Hellebores coming into flower, Snowdrops and also Bergenias.  Wild Euphorbias are also springing up adding their acid 

Bergenia

greens to good effect. 

Helleborus.

Cyclamen coum.

Under the old conifer and along the path, Chris's Cyclamen are a real show of pink.  This hardy little plant is the most trouble free and worthy garden plant.  It grows in dry and infertile situations beneath trees The leaves have a very striking marbling and unlike Narcissus just disappear when they die.  It might look delicate but  it's a tough little plant. It happily spreads and with both Coum and Hederifolium varieties, flowers are guaranteed in both spring and autumn. 

Beating Gales and High Winds!

All ready for a good mulch of homemade compost!

The Genever Acuba Japonica

We were so relieved to have a dry Saturday, we endured the gales and high winds thinking they would help dry out the saturated ground.  Undaunted I set to work in the Lower Border cutting down the soggy dead hardy geraniums, Sedums, Poppy's and Peonies.  All the photographs one sees in glossy garden magazines depicting pretty dead flower heads cloaked in a dusting of hoar frost doesn't live here! It was all a soggy brown mush.

I was joined by Chris who had been struggling with a giant climbing frame in mud!  With both of us working, we cleared the entire border weeded and forked it over and even trimming the shrubs!  We removed a Viburnum which had been ravaged by Viburnun Beetle and planted a Genever Acuba Japonica (Japanese Laurel).  We replaced some of the Viburnum but, it's under threat and will be removed if there are signs of further attacks.  The border was transformed and I actually wished I'd taken a 'before' photo and didn't as it all looked just too miserable.

This Lower Border (as it's known) retains a little winter interest and colour with some small clipped shrubs of differing coloured & variegated Euonymous, 3 (Genever) Box & an Osmanthus heterophyllus Goshiki (false holly).

The day ended helping our loyal Under Gardener with his bonfire and I was awarded the Bonfire Cap.  In the high winds - both men had failed to get it started!

As for drying the ground: it rained again over night!  Back to square one!

SOAKED, SODDEN & SATURATED!

Before...

...and after!

Yet MORE rain!!  The entire garden is just saturated and still no opportunity for border work.  Working mostly from wet & slippery paths or tip toeing on lawn edges, we did manage to cut down dead/dying fern fronds and Hellebore leaves so at least the fernery looks tidy and the Snowdrops & Cyclamen can now be seen popping up.  The Hellebores too are just starting to bloom and new fern fronds could be seen curled up tightly and still sleeping!  We left them covered in case of frosts.  Later on we partly coppiced the Hazel and Chris did an absolute masterpiece on pruning a big old shrub rose.  Let's hope it dries up next week!!

Head Gardener Goes Walkabaout!

Where does this lead?

Ardmaddy Castle.

Last week Head Gardener and her Under Gardener sneaked off to Scotland for a few days.  Yes, you guessed!  They found Ardmaddy Castle gardens again but this time by a completely freaky accident!!  January in Scotland probably wouldn't be everyone's idea of the ideal time for a visit.  We know that Scotland wouldn't be Scotland without its weather so are never put off.  In any case the sun came out and we thoroughly enjoyed having the entire garden to ourselves!  If you're ever this way, I thoroughly recommend a visit - http://www.ardmaddy.com/places-visit/

Impressive compost arrangements!

Worth stealing this idea!

I plan to make a scaled down version of the Alpine garden in an old stone sink that we have kicking about.  I liked the idea of the miniature slate scree.

Rescuing Arums from Ravaging Holly!

The Holly Lolly.

Zantedeschia aethiopica

This is our Holly Lolly.  It used to reside by the side of the pond. Beneath it grew a large clump of Arum lilies.  Each year the Arums would grow up and flower and each year, we'd have some high winds and the prickles on the holly leaves would tear these almost unreal blooms to pieces.

Loving these waxy spathes of perfection

  

Enough was enough!  The Holly was put on the winter list of 'things to move'.  It actually looks much better in its new home by the hospital sign next to the Pear Hut.   

These natives of South Africa known as Zantedeschia aethiopica (quite a name) have such beautiful waxy blooms, they are totally worth protection from a mere Holly!  Actually, we have many wild Arums (Arum maculatum) in the garden and whilst some gardeners regard them as a bit of a pest, we really love them.  Anyway delightful names such as Lords & Ladies and Cuckoo Pint - who wouldn't?

Sinful Cynthia's Senecio Sunshine Circle.

Madam Cyn advertising her wares by night!

Sinful Cynthia by day!

The weather forecast couldn't have been more wrong.  No warm or strongwinds from the south, no dry weather and definitely no outbreaks of sunshine.  Instead, a very cold  and dull fine drizzle - real frizzy hair weather!

Undeterred, I couldn't wait to tell Chris about the idea I'd had!  A new feature to be called Sinful Cynthia's Senecio Sunshine Circle!!  Following on from the pruning we did last week, I thought Cynthia would look better in the middle of the Senecio if it was trimmed into a circle around her rather then leaving it just a random shrub shape. In other words: Cynthia needed to stand in the centre of a green doughnut! I was right!  Despite this Senecio being a very old and woody specimen, it has always responded well to pruning.

Chris got to work whilst I looked on (still following rehabilitation instructions - sigh!)  It meant cleaning all the ivy out from beneath and reshaping the large ivy clad stump.  The end result was brilliant.  She looks even more of a tart!  The funny thing was that Chris said he'd nearly suggested doing it last week but it became too dark.  Great minds really do think alike!!  We now need to wait for a creation to green up and  later, come in to flower.

Lastly, I know that Senecio sunshine has been reclassified and is now known as Brachyglottis sunshine but just doesn't sound as inviting as Senecio sunshine and wouldn't cut it with my love of alliteration!

Head Gardener & Under Gardener - Abandoned!

The "new" Birch Grove - formerly the Aspen Grove!!

A no Chris Saturday and with Head Gardener on pathetically light duties, our Under Gardener was on overtime!!  I was in trouble for pruning the Studio Wisteria, finishing all the fig suckers, tidying the Hosta bed and cutting back half the mint in the Harb Garden. 

Hospital Lolly Holly!

I was sent to the naughty step with painkillers so sat and sulked while mending some wind chimes.  Such a lovely and rare sunny dry day not to be able to take advantage of it to the full.  I ask you!!  I did sneak out with a paint brush and creosote a bench and the table and chairs by the pond - left handed.  Having endured the indignity of having to ask someone else to start the leaf blower (sigh), I did have a thorough tidy up!

Meanwhile, the Under Gardener enjoyed having a big bonfire and topping all the lawns and the orchard grass.  It was lovely to smell newly mown grass in the mild winter sunshine!

I checked on last week's newly planted birches and thought a few Skimmias might make great under planting - ahem!