A brief taste of spring before harsh winter returns
Saturday, March 31, 2018
What a contrast to March 2017when it was almost the perfect
spring and there was so much to write about. This month several
episodes of winter (worse here than the "Beast from the East")
slowed plant growth to a crawl and prevented any meaningful outdoor
work, as did the continuing side affects of my chempotherapy. So
apologies for less exciting news items to report on.
Waiting for the planting conditions to improve
this small collection of recently acquired polyanthus light up and
perfume the small tunnel on a really cold day. Such a
delight!
The weather stole all the good lines and picture
opportunities.
Weather readings:
19 days with a temperature below zero. Min -7C on
1/3, Max 12C on 13/3 Precipitation on 18 days with 5.4" recorded
during the month - falling snow on 6 days. Sunshine on
9 days.
Moira brushing snow from her car. One of several
times she had to do it.
Although it wasn't desperately cold we had the
first icicles during the winter
Unusually some of the larger ones were frozen
sideways by the persistent wind
Garden update
In a brief lull in the weather and rather to my surprise, being
how early in the month it was, it was possible to do some systemic
weedkilling all over the garden, especially in the main borders
where the bittercress had begun to grow away strongly long
before many of the herbaceous plants had begun to show. It seemed
to me the ideal opportunity to attack the weeds with "Roundup" in
order to reduce the amount of later hand weeding. What also made
this possible was that there were no flowers on the bittcress to
set seed before the weeedkiller had done its work. To my surprise
within 2 weeks the weeds were substantially compromised and much
reduced. A hoeing is now all that is required.
Whilst in that mode, from our friend Richard Bramley, I borrowed
a Calor Gas flame thrower to attack weeds and moss on the paths and
drives which had coloured the paths green.What a frightening piece
of kit is was! Highly effective too but not in confined spaces.
Sorry no selfies of me in action!!
The polytunnels as usual provided work opportunities on the many
days when outdoor work was not possible. Under cover of cold frames
most of my nursery stock avoided the extremes of the weather and
largely came through OK. With plants in pots it is important to
remember that they do need a modicum of watering but not to the
point where the pots become waterlogged.
Brassica seedlings sown on 20/2018
Sweet peas having germinated on shelving placed on
the polytunnel crop bars to keep them away from rodents that will
otherwise chew all the emerging seedlings. As an extra precaution
mouse traps are needed when pots are transferred to main tunnel
benches. Depending on the weather these plants should be ready to
plant out after hardening off by mid/ late May.
Velthemia bracteata grown from seed sown 4 years ago
giving delight on a very cold day and a reminder of the joys of
producing plants from seed.
Having waited for weeks to remove the lights from the
cold frames the weather took a turn for the worse but most plants
have survived well cocooned by a covering of snow.
What's looking good?
A few brave daffodils started to put on a show but not in
the numbers you would expect in March. At least there will be
plenty more to enjoy now during April.
Narcissus "February Gold" at last in March lived
up to its reputation of being the first to flower here
Narcissus "Jet Fire" coping well with a thich layer of
snow.
A long established favourite of mine is narcissus "W.P
Milner" an old cultivar that behaves and looks much like a species
form. It has taken a few years to bulk up as many true
species do.
Flowering spring shrubs are one of the cornerstones at
this time of year but few are showing any signs of
emerging flowerbuds.
Magnolia stellata devoid of any leaf or bud
colour
Only Pieris are showing any vigorous signs of
flowering
In regard to many hydrangeas which in the cold snap of
late April last year had their flowers destroyed, fortunately
they were not that far advanced this year and their buds are
still being protected by a generous covering of tightly furled
leaves.
Heathers and recently planted hellebores creating a
pleasing combination and proving just how hardy they are.
The Beech Hedge walk became a jewelled garden with
a dusting of powdery snow on the hellebores and cyclamen in
particular.
Even plants without flowers like this arum
itallicum are embellished by the snow
Wildlife and Countryside
A couple of mallard ducks sighted on the Paddock Pond recently
but no evidence yet that they are a breeding pair. Also in the pond
frogs have made a second spawning in between the 2 very cold
spells this month which is just as well as the first spawn was
badly frosted. Will we see any toads this year? Their absence from
garden ponds has already been commented upon by numerous friends
with ponds.
In the Koi Pond we lost this fish which had been
struggling for some time with fungus. Cold conditions most likely
exacerbated its demise.
Visits
I can't wait to be feeling well enough to go garden visisting
again and adding to the portfolio of pictures to publish every
month, starting with RHS Cardfiff on 13 April. Just a reminder on
this one that Farmyard Nurseries will have a Floral display and
plants for sale at the show. For more details of the show go to www.rhs.org.uk/cardiff
Finally my treatment and lots of "down time" has given me the
opportunity to catch up on some long abandoned garden reading, my
current favourite of which "Hugh Johnson In the Garden" I
recommended to readers several months ago, a few of whom purchased
the book and have enjoyed reading it. I was just typing this when
my all time favourite plant journal dropped through the letter box.
There is a good range of gardening publications to chose from, but
like many gardening friends I am often disappointed by the content
of some of them, much of which for the keen plants person seem to
be "dumbed down". So here is my latest recommendation: "The
Plantsman" published quarterly by the RHS is available to RHS
members for an annual subscription of £29 or to non-members for
£37. Every edition adds substantially to my knowledge and awareness
of plants. Look at the current Contents page to see if it could do
the same for you. Definitely money well spent.
