A frog he would a woo-ing go.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
PARTY TIME IN THE PADDOCK POND!
(try photographing frogs at midnight -- sorry they are
not better framed)
WELCOME TO THE PARTY !!
After a news headlines like that I hope you are still reading!!
Yes folks the frogs are back in action and it is great to see them.
After such a bitterly cold early winter we were worried if any of
them would have survived but here they are in their hundreds and
there are mountains of spawn all around the pond. It has been a
good mild month for them and there are green shoots appearing all
over the garden - our sap too is definitely rising again.
THE FROG A WOOING GOES
MASSES OF FROG SPAWN - THE FROGS ARE IMMERSED IN
IT
Weather Report
A lovely soft. mild month with just a couple of light frosts;
-2c the lowest temperature. Some rain, very little wind or sun but
great growing weather. Too good I fear as there will surely be a
sting or two in the tail before we can say that the worst of the
winter is behind us. Good though not to have to dwell on
exceptional weather events for once.
Garden Update
At last there is life returning to the gardens with snowdrops in
abundance, cyclamen coum that have been in continuous flower from
early January, pulmonarias, hepaticas, witch hazels and best of all
our beloved hellebores.
There have been a number of essential repair and maintenance
jobs completed. The stream banks have been rebuilt with sleepers
and a small waterfall made (OK only 4 feet ). I know that because
to try it out I stood underneath it and got pretty wet!!. I have
also constructed a sluice to let water into the Paddock Pond from
the stream. All the pipework has been in place since 1993 when the
pond was made - now that is what I call progress!
I have also removed a large wild rose near the main drive to the
house which had outgrown its allotted space and become absolutely
dangerous, and removed a few dead shrubs from last winter. The
edges to some of the vegetable garden beds have also been repaired.
Next week I intend to widen the path leading to the pergola area
near the house to make for easier and safer access for our visitors
this summer.
Finally we have started the mammoth seed sowing programme. Each
year we seem to grow more and more and so far have sowed over 200
varieties of seed and there is still as much again to sow. We
(sorry I!) must be nuts!! Already many have germinated in the
microclimate created by the hot benches in the polytunnels. Next
comes the major task of pricking out the seedlings and potting on
all the mature plants which have overwintered successfully in
frames and polytunnels with surprisingly few losses. Hopefully
there should be plenty of plants for the gardens and for our many
visitors this summer.
What's looking good?
Hellebores, hellebores and hellebores! It is only at this time
of year we realise quite how many we have throughout the garden.
When I first came here in March 1976 there was one in the garden. I
had never encountered them before. That one plant started a love
affair, even though it was rather dull and uninspiring by today's
standards. Since then we have acquired a large collection in a wide
variety exceeding well over 200 plants from major growers in
the UK and our own seedling stock.
For me there is no spring flowering plant that can compete with
them in spite of the obvious charms of snowdrops, cyclamen,
daffodils and the myriad of other spring flowering plants. They
have colourful flowers in every shade except true blue, they flower
for up to 3 months, have architectural leaves that continue to grow
throughout the summer months, brighten the dullest areas of the
gardens especially when the low winter sun shines through them, are
lagely trouble free and live for a very long time ( I still have
that original 1976 plant!)
Although the flower stems when cut do not last long in water, if
you cut off flowers with just an inch of pedicle (flower
stem) and float them in a shallow bowl of water they will last for
at least 5 days in a coolish room and make a lovely and unusual
table decoration. This also affords the opportunity to study
the flower parts from the comfort of your armchair. If you don't
grow them, why not?!!! Now is a good time to start as it always
pays to buy them in flower so that you can be sure exactly what you
are getting. They should be readily available now in garden centres
and nurseries.
Wildlife
I have said enough already about the frogs but it is so good to
see all the movement and activity again in the pond especially as
we fear for the worst for all the fish and other aquatic life that
were under the thick ice in November and December. There are a few
toads appearing now and their breeding will reach a crescendo
during March.
Whenever there is food available predators quickly follow and
already the herons have started work on the frog spawn. We never
know how much they will take but every year there are always plenty
of tadpoles to grow into the next generation of frogs. However
there are also sadly some seriously chewed up frogs around the pond
edges indicating the presence of mammalian predators such as mink
or otters.
The numbers of red kites around us just grows and grows every
year. Time was when when the occasionial one was a red! letter day.
Now we see them every day, and groups of 5 or more are the norm
suggesting that they have become resident here and will be nesting
in the local forests and woodlands. They sit in the large trees
along the river whistling to each other, a call it easy to mimic.
If I whistle back they will often come quite close to check me out,
but I have to say they always go away disappointed. There is no way
I could compare with them!!
Visitors
For once we have become vistors this month. We have been very
busy delivering talks throughout our part of Wales giving talks as
far apart as Whitland and Hay on Wye and Reynaldston, Gower to
Llandysul for the annual Winter Gardening Weekend. We have received
a warm welome wherever we have been and met some great characters
and good gardeners. We have also taken a good number of bookings
for summer visits to Cilgwyn Lodge.
It looks as though we will have our busiest year ever of opening
for The National Gardens Scheme. We already have 20 party bookings
for clubs and societes including 4 from Holland (2 from The Dutch
RHS) and Hilliers Garden Club. All this in addition to our annual
Open Day on 24 July between 1 and 5 pm. Moira reckons she will be
baking cakes non stop from May to September!
Finally next month we are going to Phedar Nursery in Stockport
to see an amazing collection of species hellebores collected over
many years by Will McLewin to identify and classify forms of
species hellebores. He is a major figure in the hellebore world and
it will be tremendous experience to have the opportunity to speak
to him and buy as many plants as we can pack into the pick up. An
update on this will appear in next months news.
In the meantime Happy Gardening and lets hope this will be a
year to remember for all the right reasons.
A LOVELY GREEN DOUBLE HELLEBORE
A ROSEBUD DOUBLE HELLEBORE - A VERY UNUSUAL HYBRID
FORM
A PALE PINK ANEMONE CENTRED HELLEBORE
This has improved immensely over the last 5 years - from
Aswoods Nursey I think.
AND FINALLY TO MAKE A CHANGE FROM HELLEBORES: IRIS
"KATHARINE HODGKIN"
AND A DRIFT OF CYCLAMEN COUM IN THE SPRING
GARDEN
More pictures and updates next month. Just to cheer you up it
will soon be time to start mowing the lawns again!!!!!!!!!!