Wordless Wednesday ~ Seedling

 

IAVOM ~ Stirrings

 

The garden is definitely stirring now and here in this week's Monday vase are :

• Galanthus 'Philippe André Meyer' - this has become one of my favourite snowdrops in the garden. It has a distinctictive marking, shape and clumps up very quickly.  If any of my UK snowdrop blogger friends would like a bulb just say so.
• Iris reticula 'Pauline' - I left it late to get my bulb order in this year and was sadly too late to obtain the irises on my wish list. I picked this one up from a local garden centre for no other reason that one of my first colleagues and oldest friends is a Pauline. She is growing in a pot under cover in the greenhouse. I prefer the lighter coloured irises but still she'a most attractive.
• Small cyclamen flowers - these have been in the garden for years and I imagine that they are cyclamen coum. They're planted in an old Belfast sink which was surplus to himself's workplace and was being thrown out. Alongside the cyclamens are snowdrops and ophiopogon or Mondo grass with its dark strappy grass like leaves.
• Finally a sprig of salix gracistyla 'Mount Aso', a bushy shrub bearing these lovely fuzzy pink catkins in winter.

As always thanks to Cathy who blogs over at 'Rambling In the Garden' and who gets us together every Monday to share our floral and foliage treasures. Do visit her blog if you haven't already.

The weather continues in a damp vein although we have so far been spared the excessive rainfall that has troubled some areas of the country. The main priority in any suitable dry intervals this week is to fill the green garden waste bin up in readiness for it's first collection early next week. There's still some space and there's plenty of suitable plant debris waiting to go in to it. I'm also looking forward to getting stuck into a new book arrival. More of that and gardening related podcasts soon.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Snowdrop Days

 

IAVOM ~ Gingerly

Any January gardening as well as other activities were severely curtailed after I sustained a nasty muscular strain in the area around my shoulder blade. Not only did it cause great pain but it greatly affected quality of sleep. I spent a fortnight or so wandering around like a zombie and barely functioning. Over the last few days I'm delighted to say that matters are definitely improving. I'm still moving around somewhat gingerly as I don't want to risk any sort of relapse. In the meantime though there have been definite signs of things being on the move and the garden is very slowly edging it's way to longer and warmer days. In my vase are a couple of hamamelis or witch hazel stems. An unknown variety sold to me in 2019 as 'Foxy Lady' which it is most certainly not. The nursery concerned apologised but couldn't replace it with the desired witch hazel. However on the plus side I received a full refund and was allowed to keep the shrub. 

Thanks as always to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for providing the platform for us to get together to share our vases each week.

My enforced idleness has had some bonuses, one of which was reading Mary Keane's 'Diary Of A Keen Gardener' which I can thoroughly recommend. It's available from various bookshops and online sources. I have also listened to gardening podcasts but more of that another time. 

I'm looking forward to doing more now including removing some of the tat from perennials when we next have a relatively mild dry day. Another task at the top of the list is to decide which tomato varieties to order. I no longer grow tomatoes from seed but order plug plants each year. My friend who puts in the order has just reminded me that we just have a few days to get the order in so I need to decide imminently. I will probably end up going for the same variety as last year but I may live dangerously. Looking forward to seeing what it's in other vases later on today and I hope that everyone is staying clear of winter viruses and muscle woes.

IAVOM ~ Suspended Animation

There's a reminder of last summer in today's vase. It seems a long time ago today after snow yesterday and a well below freezing minumum temperature last night. The sky is a beautiful blue, the sun's shining but it's bitterly cold out there. In my vase today are just a few stems of lagurus ovatus also known as bunny's tail grass. Its' a hardy annual grass which produces the softest to touch seedheads which look good in a vase as well as when they are dried.

Thanks as always to Cathy from 'Rambling In The Garden'  for gathering us together every Monday to share our vases.

With this current spell of wintry weather predicted to last a few days I think that gardening activities will be very minimal. I'm hoping that the extra layer of fleece and the small electric heater will give enough protection to over-wintering salvias and ranuculus as well as my potted snowdrops which were bought in at the very last moment. The seed box sort is nearly complete except the vegetable section so I will be able to get my seed order in. Maybe time to catch up on some garden related podcasts that I've been meaning to listen to 🤔 I hope that it's warmer in your neck of the woods this coming week and that you can get to spend some time in the garden.