I am always amazed at how resilient early spring flowers are. No matter what the weather - and for now it is very windy and wet – they begin to appear at almost the same time each year to remind us that spring and better weather are on the way.
Many of our Daffodil varieties have begun to push through the soil and the ‘Thalia’ which were planted several years ago in the white border have made large clumps which flower reliably each March with multi headed stems of nodding blooms.
The double Snowdrops that I planted ‘in the green’ last summer have not yet appeared and each day I look for them in the borders. The doubles do tend to flower after the single Galanthus nivalis so there is plenty of time. Snowdrops have the habit of shooting up as if overnight with the fat, white buds visible as soon as the spear like leaves break the soil surface. They are one of my favorite early spring bulbs and a reason that I like to visit open gardens to see them in great drifts growing in woodland, their natural habitat.
The spotted leaves of Pulmonaria ‘Sissinghurst White’ (Lung Wort) are coming through the soil and again, the plants have made good clumps even in a dry bed where they are planted under a Mexican Orange Blossom. I was given this plant by a friend after I admired the pure white flowers in her garden the previous spring and will make sure I mulch it well to try and give it as much moisture as I can in conditions that are not ideal for it!
Our winter flowering Jasmine is a picture at the moment on the sheltered side of the fence where it is growing. The bare wood is covered in bright yellow flowers and some of the stems have touched the ground where they have rooted to form new plants. I have seen this plant grown as a low hedge where it forms a thick tangled mass of branches and can be clipped to shape through the growing season.
We have even more Helleborus x hybridus in the garden now. They have seeded under a Birch tree that has unfortunately succumbed to the gales but still have some shade from the Myrtle tree that is growing nearby. Many have reached flowering size so I will keep an eye on them and move some of the prettiest seedlings to parts of the garden where they can be appreciated more easily. Many of the parents in this part of the garden are deep slate blue and purple shades so I am hoping for some beauties!
Some drier weather has allowed me to turn one of the compost heaps and begin bagging up that which is rotted enough to use as mulch on the borders ready for the big spring tidy up next month. I have also made a start on pruning some of the shrubs to thin the branches and shape them before they start to grow later in the spring.
