February ended better than it started. The weather has warmed up, in fact its unseasonably warm. It hasn’t really been warm enough and for long enough to really give the plants, including the weeds, too much of a boost so I have a chance to attempt to get on top of some of the jobs that desperately need to be done.
The Spring/Patio border (above) isn’t as good as it has been in the past. The bike store has reduced this bed and when we installed it I really thinned out the spring bulbs and spread them around the garden. With time it will fill out again.
The other end of the border, adjacent to the greenhouse, is really atrocious. I don’t remember it being this bare in the past and I know there are loads of plants in here which haven’t started to emerge. I suspect that with the border reduced by a third it has shown up the bareness of the far end. I need to add something for this time of year. I thought about hellebores as Carolyn of Carolyn’s Shade Gardens suggested last month but I don’t need large foliage plants due to the other plants I know are lurking. I think extending the spring bulbs might be a good idea, maybe some more snowdrops but also some scilla or some other small bulbs. Which gives me an excuse to buy some more bulbs come next Autumn – hoorah.
The Cottage Garden border is beginning to have some interest. The tulips that I planted are appearing and I can begin to see whether I have planted them too sparsely or not. This is a bit of an experiment and builds on my previous approach of planting new tulip bulbs in pots and then sticking them randomly in borders the following year. I have decided that I prefer tulips in border than in pots so this Autumn I bought bulbs specifically for the Cottage Garden border. I can’t wait to see what they look like, whether the varieties I have chosen look as wonderful as they did in my imagination back last Autumn. The perennials are beginning to show themselves and I can start to see the gaps that need filling. I am watching this border to see how my mass plant moving exercise last Autumn develops and to see how I can improve it. I am also thinking about sowing lots of Forget Me Nots in this border for next Spring as I think that will kick-start the cottagey feel and work well with the tulips.
Hopefully next month there will be lots more to see in the End of Month post.
I find watching different parts of the garden through a year helps me to see the border properly and I can identify better what needs to be done to improve things. If you would like to join in the meme you are very welcome, there are no rules, use it however you want and post a link to your post in the comment box on the last day of the month.
