BergeniaThe mild weather that we have had so far this winter means that our garden although wet, still has plenty of interest with many spring flowering plants making an early appearance!
First off the block, as usual are my Daffodils ‘Rinjveld’s Early Sensation’. They are always a splash of yellow before Christmas and Mrs McGregor likes to use them in arrangements, where the flowers last very well. We almost always get a windy spell of weather while they are out so I am happy to have them in the house where they can be appreciated rather than ripped to pieces outside! Elsewhere in the borders, the green leaf clumps of later Daffodils of are beginning to appear at an alarming pace and once I have cleared the last of the plant debris from around them, I have been covering them back up with fresh mulch, only for them to reappear again a few days later! Also in flower are a couple of perennials that are much loved by early bees for their valuable pollen. A silver leaved Pulmonaria has done really well in dry shade under our Arbutus unedo (Killarney Strawberry Tree) and the bluish mauve flowers contrast with the leaves for a bright spot of early color. Pulmonarias are amongst the hardiest of plants and are so useful to tuck into shady corners even in rooty soil under trees. We have a deep blue one growing in dense shade where it will flower for months if I remember to dead head it regularly! In the front garden, Bergenias are already beginning to flower, their gaudy pink flowers unharmed by frosts. These perennials are another favorite with bees, but many a time I have seen their tight flower buds turned to a slimy mush by hard frosts before they get a chance to open. If frost is forecast, I will try to remember to throw some frost fleece over the plants to protect the bee’s larder!
One plant that has surprised us is our Teucrium fruiticans, which loves the mild weather. This evergreen can be damaged by frost and two years ago our plant, which is growing on a trellis near the house, was badly damaged by hard weather. This winter it has put on lots of new growth and is even producing its royal blue flowers that normally appear in the summer! The evergreen, silvery white leaves are a welcome addition to Mrs McGregor’s arrangements.
Dependable Viburnum tinus continues to produce flat, pinkish white flower clusters and the first of the Camellias are starting to flower in sheltered parts of the garden, their overblown flowers adding an exotic decadence to shady areas. If the weather stays mild we are in for an early spring and I am keen to get out and tidy the rest of the borders. However, I need to remind myself that this is a big ‘if’! It is only the beginning of January and there is still time for a cold snap!
Happy New Year to you all and enjoy your garden!
