January 2009 - A Freezing Start

The beginning of the year saw the temperature drop to -10C; a few days later it was up to 7C. I have bought an outdoor thermometer and hung it outside the kitchen door to keep track of this oscillating climate. The pond was frozen over with thick ice during the first week of the month but by the second week, with the rapid rise in temperature, it had thawed out.
Bulbs have been struggling to push themselves up through the hard ground: even the early snowdrops in the raised beds are only just showing a few tips of whitish-green shoots by the second week. According to my records from this time last year in ‘Green Valley’, these tall Galanthus elwesii snowdrops were already flowering by mid January. Other bulbs, including the tiny reticulata irises, the early pale-purple crocus, C. tommasinianus and the grape hyacinths are also appearing later than last year. As this year progresses, I want to track the programme of the seasons more closely, together with the temperature variations each month, and make note of when different species come into flower. The arrival of spring in the valley, despite being south-facing is delayed by several weeks compared to many other parts of the country anyway, due to the altitude being about 330 feet above sea level.
Later in the month there are some unusually warm days, so I planted six black bamboos in the woodland area together with three white rhododendrons. Although they will all take several years to mature, I think they will enjoy the semi-shaded damp location above the stream. I have put a lot of crumpled newspaper and torn-up cardboard packaging from the barn at the base of the bamboos to ensure they get a constant supply of moisture, even in the summer. In the main border, my new magnolia tree is covered in tiny furry-grey buds following the warmer spell: I will not have to wait for too long before I will be able to see what colour flowers it has.

Planting up little decorative terracotta pots, each with their own selection of spring bulbs is so satisfying on a clear day: majestic white agapanthus; the dramatic violet-blue scilla ‘Peruviana’; a line of bright-pink early hyacinths; several bowls of Pheasant Eye narcissus N. poeticus for their breath-taking fragrance; and some oriental near-black lilies. There were quite a few dusty terracotta containers in the barn and or left lying about the garden, so it has been very rewarding to reclaim them and then fill them anew with fresh, dark soil. We have also finally chosen a colour for the stone and plaster wall outside the kitchen; a pale warm terracotta, inspired by the soft autumnal tone of the planters.