PLANTS IN FLOWER: Iris reticulata, Hazel catkins, Pulmonaria, Snowdrops, Hellebore orientalis, Hellebore niger, Hellebore foetidas, Primula, Viburnum - plus various types of fungi in the woodlands.
Following the bitter cold in December, the early months of 2011 have been quite mild so far. The mass of tiny iris reticulata which I planted amidst the 'Pheasant' grasses surrounding the terrace last year are in full bloom by the end of this month. The pond which is brimming with tiny black fish still freezes over as soon as there is a heavy frost overnight and the cold winter has also taken a toll on the surrounding paving where the cement has been cracked by the ice. I will have to get this and some of the terrace and steps re-pointed in the Spring. Cous cous of course likes to watch everything that goes on in the garden and has returned to his previous sleek form now he can be outside again performing his usual hunting rounds.
Since the garden is largely still asleep, I have devoted February to choosing and buying organic vegetable seeds for my precious new potager. I still need to complete filling the beds using the massive mound of topsoil which had been dumped in the field. With the help of my partner Ossian and his friend Erik, we finally managed to get all the beds topped up by the end of the month and ready for planting. At first we were worried there would not be enough soil to complete the job, but soon it became evident that there would be too much .... So at this point, I decided to commission four more deep beds made to the same construction as the previous ones i.e. from old treated railway sleepers. These could be used to plant perennial crops such as raspberries, blueberries, black currants, strawberries and maybe asparagus. The four main, large beds could then be used for rotational annual planting. At the same time, I also started to think about planting up the orchard with a few hardy fruit trees before the end of April.