Spring clean

It's fairly unpleasant to be working outside, but the stronger sunlight through the glass in the conservatory tells us exactly what to be doing today.  We took everthing outside and then got to work with a broom and soapy water inside the glass roof and windows. Then rinsed all off with the pressure washer. Then scrubbed the floor tiles and vacuumed up with the wet-and-dry.  Now you can see out the glass and see that spring is on the way. The lawn outside the conservatory is dotted all over with Crocus tommasinianus.  Most shrubs are starting to slowly slowly show their new leaves.

We removed the 30 yr old Chasselas dore de Fontainebleau, and will be replacing it with a new seedless Lakemount grape planted outside the glass and coming in underneath, as before. This year's hanging begonia will be Million Kisses Amour, a valentine from Corbie. Bright red this time, it'll be placed up in the leguminous tree to look as if it is dripping with tropical red blossoms.

Crocus time

The C. tommasinianus are at their best just now and although they are shaded in the lawn, a mild sunny day brings them out.  Without sun they open up within minutes if you cut them and bring them into the warmth.  You can watch them perform and you have to admit it is magic even although you do it every year.
They are really photogenic as you can see.  And what is that I see - a new species growing out of a puffball.  I know you don't believe it but it's true.

Yes, a late Spring

It is funny not to have daffodils in flower by now.  They are still a long way off but the snowdrops are doing their usual charming thing and the Crocus tommasinianus are standing straight on the lawn.  They look a bit lost there as the leaves are like grass so they are a bit like naked ladies (Colchicum) in minature.  I am pruning roses whenever I get a few minutes of dry weather and between plant moving jobs - like transplanting the Rosa persetosa to the lower driveway.  It is time to be propagating again for the Treborth Plant Sale so anything  that is spare goes in a pot for flogging in April.  The Lenten roses (Helleborus X orientalis) are truly Lenten this year for a change and I did a rare job of protecting the flower stems of our favourite, and expensive, specimen.  The mice are bound to find something else nice to eat.  The early Bodnant hybrid rhododendron, R X cilpinense is opening bang on time so it must be cued by daylength.

February at last

Last year ended with the coldest December ever seen here, and January 2011 must have been a record-breaker too. After all that, prolonged southwesterly gales been a bit of a relief. Today we were out in the garden picking up the pieces. The agapanthus is not looking very happy. David has been retensioning the wires that support the poly tunnel and I have started remaking the hazel trellis on the rose arch. The old trellis lasted 11 years, not bad. We cut hazel wands from the road down to Henfaes. Last week in miserable driving rain, today in what feels like spring sunshine. Crocuses and snowdrops have popped up too.