Mid-March garden

At the beginning of the month the only thing in flower was the Hamamelis and a few snowdrops. Now the weather has changed and there is a sea of snowdrops, a few Helibores and Crocuses and my lovely little Irises.

The Hamamelis is beginning to go over but it has earned its keep and I have already given it a top-dessing of some left-over ericaceous compost.

February Garden, post bad snow.

Not much to show this month. The Witch Hazel is coming out at last though

I passed Viburnum bodnantense by - its flowers are looking very sad and if it was thinking of coming back, the weather forcast for this week will change its mind!

Instead, I took a picture of these golden leaves as an example of what can be done to cheer you with foliage. Around the garden there are many different greens, golds, silver and many shades of brown. They form a background in summer but are the core of a winter garden.

Hiding away were these promises of Spring to come.

and next door this Lonicera nitida is looking very sad as I had to cut it hard back. It had been allowed to encroach on the path anyway and then the weight of the snow brought it right over, so now it does not look pretty! It will come again though and I may yet reduce its height as well.

While on the sadder things, here is a picture of one of the many brown patches on the lawn. It is probably a fungus which develops if snow lies on grass for too long. It can be seen on other lawns as well as ours and the greens of golf courses are badly affected. A young man who lives in the village and is a trainee at a local course is going to get advice from his boss for us. I think that fertiliser when the grass starts to grow and a fungicide next October may be the treatment. When I hear, I shall put the advice on the Gardening Club Forum of Purple Coo.

And now two happier pictures to cheer you as you leave