The garden has kept me going during the last six months during the ever-changing rules and regulations of Covid-19, giving me a bit of daily sanity whether weeding, deadheading, planting and sowing, or just sitting and listening to the birds and insects around me. I feel very lucky to have this resource.
It is looking a little drab out there now, but there is hope for the spring; my singular snowdrop has flowered, as have the many yellow and purple crocuses, and the dandelions. Pulmonaria is in bud, as are miniature daffodils, and the foliage of primroses, celandines and cyclamen is fresh and green. The borders are full of seedlings of foxgloves, hairy bittercress, daisies, sedge (grrrrr - removed as soon as spotted), and the foliage of chives and other alliums is appearing.
The vegetable garden has provided delicious parsnips and carrots over the winter, as well as Cavolo Nero and chard. The cabbages are still growing, but are mostly being used as a decoy for snails as I'm not really very fond of cabbage as a food! The rhubarb is starting to shoot, and is covered with a Victorian forcing pot, although the top is open to the sky at the moment. I planted broad bean plants in the autumn; they are a bit leggy but have survived so far so hopefully they will flower and produce plenty of beans. There are also a few leeks but they're a bit skinny so I haven't harvested them yet.
I have plenty of ornamental plants potted up and waiting to be planted out when the weather improves, so I am looking forward to improving the side border and the border by the path this year. Plants include hellebores, doronicum, primula, and eryngium. There's plenty more but I can't recall the names off the top of my head!
This morning I sowed Nasturtiums, Alexanders, Sweet Peas and Geraniums in modules and put them in the lean-to to germinate. It's a bit early for everything else, but I have plenty to sow in the next couple of months.
I have also enjoyed watching the birdlife in the garden and surrounding area over the winter and have seen many species such as sparrows, blackbirds, robins, starlings, crows, mallards, gulls, buzzards, terns, bluetits, swans, white egret, and, on one memorable occasion at very close quarters, a grey heron - it exploded up from a stream as I looked over the bridge! They are huge. Wow!
The outdoors is awesome.
