Hobbies and Crafts

We went to a local garden centre this morning and this is the second one that didn't have any pansies. I am sure we usually buy some this time of year, is there a shortage or were they early this year?

Daffs are only a few inches high and nowhere near blooming yet - I reckon it will be a few weeks before we see them. There are some snowdrops and primroses out and a couple of hellebores I bought at a local plant sale are in bloom. But my two witch hazels look wonderful. One is the usual bright yellow and the other a coppery red. They aren't keen on our heavy clay soil which is either baked hard or waterlogged so I have them in half barrels. I've had them a few years now and they always cheer me up at this time of year but they have very little perfume. Can any of you gardening gurus tell me why they don't have the lovely witch hazel smell?

Quite a lot of dutch Iris out now plus a clump of daffs, no crocus though which is strange I wonder if they have rotted. One primrose has flowered all through the winter, went a bit soggy in the snow but has perked up again now. And in a secluded spot, growing where it seeded into a largish tub which holds a bay tree, there is a nemesia flowering. (and that is a summer bedding plant).

A few daffs. out near here, snowdrops too, but in my garden just a lonely buttercup on the back grass ( can hardly call it lawn )

Gwyn

Just noticed, even after all that snow we have got 4 daffodils out in the garden.

Don't you think that the one rose cut in winter is so much more wonderful than one cut in the summer?

Julia, the thread was by request (from Von I think).

Just been to the post and it is blowing a hooley (whatever that is) out there. Not cold just a very strong wind. Be a few trees down I reckon.

OH did get out to fix the water feature down the garden this morning as it was sunny, noticed he dodn't stay out long though.

Yes, soon be time to buy potatoes, although a local nursery had their potato day last week, next door neighbours bought theirs. Seemed strange with snow on the ground. :-)

When i looked out this morning there was one tiny little daisy flowering in the front lawn !! the sort you make daisy chains with , it survived the snow .

Oh and next door have cut their lawn this afternoon !! :-0

OH cut a rose in full bloom for me before the snow came in - and I noticed last week a hebe is in full flower and looks a picture.

So glad you put this thread up again this year, Ann.

Here in sunny, but very windy Derbyshire, we are finally rid of the snow, but promised. hail and thunder, this afternoon.
I did manage a look-see down the garden yesterday, which reminded me that it will not be long now before I am getting my trowel out, again.
Whilst standing with the dog, I did notice that one of my Clematis, a lovely deep blue colour, was sprutting, and a few daffs. are beginning to poke their heads through, as is green shoots at the base of several plants.
I just hope that we have a better 'gardening year' than we all did last year.

We are beginning to think about our 'big shop' at the garden centre. Seed potatoes for the allotment etc., but after seeing a recent picture of a Daphne, something I have fancied for a long time, I will see if they have any.

Oh well, back to the Crocheting for now, whilst I think of more things I want to buy when I get there.

Julia in Derbyshire

Nice to see the bulbs growing isn't it? We had three narcissus out just before the snow so picked them in, they have gone now but they lasted ages indoors and would have keeled over outside. Love the winter flowering jasmine.Ours is still out and the Mahonia is in flower too.

Somebody has been eating the cabbages and Spring greens, just wait till I catch them. Left some carrots in and they look to be OK.

Flower wise the Pansies I planted in Autumn showed their little faces all through the snow.

There are a few yellow Kerria flowers out, but not many as my husband pruned ( hacked ) them all back late last summer.

The Winter Jasmine has been out since September.

No sign of any Snowdrops as yet, last year I took a photo of them on Jan 8th.

All the bulbs are coming up well none in flower yet, I keep looking for the Crocus but the lawn is so long I can't see them, they will just burst out one day, especially if this sun stays out.

Some Calendula seedlings are poking through and my Lavender and Ribes cuttings I forgot to cover look alright as well.

No sign of anything on the Forsythia, usually by now there are one or two stray flowers out, especially on the one by the front door which gets the most sun.

I always bring my Geraniums into the conservatory in the Winter, it is too cold to sit in at this time of the year, so serves as a greenhouse . I also brought in my Olive, Bougainvillia and Oleander just to be on the safe side, just before Christmas, so they have missed the worst of the frosts and snow. M

goodness you are having a bucketful (literally!) :-D

all change - the sun has gone in and although the snow had gone everything is now white as we've just had a shedload of hailstones!!! and we had thunder and lightning last night - what else? typhoons? twisters?

Daphne just about to burst open - maybe today as we have sun!!! :-D :-D :-D

Bit of a nudge now the snow has gone ( it disappeared overnight here).

My garden looks smaller now the snow has gone :-( but to cheer myself I am re-reading "Down the Garden Path" by Beverley Nichols

From Down the Garden Path:
"I never say to people 'would you like to look at the garden?' because any lover of gardens, even if he sees only a lawn and a solitary herbaceous border, will ask to see it himself."

http://www.beverleynichols.com/excerpts.php

Just the standard white one wuth the blue edges.It was a weedy little job I bought from a roadside charity stall and planted by the front door.There must be something there it likes because it is well up it's trellis and galloping across the lawn now.

Oh good, we lost ours. Tenerife Sun has a beautiful red one in her garden, ours was the purple one, what is yours?

My passion flower is still intent on taking over the world.

It should be passing your house some time soon.

Last year I grew baby carrots in a trough. Realised recently that there were still a few carrot tops showing. This morning I pulled a small bunch and they are fine, quite a surprise I would have thought they'd have rotted in all that rain, but no. :-)

just thought - next time David comes down [him from over the back of you] I'll try and remember to give him some for you