The snowdrops emerged from their snow dousing looking a bit worse for wear, but they had given me a pretty spectacle for several weeks before they got buried. The time had come, therefore, to shift the ones which were badly placed now that I've widened my border, so up they came to settle in their new spot under the apple tree. I think they'll look great there next year with their newly installed neighbours, the primroses.
Also planted my Japanese flowering cherry tree 'Amanogawa' down by the bottom shed near the hedge. I bought it a) because I can't resist a bargain - £4.99 in Aldi, and b) because if we have more years like this on the cards, it will be good to have more spring blossoms available for harvesting. I plan to use it for cutting, so hopefully this form of annual pruning should keep the size in check. And at £4.99, if it turns out to be a mistake, it won't be an expensive one.
Have got no half term plans for tomorrow, so am hoping to spend a fair bit of time in the garden. Am debating whether to risk planting out some of the September sown ammi, which is well toughened up already. I planted six out just before the snow came as a tester, and although they are twisted into somewhat malformed contortions, they seem to have come through their prolonged burial under snow. Surely we aren't due any more serious snowfalls?
I still have one drift near the patio, ice slabs which have fallen from the roof, and the path to the compost bin is still under a few inches of white stuff, but it is, thankfully in retreat. We did however, have a light snow shower this morning, which had me swearing quietly over my cornflakes. I think I want to move into the Eden Project, and garden under a biome.
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| Now they're over, move your snowdrops before the foliage disappears. |
I managed to get about half my snowdrops split before this last lot of freezing weather, but now the rest will have to wait until it warms up a bit, the ground is frozen solid, please let it be soon!
ReplyDeleteMine tends to thaw by lunchtime each day, but turns into rock again by night. Hope it is breaking down the clods as a side-effect and leaving me with some good fine soil for seedbeds if it ever warms up enough to sow anything.
DeleteI think your snowdrops have held up well. I also found myself doing some planting today, even though I had resolved to devote myself to spring clean up of the garden - but planting is so much more fun.
ReplyDeletePhoto was taken before the snow did its work - think they would have gone one for another week or so if it hadn't buried them so profoundly. I think spring is finally on the way though - amazing what a drop of sunshine and a lack of polar winds does for the spirits.
DeleteWe inherited a Prunus 'Amanogawa' when we moved into our current house 17 years ago. It's now as tall as the house but takes up little space as it has such an upright habit. The spring blossom is fabulous and the bees absolutely love it, so a good choice and I don't think you'll be disappointed!
ReplyDeleteOooooooh! Sounds great. I am now very excited about my purchase and can't wait to see it do its stuff. Glad the bees love it too. Thanks for filling me in on that - it now seems a sound, rather than merely impetuous purchase.
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