Things are ticking along. Here are my Six things in the garden today for this theme hosted by the propagator where you will find news from other bloggers.
A new tree to be planted
Amelanchier lamarckii
Bought a tree from Thompson and Morgan – Amelanchier lamarckii, to go in the front garden. After much faffing decided on this tree which is supposed to look great in every season. It arrived in perfect condition beautifully packed in a tall box with no excess packaging. Very impressed and will use T and M from now on.
Snowdrops
I wrote about planting snowdrops here and at last quite a few are coming up outside the back window. I don’t need a carpet of them like some gardens have – just a few to remind me that they herald the start of the growing season and the start of the end of winter.
Sparse snowdrops
Bags of leaves
Leaves piled up under shrubs
Finally cracked and couldn’t face staring at bags of leaves for another two years until they broke down into leaf mould. Emptied them under the shrubs where they will give shelter for insects. Maybe in ten years’ time the worms will have taken them down into the soil. It’s really just my own square yard of forest floor.
Scented shrubs
winter flowering honeysuckle
sarcococca
There is wonderful scent from winter honeysuckle – lonicera fragrantissima – and also from sarcococca known as winter sweet box. There are lots of varieties to choose from – all are attractive and easy to grow. These shrubs are so essential for honey scent through the winter and make such a difference to your trip to and from your front door.
Compost
homemade compost for spreading on the borders
Emptied and dismantled my beehive compost bin AGAIN, so I could rebuild and refill it just for the fun of it. Massive satisfaction and enjoyment handling all that lovely brown stuff made from kitchen waste, green stuff and cardboard. Took out the parsnips, potatoes and carrots which any schoolboy could have told me would not compost down in my lifetime.
Friendly front gardens
Harriet Rycroft’s post about wonderful front gardens here shows how home owners in Germany and Holland decorate their front garden spaces, however small. Harriet encourages everyone to make their front approach as welcoming and cared for as possible. I’ve always had a colourful chair at the front door where I sit for a while on sunny days. To talk to passers by I would have to shout very loud as the front path is 60ft long. That would be weird and I would become known as the mad old bat at no 90. (if I’m not already). follow #friendlyfrontgardens to see more.
