January is the longest month in the year isn't it? Officially it has 31 days but I am sure there are at least 40. Despite the lack of daylight, they feel long too.
Yet there is light. Look at the shine on the tree peony foliage in the front garden. There also appears to be a bud forming which is very exciting. Last year this one did not flower, I am not sure why, maybe it got too dry the preceding summer. I will delighted to see it flower again.
I am very excited to see the winter aconites appearing again in the side lawn. It has taken many years for the aconites to establish and whilst the original planting has become a bit patchy, there are also signs that there is some increase in some areas. This feels like a serious achievement.
In the back garden there is still a lot of brown and green, and what you cannot see here is how soggy it is. It has rained a lot in January but with the odd sunny moment thankfully.
The Smell Me and Dye Garden is snoozing. The couch grass is not snoozing but I have been digging out as much as I can. Pulling out the spaghetti-like roots is very satisfying but also tinged with the knowledge that any tiny piece remaining with regrow with a vengeance. Sigh.
In the Wild Garden the Daphne Jacqueline Postill is flowering well. She does need staking as she is leaning a bit to one side. The scent from this shrub is wonderful.
and this hamamelis that has taken several years to settle in is having its best year yet.
The many years of planting snowdrops and now dividing them is really starting to pay off now.
The crocus tommasinianus is starting to flower. These have started to spread slowly through the garden and this brings me great joy. I love the randomness of where they pop up, it is pure joy.
Natasha and Elsie guard the Spring Border and the patches of aconites are also pure joy. There is something about these plants that increase so slowly that is very rewarding.
This is posh snowdrop corner: Madeline is flowering and has clumped up so well I divided her last year. There is Modern Art, Wasp, Lady Beatrix Stanley and Trymming flowering so far. I know there are posher snowdrops, but for me this is the extent of my snowdrop extravagance.
The Edgeworthia has good healthy looking buds. They are just almost imperceptibly starting to plump up into the flowers they will become. Regular readers will know how much I fuss over this shrub, I try and think that now she has been in situ for over ten years she is probably robust enough to get through winters, yet I still fuss.
The Cornus mas is starting to flower, this is a always a good sign that spring is on its way.
This is Magnolia Black Tulip. I bought her about six years ago and kept her in a pot for a couple of years. This was a mistake as she did not thrive. I planted her into the ground about three years ago and she sulked and sulked. This year though there are buds, actual flower buds. I am excited to see her finally flower and will keep you updated.
and the pond is full. Of course it is full with all the rain we have had. If it wasn't full then I would know there was a leak. Maybe this year I will clear her out a bit....
Time will tell
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