Weather- for gardening .... or not

Managed half an hour before the rain started - but it was wonderful to be out and about. Even OH managed 10 minutes before collapsing in a heap - but it is still good for him to have fresh air and have achieved something, however small.

Didn't go out until after lunch as we had promised to take DD shopping. Lovely afternoon in warmish sunshine. Loads of deep purple crocus, primroses and daffodils. I started painting our 3rd log store !!! Whilst DH attended to the garden roller. Needed soon for new lawn. Apparently we had an earthquake . But it passed us by, although DD felt it at her house. ?
Rain tomorrow so they say.

I love my garden, it is the one thing that even in old age I can still do reasonably well and derive a lot of pleasure from all year round. Must get those roses properly pruned and then there's the Buddleia!!! DH spent this afternoon pulling a couple of bushes out as they were well past praying for!! We now have to decide what to put in the space! It gives us a joint interest and we love it.

Out pottering for a few hours today,and feel so much better for it.We moved for the larger south facing garden a few years ago,having had a reasonable sized but north facing one that required going down steep steps to it.Often by the time we thought about taking a coffee or a meal outside, we'd go off the idea due to the access. So although it was well tended and lovely to look at from the house it's still absolute bliss to open the door and step straight out.And the today's first day the weather has been nice enough,and I've had a day to myself to do some serious tidying. And although much larger it's all one one level.Unfortunately DH has developed an ankle problem thats got much worse lately so apart from some help with hedge trimming its mainly down to me to sort it!Hopefully he can get it sorted eventually because I know he's frustrated not to be able to join in.
I must admit the other day I felt a bit daunted at the prospect ,everything looked so unkempt.It's amazing
though how much you can achieve once you start.
Only concern is how early the tulips in pots are popping up,to say we're up north. I think I've done it again and not planted them deep enough.I will eventually learn!

I spent an hour in the garden this morning, tidying up and refilling the bird feeders (a daily task at the moment!)
I have crocus, snowdrops, roses, perennial wallflowers, primroses, Siberian iris, polyanthus and 'Hotlips' salvia all in flower - a very curious and mixed bag!

I think I need to wait until I can see the garden as we have 2-3 feet of snow!

I do miss the early garden bulbs of spring in Britain but I bought myself an indoor pot of grape hyacinths this week

Pleased to hear that your GJ is doing well maize

I haven’t planted mine yet as first it was too cold and lately too busy, but we have just had 3 of the most perfect early spring days, with no wind and cloudless skies. It is warm enough to sit on the garden seat - the dog lays stretched out in the sun.

I’ve just come in from having coffee sat in the sun. Next to the seat is a winter honeysuckle and it is alive with bees. Absolutely glorious, so might plant GJ or prepare the ground today at least. I also have a pot of lily of the valley to plant.

What a lovely day and so appreciated after the last few very wet days.

Interestingly DS has recently received the latest 10 year report on climate change. Apparently the world is heating up 30% faster than modelled 10 years ago. We’ve been talking about Cape Town on another thread and day zero, but London is the 6th most likely city to dry out!! It has less rain than say Rome or Milan.

I didn’t quit understand what he was saying, but briefly, because the climate has not achieved an equilibrium we are very likely to experience catastrophic events, like major flooding, drought and extreme heat or cold. But not every year, it is in the lap of the gods as far as I can understand.

I have a Gertrude Jekyll, ww. It's a lovely rose with a good scent. I've had it for years and rarely prune it so it grows very big. Has a first flush of flowers in June and then keeps going intermittently until the first frosts. Mine does get lots of sun but most roses don't seem to mind a bit of shade so I'm sure yours will be fine.

Glad to say that I manged to get the old hellebore foliage cut away just before it snowed! They have lots of flower buds so I'm looking forward to an early display.

My birthday present arrived today of
The rose Gertrude Jekyll and a tub of Lilly of the valley.

Goodness knows where the rose is going, well I do but not where I would have chosen as it is in partial shade, but hopefully she will cope.

In the greenhouse until the weather bucks up.

MaisieD Thanks will follow your advice.
The amaryllis are in flower at the moment and looking very cheerful

You are all so tough! I must admit it's too cold for me! I picked up a few leaves the other day then raced back indoors! But the primroses and snowdrops are out. And the days are getting longer.

Bitterly cold but today but wrapped up warmly and did a few hours tidying up the big herbaceous border and it felt great to get stuck in .The sun came out, and there was a lot of activity from the birds.It was so uplifting to reconnect with the garden after weeks off.It always amazes me how slowly everything starts to emerge,and the scruffiness of a winter garden that looks as if will never recover from all the rain begins to regenerate. It's lovely to feel tired tonight,but in a good way having made a start on this year's gardening.

Just got over the lurgy, so ready to do some winter gardening jobs, but it is currently so freezing cold outside - and likely to be all week - so I think I will delay it a week.

Frost is what does for them nankate so I guess you hav3nt had any.

It is supposed to be the coldest week of the winter, so frustratingly not much gardening this week

I know little about gardening that is DH’s domain.

Now here is a question for all you gardeners. From my small office I can see in our patio garden 3 yellow roses which have been in flower since last year. Isn’t it an odd time of year for roses to be out ? We live in Buckinghamshire so generally mild conditions.

At this time of year I try to get out in the garden as much as possible, if only for half an hour. Always makes me feel happier. Just generally weeding, tidying and a bit of pruning at the moment. Oh and sitting in the greeenhouse with a cup of coffee watching the birds and planning siummer planting. This year I am going to resurrect a small vegetable patch, I can clear it now but it needs to dry out a little before I can dig it over. In the meantime I am sitting in bed with some gardening books waiting for daylight.

Well the weather forecast says sun this morning, though cold. I will go out and paint the empty log store. We have a yellow weather warning for ice and snow tonight. Best get things done while we can.

I look forward to planting my garden in early June. Right now we are deep in snow with another 5-8 inches expected tonight and tomorrow.. We do have Chickadees and Woodpeckers about eating from the suet feeder.

I have done some at every opportunity of a bit of sunshine,
I have spread quite a lot of compost on the borders. Taken down a broken metal arch and taken it to the tip. Pruned a and fed a few shrubs.

I always feel a lot better when I can get some sunshine.

Just leave the Amaryllis in their pots, Cherrytree, they'll come back year after year. I expect some people would advise feeding them. Water them until the leaves die down, then don't water again until the first shoots next appear.

I'd love to get in the garden to do a bit of pruning and cutting back old foliage but whenever I get some time for it the weather is horrible. But I've lots of Hellebores just coming into flower so must cut back last year's leaves to get the full benefit of the flowers; might be doing that in the rain (or snow) very soon

I view garden and birds with cup in hand
feet up from the conservatory

WW whilst visiting IKEA early November DH bought 2 potted Amaryllis in bud
One white and the other pink.
They flowered beautifully over Christmas, and each have a second stem, now in flower.
Great value
But now not sure what to do when they finish flowering.
I also have Hyacinths in flower which I will replant with others already in the garden.

Advice please

The dead stuff which didn’t get cut down last autumn is obviously harbouring hibernating beatles and things so have to be left and the tree surgeon who came a couple of weeks ago said the ground was far too wet to garden. I’m following his instructions and admiring the snowdrops and celandine through the windows.

tessagee.also in the northwest ?

You are a hardy lot. It's cold outside, but nice and warm inside. Guess where we are?