End of month view of the Garden – March 2019

With thanks to Helen at the Patient Gardener for originally hosting this meme.

The Month of March started with a light dusting of snow. We had occasional frosts and were visited by storm Freya and Gareth.

Light snow flurry in evidence

As the month commenced the weather settled down, and plants started to grow.

Along my fence border the Pulmonarias have started to put on a splendid show.

 

 

Pulmonaria Raspberry Ripple

Pulmonaria Blue Ensign

Pulmonaria Opal

Opal with newly planted Hellebore

Pulmonaria Raspberry Ripple (Foreground), Blue Ensign behind.

These plants do very well along here, damp in the winter and out of the sun in the summer, I’ve started to add to my collection with the purchase of two more varieties.

 

 

 

Pulmonaria Mollis

Pulmonaria rubra ‘Rachel Vernie

I’ve also been browsing online nurseries and have already got quite a wish list that will need reducing if I want to be able to eat this month.

Further along in my fence border, my Malus Evereste has had to have its annual mouldy fruit removal, it’s a strange quirk about this plant that the fruits turn mushy brown and just remain hanging, if I let them remain then they just interfere with the impending blossom, so for several years now I’ve had to get some scissors and snip off the mushy fruits.

 

 

Fruit catching

Fruit removal done

And by the end of March there was quite a bit of new growth.

New leaves & Flower buds.

Next to the Malus is the Illicium verum planted quite a few years ago, it’s quite an understated plant that doesn’t do much except produce these lovely looking blooms, although you do have to get your nose right into the flower to discover the lovely sweet scent.

Illicium verum

Elsewhere in the garden there are signs of life appearing, Acer palmatum’s I’ve repotted, my Iford Cherry and my lovely Magnolia × loebneri Leonard Messel are all doing well.

 

 

Magnolia Leonard Messel

Iford Cherry

Another Acer

Acer Palmatum

Neighbours Bindweed

My re-potted Sarracenas are looking and growing better already, some of the plants are already throwing up flower buds.

Sarracenia

I’m excited to see these plants develop when the weather warms up, who knows they might even catch a fly.

 I’ve also done a small amount of seed sowing and so far everything is coming up.

 

 

Tomatoes & Okra

Heritage Lettuce

Cosmos

Sweet Peas

Cerinthe major ‘Purpurascens’

Tomatoes

 

A selection of Heritage and modern hybrids are being grown by me this year, no particular reason except to try varying varieties available to find a nice taste.

An example of this is the Onion seeds I received from the Heritage Seed Library as a member, and as part of my members selection.  This year I tried Onion Downing Globe Yellow, it’s described as a large globe shaped onions with a dark golden-yellow skin with cream firm white flesh.

Downing Globe Yellow Onions

It will be interesting to see how these plants develop and what the resulting onions look like. I’ve planted out over 30 seedlings into my raised veg beds.

I’ve not got any other edibles  on the go outside as yet as the temperature are still fluctuating too much.

Finally I must show you a plant I’ve had for a few years now, but has suddenly improved and become a feature in my garden.

Epimedium x warleyense ‘Orangekonigin’

I purchased this plant from a now closed down nursery, it’s been an ok plant until now.

I removed spent leaves in autumn, and now there is a mass of alien-like peachy flowers. In-Fact the plant is now doing so well I think I will have to dig some up in the autumn to make room for the surrounding plants.

 

Ladybird

Until next time, bye for now.

Advertisement