The Beech Hedge

Incredibly we survived the storm on Friday night without a single tree down, although Ron and Bar's TV aerial wasn't so lucky.  Ron was up his ladder this morning to fix it - he's still pretty spritely for 84!  But today has been very different, dry, still and above all, gloriously sunny.  As today is forecast to be the best day for some time to come, we all dosed up on some much needed vitamin D and crammed in as much gardening as daylight hours would permit.  I finished de-turfing the long border this morning, then we all helped dig a trench to plant the beech hedge.  Nice feeling to end the day, beautiful straight row of beech saplings which will one day grow up into a lovely bushy hedge.  Now for a cup of tea.

The winter collection

Last spring I bought a small collection of winter flowering plants.  Still being babies and only just in bloom, they are not quite knock-your-socks-off plants, but it still gives me a thrill to see their little flowers venturing out into the cold. 

Hamamelis intermedia magic fire

Vibernum bodnantense Dawn

Sarcococca hookeriana humilis

Favourite things

The snowdrop is my all time favourite flower.  I say this with a slight tinge of guilt because I would have liked my favourite flower to be a native.  England has so many glorious native flowers which often get overlooked in favour of their more showy garden competitors.  But the snowdrop has something special.  When the darkness of winter is begining to get you down and the pleasure of a warm sunny day seems such a distant memory, the little snowdrop emerges coyly from the soil, instantly lifting the spirits.  It has a simplicity, a delicacy and a purity that surpasses any other plant I know. 

The snowdrops in our garden are beginning to swell and open, and this afternoon I captured them bobbing their heads in the breeze under a welcome ray of sunshine.  The helebores too are begining to bloom, reminding us that despite all this gloomy weather, Spring is only just around the corner.