I’ve been doing bits of gardening when I can, when it feels warm enough and not raining. Everything is just about to or has started to show signs lol life. However, there are some plants that look dead and wonder if you’ve lost any yourselves with the snow and cold temperatures we had before and after Christmas. We have lost a buddleja which are ignorant gardening pruned in December - we’ve sacked him since as he’s killed too many of our plants! I have 5 pots of agapanthus, last year the leaves stayed green all winter but now there is nothing and I’m thinking they are lost. 3 olive trees all looking decidedly down in the dumps - fingers crossed for them but so crossed they are twisted! How is your garden growing? Any big plans for this year?
Hi CC, I had some unexpected casualties because of the sudden drop in temperature in January - think it went down to -5 here and have some major plants completely dead
1 Manuka honey bush
2 Acacia trees
1 Bottle brush bush which had grown to nearly 6ft and had the most beautiful brushes last summer
1 date palm
1 large Yucca
Interestingly though are the ones that despite the weather survived and they are all the budjelias, all the castor oil plants, all the bamboos, both strawberry trees and a japonica tree and the Olive. All our native bushes were fine too.
I have had a good session in the garden, cut front and back, repotted things, moved things, strimmed. Had some guys come and remove all the moss from the roof tiles other day, think it had been there since the house was built, it looked dreadful but now looks like a new roof! all of a sudden things are looking better
There is a lot to be said for being part of a group, and the support and friendship that is gained from this.
We have built a border round a raised bed and pruned the Bay tree wich now looks 'lonely' so we have bought an 18inch high buddha to sit in front of the Bay tree, should look pretty good.
"I am doing the best I can with what I have in this moment; and that is all I can expect of anyone including me"
3 Olive trees are leaf bare. All the Hebes that made a small hedge have gone. Even some of the ferns, still have no new growth, so just wondering how long to leave them.
Itching to get in the garden and get it looking shipshape.
We did heavily prune the whipping willow tree recently, but haven't had time recently to get really stuck in.
Will give the slow plants till the end of this month, the warm weather is supposed to be around the corner fingers crossed.
Oh my goodness 3 olive trees SD! don't know why but my olive looks just fine, they are very expensive to replace so I hope yours are not completely dead.
There is a lot to be said for being part of a group, and the support and friendship that is gained from this.
My greenhouse is full of seedlings! I have lost several large plants including my Olive tree and my favourite Cordyline which had sprouted babies last year. Grass (read moss!) has had one cut, but left it now as full of Primroses. Pear and cherry trees are full of blossom buds, and apples a bit slower, but I am noticing how far behind the garden is compared to this time last year. It is so much colder. We had a frost again last night, and had to scrape the car windscreen of ice.
I’m in no rush to dig up or throw out plants that look lifeless. Wait and see a bit longer! Reading in the gardening section of the newspaper today, how to cut back a mop head hydrangea. We’ve got a very big one which is great for hiding an unsightly wall and gate but not good when it’s wet and I want to go through the gate to the dustbin. Decided it has to be cut back so that’s on my to do list this week. The weather forecast looks very good.