Saturday 22 February 2014

Waking Up

Now I'm not going to tempt fate and say that it feels like Spring might be in the air, I feel a bit suspicious that we haven't seen any snow yet. Remember March last year?  But over the past week the storms have definitely left us alone a while and the sun has peeped out. Last weekend my potting bench was looking quite serene in shades of green and white as the snowdrops stole the show.
Now real colour is emerging. Cyclamen coum and Iris reticulata are astonishing shades, especially when the rest of the garden looks very brown and grey.

I can see this little bench from the kitchen window and it's cheering me up no end. It was a gift from the family of my next door neighbour. Sadly she died last year at the grand old age of 93. We often chatted about flowers and plants so it's very nice to be using her bench to keep the gardening going on. 
There aren't that many bulbs and early flowers in my borders, they don't tend to get going until April, so I've been buying up a few little pots to enjoy from the window and then I'll pop them into the ground for next spring.
This afternoon I spent a good couple of hours messing about in the front garden, cutting back and clearing up all the old stems and leaves. I think this is where my tiny pots will find a new home. They'll make a really nice show for these cold, dreary months at the start of the year when we hurry into the house and don't linger long.  

So maybe not the end of winter yet, but time I think to start making space for Spring.

12 comments:

SandyshoesCornwall said...

Super colours! I didn't realise that Iris bloom so early in the year, but I am picking up tips from you and other bloggers. Not sure if you are familiar with Leanne over at Today's Stuff, she lives in Cornwall too and her blog and interests remind me a lot of you http://todaysstuff-leanne.blogspot.co.uk/ . Lots of the bloggers I follow know each other, at least in a online sense so I think it's nice start introductions. x

Anonymous said...

Morning Steph, you really have a green thumb, your pots of colour and outlook from your windows it always looks so pretty and it seems all year round! You have the knack of making everything look so pretty. I love bulbs too, I always have blue bells on my garden boarders and they always make me smile, I just wish they lasted longer. Have a lovely week, Simone xx

Curlew Country said...

Thanks! These teeny irises are properly hardy and ace for pots. The bigger ones for borders come in a couple of different types and are amazing! I've got your basic yellow flag irises. Thanks so much for recommending Leanne's blog. No I've not come across it before but just spent ages catching up with it. What amazing photos and love how she writes. What a treat, another Cornish blogger to follow! Hope you're doing ok and not too wet down there xxx

Pipany said...

I agree Steph & have made a spring table in the kitchen with bowls of snowdrops - now fading - and tete a tete with a few crocuses. Winter into spring...bliss. And even if it snows we are drawing ever closer. The light has definitely changed so I am thrilled to find you feel the same! xx

SandyshoesCornwall said...

I had a feeling you would enjoy her blog too - a bit of serendipity is great. I've also recommend she read yours, but left my comment on an older post by mistake. Anyway, one day it would be great to meet up with you, and all the other bloggers who love to visit Cornwall and share a delicious cream tea in the sun x

Unknown said...

Beautiful

Country Rabbit said...

beautiful to see the starts of the spring blooms...i was wondering if the snow might surprise us soon...though i think the floods have been enough to deal with~ poor somerset. i do feel for them. not sure why housing is allowed on marshy lands...as the water will naturally overflow in very wet seasons. i live on a hill and despite the school walks up it I am thankful when the rains are bad in Devon. I'm so glad the sunshine came out over the half term and the monday school walk. x

Rebecca D said...

Such beautiful colors... Gives me hope that fall will happen after all!

Campfire said...

Beautiful colours in your garden. I have been cycling this morning and noticed that there was Rape in the fields. I also saw ONE daisy in a grass verge but as I was in a hurry I didn't stop to take photos, thought I would do it on way back. However after I'd been for a cup of tea in the Black Sheep Wool Barn, I found it was raining, so took the most direct route home.

We found that plants were about a month behind where we lived, from here in Cheshire. We were on the A523 about 5 miles out of Leek. I didn't expect to see all that colour in your garden.

Anonymous said...

A really lovely display - so cheery!

Gillian Roe said...

Lovely photos of your bulbs and pots - lord knows what kind of state my garden is in, I've hardly ventured out there since autumn. But yes, there is a whiff of spring in the air and it's glorious. x

sweetbriardreams said...

Spring has definitely sprung now and so beautiful to see colour rather than the grey of the skies and the rain. A precious gift from your late neighbour. xx