A walk around my garden 2nd January 2019

/ karen

Cyclamen Coum. A cheering sight in a quiet corner of the wild garden. Perhaps I’ve missed my chance to clear away fallen cow parsley stems. They will just have to compost down naturally with the autumn leaves- which also didn’t get raked up last year. Time just evaporated.

I found hibernating ladybirds. They are welcome here. I hope they’ll munch the greenfly in the summer. I left them undisturbed.

And early snowdrops. Mrs Macnamara, bought from a sale at Hodsock Priory a few years ago. There seems to be an early flowering seedling too. I wonder if it’s a new variety.

Hellebores seem to get earlier every year. A sign of our changing unpredictable seasons.

Algerian Iris unguicularis suddenly flowers. Baked at the base of a south facing wall, it’s always a heart-sing moment. Such delicate blue flowers. How can they survive the cold.

Vinca, periwinkle is rarely out of flower. I love the sky blue hue – against a grey sky.

By the front gate, and all along our hawthorn hedge, there’s violets. Such a joy on a cold day. The scent is something you’ll never forget.

Thanks to Helen for hosting #EOMV meme at https://patientgardener.wordpress.com/. What’s flowering in your garden at the start of the new year?

24 thoughts on “A walk around my garden 2nd January 2019”

    • It’s so mild here at the moment, there are 15 flowers on that plant. That’s a record for me. Snowdrops are up, aconites in flower, herbs still fresh and green. I looked out the bedroom window the morning and a pink rose around the window was opening. It doesn’t feel right though. We need some cold to kill the pests. Having to cut the grass again today.

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  2. Glad to see I wasn’t the only one who didn’t quite ‘tidy up’ at the end of last year. Lovely to see so much colour already. Gardens never really rest, do they?

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    • Just come in from the garden. Have cut the grass and swept the paths. So many leaves still floating around here. Lovely and dry so I’m trying to catch up now. Thanks for reading. See you soon I hope xx

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    • Thank you Gill. The iris are in the sunniest, most sheltered place in the garden, right by the front door. The postman occasionally trips over the leaves, but they are such a delight, I can’t cut them back. Hope your poor foot is healing. xx

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    • Thank you Cathy. I might have spoken too soon. It’s turned really chilly today. Barely 4C. It’s been in double figures, so suddenly a shock to the system. I expect everything will just stand still now for a while. I’m tempted to run out and rescue the iris flowers though. Think I will, and enjoy them on my kitchen table. Sending love. Karen x

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  8. Winter flowers are so precious aren’t they, I love them all. I too wonder how Iris unguicularis can survive the cold, mine are also in a sheltered spot, but even so they will be getting frozen tonight!
    Wishing you a wonderful gardening year for 2019!

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    • I’m just dithering about going and cutting the iris and bringing them into the house. Or I might throw an old pillow case over them. I did that last year and had tender plants all along the front of the house, covered in sheets. The postman thought I’d gone mad! Wishing you a fabulous 2019 xx

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  9. Karen what fantastic photos and what magnificent flowers. Thank you for the walk in the garden, you have made my day and you have made me smile. The Cyclamen Coum is very beautiful and more if next to him the ladybugs are wintering, with how good and beautiful they are. Your Galanthus nivalis love me just like the Hellebores – the dark one looks like velvet. The Iris unguicularis Algerian I like very much. The variegated Vinca has a very beautiful flower and a divine color: I also have it and I love it. Violets are jewels and their scent is perfume that transports you. Karen, my great friend, rests from all the Christmas work and enjoys your beautiful garden. Give him memories and love and congratulate the New Year to your Mother on my part. To your whole family, love and health and congratulate the New Year on my part. Karen love, health and rest. Thanks for being my friend. Take care. Very loving greetings from Margarita.

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    • Thank you Margarita. Your descriptions always make me smile. They are perfect! Thank you for appreciating my garden. I think you love it as much as I do! I’m well rested after the Christmas rush. I’m back to work today though. It was a struggle to force myself to sit still for 4 hours to do paperwork. I just kept looking out of the window and mentally drifting out there! Tomorrow I will get up early to run round the garden- before getting down to work. That way I’ll be able to concentrate more. Have a wonderful happy New Year. Sending my love and best wishes and fondest greetings to you and your family. Take care. xx

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    • I agree, it’s good to have time for a rest and a chance to mull over plans for the summer. I’m enjoying not having to do much weeding. Weeds pulled now won’t grow again, but in the spring it’s a real battle to keep on top of them. Thanks for reading. Enjoy you planning 😊

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