January 2023

It’s funny when you have grown up looking at European (specifically English) garden magazines where Summer is the pinnacle of the gardening year.  Images of full, boisterous garden beds, plants fighting for their time in the sunshine.  Foliage and flowers are abundant.  And green.  So very very green.

We were lulled into a false state of confidence last year.  We had so much rain and forecasts predicted a wet Summer.  But it was lies.  All lies. 

Don’t get me wrong, the rain meant that our trees had a wonderful growth spurt which has increased the shade in the garden, and protected many plants than previous years but once it dries off here, it’s dry for a long time.  It all began when the Acanthus collapsed.

It does it every year but it’s always a slightly distressing site to see the big thug of a plant give it up for another year.  It is the signal that the good times in the garden are over. Our annuals turn crispy, as do the perennials to be honest, and Jenny becomes morose which is never a fun time.

So, in the midst of all this depressing talk, what has thrived in January?  Lilies, of course.  Always a joy to behold.  The Clematis have been lovely, scrambling up trees and over structures.  We sprinkled some Cornflower seeds in the Spring and were rewarded with some lovely flowers, shaded dark blue and violet. Our giant Hogweed thrived in the wet shade of our Gleditsia tree rising to two metres tall! Shame it’s so toxic and we had to cut it down in it’s prime before it started seeding – one is quite enough in the garden.  We also had a most lovely cream Nasturium pop up in the back walkway, a delight to behold. Fingers crossed the seed we collected comes true!

But the best thing about January? It’s only one more month before we are in Autumn!