Welcome to my diary. I write a short account of the happenings in my garden every month. It is quite amazing how year on year the seasons change, which makes our weather so interesting - you can never predict what is going to be growing at any particular time.

Julia’s Diary

SPRING

Looking out the window it looks very much like spring so I’m back.  Sorry if you

have missed me the past few months but rather like a dormouse I don’t much

like winter and would prefer to curl up somewhere warm and sleep until the

warm weather returns.  The weather has been quite kind to us though so no

real complaints, just before Christmas I did a count of the plants in flower

whilst walking my dog and counted at least a dozen varieties and now the

crocuses are out on the island in front of the house ( see below ). The bees in

our roof have been very active this week and the first frogs have arrived in the

pond, unfortunately there are 3 males on top of one female so I hope they

don’t drown her.

During January whilst walking Bailey I hit just the right times for sunrise and

sunset, and there have been some spectacular ones this year over the Estuary

– see below.  Now, with the days getting longer it’s time to look forward to the

gardening year ahead and as our society is holding a garden trail this year

(Sunday June 23

rd

.) and I have agreed to open mine it will be all systems go

from now on.  One job that must be done is a new back lawn, it is only a few

years since it was re-laid, in fact I remember relating to you how amazed I was

at the speed that they did it, well, that was because they did no preparation

and it is now worse than ever.  The whole lot needs to come up as well as the

“soil” underneath.  I am not a fussy turf person, and I know that many lawns

are taking their time to recover from last year’s unusual weather, (moss seems

to have taken over many of them,) but we really do need to get ours sorted. 

The council mowers are already out.

As I drive to Two Tree in the mornings I have noticed this winter a rather

insignificant plant – heart-shaped leaves and clusters of small pink flowers,

growing on the banks behind the railway station.  I brought a small piece back

thinking I new what it was but wanting to check it out.  I was right         

Petasites!  (my sister said “who’s got appendicitis!”)  What I didn’t know was

that its English name is winter heliotrope. It does have a beautiful scent of

vanilla just like the heliotrope we get for bedding and baskets for the summer.I

haven’t ordered any plants from catalogues this year, keep changing my mind

what to choose.  I have been disappointed with purchases in the past, but

expect I shall relent and put in some orders, trouble is when they all arrive at

the same time and you have dozens of little plants that need potting on.

Here’s to a happy gardening year

               

Julia