Well it’s been a torrid month. Covid, storms Dudley, Eunace and Franklin all one on top of each other, and the general feeling of winter being long and especially dire this year, has meant that as short as it is, February has dragged here and in the Edible Bristol gardens.
But there are signs of spring being just around the corner and whilst I refuse to get overexcited until mid March at the earliest, being in a new garden and seeing things appear has brought a fair quantity of joy. Whilst the back garden is full of alliums and tulips starting to poke their heads above the soil, in the front snowdrops, early daffs, crocus and a huge Helleborus argutifolius are all flowering their socks off.
The front garden was also the only area where storm Arwen did any damage in January, knocking out a piece of hedge that wasn’t very healthy, and so there have been some decisions made in terms of what we will replace that with and also how we are going to manage it. Whilst the back garden will be food and flower focused the front garden will become a space for nature and be filled with natives and plants for pollinators. I’ve already sown an area of meadow into the lawn, and whilst I’m not sure that’s going to come to much, I’m hopeful that it is a good start, and we have ordered native hedging to replace what we lost. There are lots of hedges around us, and definitely far more hedging than fences, but I lot of it is Lonicera nitida and privet, neither of which are especially wildlife friendly, although they are good for nesting. What we have ordered will. I hope, change that, with spindles, hawthorn and rosa rugosa all of which will create habitat and food for wildlife.
I know lots of people are busy sowing seeds, but not one has gone in yet. I’m leaving even chillies and aubergines until as late as I dare so I don’t end up with windowsills of leggy plants that are desperate to get outside, but that are unable to due to weather. I’m also aware that whilst for lots of people getting the heated propagator and grow lights out is a part of their February schedule, that I am increasingly uncomfortable with the concept of plugging in products when waiting another few weeks will be just as effective, and likely mean healthier plants.
And so as February comes to a close, here are some pics that will, I hope, bring you as much joy as the plants and flowers have for us…..
