Like Victoria, I've been absolutely enthralled by Carol Klein's "Life in a Cottage Garden" for the past three weeks. I think she's superb, and her enthusiasm is definitely contagious.
The day after her first episode, "Winter", I ran out into the garden to do winter chores, sweeping out the dead leaves from between pots, cleaning the fountain and the ponds, rearranging pots and topping up compost. The day after her second episode, "Spring", I audited my seed collection and looked through the Chiltern Seeds catalogue, before ordering from eBay a dozen Welwitschia mirabilis seeds to try out, on top of everything else.
Today is the day after "Spring into Summer", and I feel melancholy. The promise of the late spring and early summer seems so far away. Jurassic Park looks miserable, soggy and chilly. The thermometer on the window says 7.3°C outside and 19.4°C inside, and it feels like neither. I want to curl up with Jabba the Gecko in his warm hide (which is at 32.3°C!) and eat raw brownie mix.
However, there is hope. This little frond (I imagine one can still call it a frond if it's on a cycad) belongs to Encephalartos princeps, which has been stuck in my back hall since mid-November. I presume if it can cope with the lack of warmth and sunlight then so can I.
The day after her first episode, "Winter", I ran out into the garden to do winter chores, sweeping out the dead leaves from between pots, cleaning the fountain and the ponds, rearranging pots and topping up compost. The day after her second episode, "Spring", I audited my seed collection and looked through the Chiltern Seeds catalogue, before ordering from eBay a dozen Welwitschia mirabilis seeds to try out, on top of everything else.
Today is the day after "Spring into Summer", and I feel melancholy. The promise of the late spring and early summer seems so far away. Jurassic Park looks miserable, soggy and chilly. The thermometer on the window says 7.3°C outside and 19.4°C inside, and it feels like neither. I want to curl up with Jabba the Gecko in his warm hide (which is at 32.3°C!) and eat raw brownie mix.
However, there is hope. This little frond (I imagine one can still call it a frond if it's on a cycad) belongs to Encephalartos princeps, which has been stuck in my back hall since mid-November. I presume if it can cope with the lack of warmth and sunlight then so can I.
Yes, I felt like that - so I watched Winter again! There was a nano-second of sunshine this afternoon so I had a happy half-hour pottering about in the garden doing winter chores.
ReplyDeleteHow about a Jurassic Park open evening this year? I'd love to come and look at all your treasures.
Ooh, I haven't caught that series so thanks for mentioning it. I've been watching the one she presents with people wanting to get their gardens into the 'yellow book'. She's very knowledgeable and enthusiastic so I'll see if it is available to watch again. Garden here looks dreadful but there are signs of Spring as all the bulbs I planted are putting up shoots.
ReplyDeleteWas at garden centre today where I bought a Himalayan poppy and last week it was a pot of agapanthus North Star' - love brilliant blue plants. Also bought a child size wooden bench for baby. Hoping it may make our tiny garden look bigger when baby isn't on it, working on the small, far away rule of 'Father Ted' :-) everything at the garden centre is dormant so the Manager knocks a bit off the price since I am willing to take a leap of faith on what's below the compost.
Victoria - I've occasionally had people round to see it, and with the exception of my mother (who kind of has to compliment me), no one ever finds it particularly interesting. It really just is a tiny corner of a larger unlandscaped garden, and the typical response is "Is that it?". Can't entertain in it so we have to go on the lawn. I think it looks better in the photos...
ReplyDeleteSleepwalker, that is probably my favourite scene from Father Ted EVER! I'm planning to buy a climber soon - am rather keen on a Passiflora to wind up the pillar, but will see if I can get a bargain.
I recently ordered Welwitschia seeds from Silverhill Seeds in S. Afrika. I've planted five of them so far, and had three actually germinate. So far there are no problems (fingers crossed!).
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy reading this blog, and I look forward to seeing how the W. mirabilis and the rest of your ancient plants progress.
-Wade