Snow On The Ground

Last week was half-term, and because it's February the weather was almost entirely rainy. Absolutely miserable. Except Thursday.

So, having read about it in The Garden, I dragged Hubster out to Welford Park in west Berkshire. It's only open for a month every year, specifically for its snowdrops.


The owners get you to drive quite slowly as you approach, and this is probably a good thing as the primary response is to gawp open-mouthed at the woods as you pass. I'm sure there have been the odd shunts and rear-endings.


Of course, the photos don't really do the snowdrops justice. It has to be seen in person, so you should put a note in your diary for next February.

The other early spring plants were not to be outdone, so there is a vibrant display of crocuses and winter aconites near the house:


They don't take credit cards, and they're in the middle of nowhere, so I highly recommend taking plenty of cash, as the smell of the bacon rolls they serve in the tea rooms is almost irresistible. Also stout boots or wellies and someone who doesn't mind pushing the car when it's stuck in the muddy car park will be helpful. All absolutely worth it!

A Weekend Of Plants

It was my birthday today (having turned 30 last year I now plan to tell everyone I am 29.95 plus shippling and handling), and Hubster has learnt well over the last year - this means that at some point I will drag him to a botanical garden.

This year, the poor sucker had to cope with two draggings: Chelsea Physic Garden on Saturday and Kew Gardens today. Chelsea Physic Garden is still very much a hidden gem in London, although I am sad to see that the rule about close supervision of children is not as strictly enforced as in previous years - somewhere with Ricinus, Digitalis and Atropa belladonna is probably not suitable for use as a children's playground.


Depressingly enough, the first thing I saw when I went in was a display on plant fibres and their use in rope, which I thought would be perfect when teaching the final AS Biology topic on use of plants.


The lichens are amazing, and at this time of year were some of the most vivid organisms in the garden. Oh yeah, and there were some snowdrops too...


Kew Gardens was all about the tropical extravaganza.


It seemed a little less "extravagant" this year, and it was unusual not to see the waterlily house in use this year. However, it was a great opportunity to get stuck in with my tripod again, and snap some orchids:


And a first for me - a jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) in flower:


The colours were utterly amazing, and I think I managed to capture them pretty faithfully even with my little digicam.

Next weekend sees the start of half-term, so I stand a chance of being able to a) see my garden in daylight, b) dig over the allotment and c) sow some of the gazillion or so seeds that I ordered over the past few weeks...

Dead Or Alive

Since our neighbour died, I've had temporary custody of some of his pots. I hesitate to say I have custody of his plants, because I'm not entirely sure they're still alive. They may not have survived last winter - I can't say I paid much attention to whether they were alive over the summer. They look like they've carked it, but before I consign them to the compost heap I want to check.

First one is/was a clematis:


And the second is/was a rose:


These are two genera I have no clue about. Roses are up there with orchids in the list of Plants I'm Too Scared To Grow, and other than reading that if you pretty much look at a clematis the wrong way while holding secateurs it will die, I really don't know how to look after one. It would appear to the extent that I cannot tell whether this will come back from the dead.

Are clematis plants that will regrow from the roots if pruned right back?

I also have a poorly looking Magnolia stellata. The one down the road from me has flower buds ready to go. My M. x soulangeana has leaf buds. M. stellata, not so much...


There are categorically no buds on it whatsoever. Which would really suck as my mother bought me that one.