A Fresh Start

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you’ve had a happy Christmas with good food and pleasant company.

Our family Christmas get-together was a little delayed but a happy event in the end.

Now it’s over, it’s time to think ahead. Another year begins with all the freshness and good intentions. Much to put behind us and many things to look forward to.

Although the garden is looking drab, here and there winter flowers are beginning to bring a little brightness to the dullness of the season. The hellebores have fat buds with one or two already putting on a show. These are valuable plants to have in the winter garden. Generously flowering in all weathers and very lovely.

I have a few snowdrops out although the main display will not be for a few weeks yet. Slightly mud-splashed with the heavy rain we’ve had. Lovely to see new life in the garden. The Garrya eliptica has beautiful catkins and the conifers stay green and fresh looking whatever the season.

Winter pansies add a little colour and a self-seeded cyclamen has popped up by the side of a path.

The garden looks sad with so many dead stems but it’s a good idea to leave some until Spring because insects shelter in the curled leaves. I noticed, for example, a ladybird nestled into a seedhead when I went around the garden with my camera. If you look closely it’s just visible among the dried fronds.

I love buying new seeds for Spring and Summer sowing. New life is always a thrill. Got out my seed boxes and sorted the packets to see what I have already, then ordered a few items to fill in the gaps.

I can’t buy them now from the department store I used to and packets are so expensive from garden centres but I’ve found a company online. They supply smaller packets if you want them. It means you don’t end up with lots of surplus old seed. Although some seeds last a long time, I find it’s better to have fresh seed as often as possible. Besides, I love buying new seeds. It’s like buying treats.

I will definitely grow “Roma” tomatoes again. Delicious big plum ones with thin skin and few seeds.

I’ve also saved some St. Marzano tomato seeds from last year’s crop so I’ll sow them and see what develops.

About the end of February is a good time for me to sow tomatoes in a warm room. It’s important to give the emerging seedlings as much light as possible. Turning the trays or pots a couple of times a day helps to stop them stretching towards the light if they’re in a windowsill. This is important to prevent them from developing thin, “leggy” stems which will delay the growth of sturdy plants. I can put the plants into the greenhouse sometime in April if the weather permits.

I do buy tomatoes in winter but they are so disappointing compared to home-grown. I wish I could grow them all year round but they are sensitive to cold and need plenty of sunlight.

Talking of food, there’s always something to use up after Christmas. I had ham and sausages so I put them in the food processor with bread, sliced onion and a few sage leaves from the garden. Whizzed them together and formed sausage and ham burgers which I fried in a little olive oil until they were browned on both sides. Very tasty and made a nice change from cold portions.

The birds who visit the garden need feeding too. The bird table blew down in one of the storms we’ve had recently. The post had rotted at the bottom and the strong wind toppled it. Another job for my very practical spouse. The collared doves were very puzzled by it’s absence but a scattering of seed on the ground settled them down.

The smaller birds take mixed seed, peanuts and sunflower seeds from the feeders hanging in the pear tree behind the garden room. We have a lovely view of their antics. Of course the squirrels want more than their fair share and there’s a lot of hanging upside down to catch the seeds which fall out as they shake the feeders.

Plenty to look forward to in the garden. Meanwhile, planning and day dreaming during the worst of the weather. I’m sure I’ll also be knitting and painting again until the garden tempts me out.

Here’s a little painting from a previous year to remind us of the pleasures of the Spring garden. Drawn from one of my photos and painted with gouache.

Wishing you all the very best. I hope we all have a great year with good health and happiness and much to enjoy. Bye for now. With you again in a couple of weeks.