Garden Notes, Colour and a Poem

Mid February has seen some cold, dull days. A few glimpses of sunshine have been precious. March is not too far away though and will hopefully bring sunlight, daffodils and budding trees.

The birds are very busy in the garden, fattening up for their Spring activities. Snatches of lovely song fill the air from time to time as they call out for mates and establish their territory.

Our little flock of sparrows finish off the food in the hanging feeders so quickly that it’s hard to keep up with them. The lovely brown and grey dunnocks bob about below the feeders to take advantage of dropped seed and the robins look pert and beautiful wherever they perch. The collared doves always arrive as a pair and are such pretty birds.

There was a Peacock butterfly in the woodstore. It was on top of a bag of logs, flapping its wings, but it seemed far too early for it to be awake and out in the cold. Allan gently put the logs back and replaced the cover to keep out the rain. We’re hoping it will stay sheltered until it’s safe to come out. I didn’t take a photo because I didn’t want to disturb it too much.

Although the garden looks damp and drab the snowdrops and hellebores sing out in their glowing colours. They look fresh and bright beneath the apple tree. In another place I have a tiny clump of double petalled snowdrops. I have to hold them up to see their beautiful centres. I can’t recall their name. I think my taller snowdrops are “elwessii” but may be wrong. I accidentally snapped off a flower but it looked so lovely against the dark soil so I took a photo to remember it by.

Evergreens are essential for all year round interest in the garden. So welcome in winter. We have two enormous conifers which we love. We have had to have these topped since this photo as they might have fallen in a storm. There are other less obvious ones which provide focal points. A small prostrate conifer at the edge of a path is a lovely blue-green one. Skimmias with their glossy leaves and scarlet berries are beautiful and Euonymus is a favourite with cream or gold leaves combined with fresh green.

A few flowers and interesting bits are catching my eye among the sleeping summer perennials.

Not much happening in the vegetable garden at present. The potatoes are being “chitted” in the conservatory. This means they’re exposed to light for a few weeks prior to planting them. This encourages small purpley-green shoots to form. Keeping them in the dark would produce those long white sprouts. They’re not what we want for growing in the garden. I stand the seed potatoes in egg boxes so they stand individually with some support. Works well. “Charlotte” on the left and “Accord” on the right. New varieties for me given to me by my daughter.

It’s far too cold and frosty to plant yet. The middle of next month might be worth trying but if the foliage comes up while frosts threaten it will be damaged. Best to keep an eye on the forecast and cover any tender new leaves to keep them from freezing.

I’m going to put a few seeds in the polytunnel beds soon. Peas are an early crop given a bit of protection and I will try kohl rabi and some lettuce. They might take a bit longer to germinate but will soon catch up as the days lengthen and hopefully become a bit warmer.

Talking of warmth, I was giving some thought to how much colour affects me. It’s something important to me in so many ways. I love flowers of course, whether it’s the blazing scarlet of poppies or the pristine whiteness of snowdrops but all the many shades of green are pleasing as well. The bright lime green of new leaves in Spring to the dark glossy holly of Winter are equally striking and proclaim their seasonal beauty. So many amazing colours in the natural world and the garden.

My home is also full of colour. The kitchen walls are deep red. I appreciate its warmth and cosiness. In the living room we have egg-yolk yellow walls and a green chimney breast. Visitors often say how much they love the vibrant colours but they wouldn’t dare to use them. That’s strange to me. Colour is so wonderful and it’s vital for myself.

When I paint pictures I love to use good strong colours. That’s why I enjoy painting with gouache. The paint is a type of watercolour but with stronger pigments and a heavier texture. It produces vivacious paintings full of life and emphasising the effectiveness of colour. I know watercolour can be used to beautiful effect but for myself a wishy-washy, sploshy technique is not pleasing to my eye. I feel more satisfied if a painting achieves a realistic depiction of its subject and the effect is arrived at by observation of light and shade and careful control of the paint. I realise that’s just personal taste and many people will not see it my way. My main point though is about colour. So important to me when I’m painting.

Often. when I’m in a thoughtful mood, I write a poem. Here’s one I wrote some time ago and I’d forgotten about.

Brief Lives

How swiftly flies the time no matter how we try,
While the cloudy skies and sunny spells of life go by.
The smiles and tears are merely shadows which flit upon the wall,
Yet we strive, we love; we hope to leave our mark however small.
Both the genius and the dullest mind leave footprints in the sand
But some are washed away and others shape the land.

With you again in two weeks time. I hope you’ll enjoy my reminiscing. Stay warm if you need to and enjoy whatever the garden offers. Bye for now.