I am glad I took this week’s photos yesterday when the sun was shining as I am now sitting at my desk looking out of the window at a cold, grey, drizzle.
Beastly weather may be back with us, but there is plenty to be optimistic about in the garden, with new shoots, the first crocuses and even some January flowers.
As ever, I am joining in with The Propagator and his loyal and growing band of followers in posting six things from our garden on a Saturday.
- The first crocuses
It is lovely to see the slender lilac crocus flowers emerge from the earth. These were here when we moved in and have spread across a corner of the lawn and what I am calling my woodland border.
2. Snowdrops
Some SOSers already have snowdrops in full flower in their gardens, but ours are just about to burst. I lifted and divided this clump last year so am glad to see they have come back and the ones I moved are also about to come into flower.
3. Cornus ‘Midwinter Fire’
I saw a wonderful picture on Instagram the other day of a whole host of Midwinter Fire dogwoods looking like flames. I bought my solitary specimen from Wakehurst Place last winter and am hoping that I can soon take cuttings from it and propagate some more of my own.
4. Mahonia
The yellow sprays of Mahonia threading through the fig tree are always a welcome sight to brighten up the January gloom.
5. Bergenia
I can never quite make my mind up about Bergenia. For much of the year these ‘Elephant ears’ provide ground cover, but look a bit scrappy and are a paradise for slugs and snails. But there is something to be said for a plant that can produce flowers this pink in the middle of winter.
6. Side passage
Now that our building work is finished, I can reclaim our side passage. It is looking rather forlorn at the moment. I have put my mini-greenhouse here to provide some garden workspace for the front garden, but any suggestions to brighten this area up are welcome. It is west-facing and shaded by the neighbouring house.
That’s all for this week. Don’t forget to head on over to see what The Propagator is up to this week.
Carrots and Calendula 
Every one seems to be showing off their dogwood at the moment. I was thinking of getting a pair for the front garden. How short to you prune yours to get the red wood? I think 2m is too tall for our garden so I was hoping to prune almost to the ground so they would remain shorter.
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I’m not sure and I should know as I did a whole session on pruning dogwoods on my RHS course a couple of years back. I don’t think we went right down to the ground but quite low. This plant is quite young so I didn’t prune it last year.
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Gill from Off The Edge gardening has just informed me that you should prune quite low – look for a bud close to the stem.
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Thank you – I just bought a couple for the front garden so I will remember that.
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My dogwood will certainly be one of the next SoS threads. A fiery red shining in the garden .In the meantime, yours has beautiful winter colors. Crocus, snowdrops, everything seems to be ahead of mine.
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We have quite a warm micro climate on the south coast.
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I’m in love with the colors of your MidWinter Fire dogwoods. Even though I already have a full row of the standard red twig dogwoods, now I want to find a spot for this one! You have such pretty color in your garden. And I can’t wait to see your side yard picture placed next to it’s “after” version one day!
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Thank you! Midwinter Fire is lovely.
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The dogwood is a show and yet more flowering crocus in a SoS today. There are no sign of flowering bulbs in our garden yet!
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I saw a lovely side passage like yours crammed with ferns and luscious green plants. Not a flower in sight but it looked splendid!
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Green is good as it’s quite shaded here. Thanks!
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That side passage is a blank canvas ready to be transformed like Mr Propagator has done with his. I have seen it “in the flesh” and it looks very good. I must weed around my crocuses – they show up much better when not nearly smothered!
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Me too – weeds a plenty in my garden.
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Your crocus are so elegant! Midwinter Fire is my favourite cornus, am I right in saying that you only prune out a portion each year so you get a rainbow of colours. I would check that as I may well be making it up/confused. Like Katherine I have seen a wonderful display of ferns in a passageway like yours, they were growing on shelves so made a green screen. Lovely!
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I will try that pruning method. Do you know how far back you should prune Cornus? I can’t remember. Ferns are a great idea.
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Quite hard, look for a bud close-ish to the base of the stem and cut there.
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Your garden is definately further along than mine. I have no snow drops or crocus yet but hopefully soon! Lovely colour.
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There’s something about the Cornus stems that makes it suitably pictueresque even when its dropped its leaves, and those crocus plants are looking great! That’s always helpful when they spread to give some ground cover and interest without needing too much attention.
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Yep, I must get a dogwood! Your plants today are lovely as usual!
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The crocus look lovely, and with the snowdrops, look so spring like.
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Your side passage would suit ferns and hostas and probably some hardy geraniums too. Maybe a cl i mbing hydrangea, or even some roses dont mind a bit of shade.You just need to build some planters like these:
https://wp.me/p8bVbb-1Wm
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Very nice – do you do mail order?
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Yes but my fees are very unreasonable!
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Oh those crocuses are a lovely sight. So pristine. I bought half a dozen Midwinter Fire plants as a deal last year from J Parkers. When they turned up they were tiny, so I can’t see me pruning them for several years! Yours looks good.
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I literally put prunings of dogwood in the ground last year and they all grew. All they need is to be the right way up!
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Lovely crocus so early too. Bergenia smithii has the advantage of early flowers but I agree about the leathery leaves. Some bergenias have leaves that turn a lovely red in winter and they are a real asset.
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Bergenia really is an odd one. For us, it looks bad by late summer, but never gets too bad to shelter the snail.They bloom sporadically through the year, but do not necessarily bloom in winter. They are pretty at times, and and are worth growing, but if they were not here, I would probably not plan them in public landscapes.
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