Preparations for opening continue apace. The frame-yard has seen a substantial up grade with metal edging placed around the lawns, new gravel spread, and new paving laid around the arched gate. The Central Borders have also been re-aligned to the sun dial in the Herb Garden and all the beds metal edged.
After the exceptionally wet winter, the ground is still very damp throughout the garden, and this has hampered work greatly. Despite these setbacks, on sunny days, there is a warmth to the sun and bulbs such as the Snake’s Head Fritillary, Fritillaria meleagris, in the Wild Garden have begun to flower. We also have Imperial and Persian Fritillaries in flower as well as the large Snowflake, Leucojum aestivum ‘Gravetye Beauty’.
March is the time for seed sowing, and we have plants which take their time to mature such as Leeks, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Romanesco Cauliflower and Sprouts already sown and germinated. Soon we will begin a much more general sowing. Seed potatoes are scarce this year, but we have some main crop Pentland Javelin chitting in an egg tray on a north-facing window. Shallots, Onions and Garlic have also been started in small pots this year so they can be planted without being pulled out by birds.
Elsewhere in the garden we have been pruning all our Hydrangeas, taking out weak growth and cutting them back to green, swelling buds. Salvias which have made new growth have been trimmed to make a new crop of cuttings as they root very quickly in pure perlite at this time of year.
