I actually tried to grow Sweet William last year. I sowed the seed, the plant came up and grew quite well but never flowered. It then didn’t die back over Winter. So I left it in the ground, through all the snow and frost and wet. Then in early Spring it started to grow again and now I have row upon row of beautiful flowers, poised to open at the first sign of sun.

On further reading I found that if you plant from seed in year one then you will actually get flowers in year two. Doh! should have realised that last year. But in any case I’m delighted with my raft of free cut flowers. Expect Sweet William in every room in the house very soon!

One might think that I have an obsession with the Alice of Lewis Carroll, but this isn’t true. You’ll not find a Mad Hatter or a white rabbit no matter how hard you look, in any of my dreams! The lure of the land and the redheaded orphan with a scope for imagination by the name of Anne Shirley are much more my sweet cup of tea. You must understand, there are no limits to fantasy here in the garden. You simply have to go by your own code of rules and beliefs based on fancy; capricious, whimsical fancies of the imagination…

The last time I sat here, in this same spot you’re seeing now, Berbegazi came to visit from his frozen underground dungeon. Is you don’t remember him, or never ever have seen him before (and I hope you haven’t), he’s a troll as bleak as snow and as rigid as ice. Berbegazi is his name, and he inhabits tunnel and burrows in arctic tundra and snowed mountain peaks, but sometimes he chooses lovely gardens to dwell.

But that was back when all the snows of the world seem to have accumulated here. Berbegazi is now hibernating, and this morning is particularly beautiful, and warm. The sky has the bluest tint to it, and the purest balmy air is bringing in myriads of tiny butterflies to the garden. Butterflies that look like magical little flying flowers as they flutter and dance above the snow balls, lupines and smiling pansies.

Did you know that fairies abound in this place? Look at them very closely, and tell me if you see flowers or fairies dancing in the sunlight… See what I mean?

Like Anne Shirley would say: “Isn’t it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me glad to be alive – it’s such an interesting world. It wouldn’t be half so interesting if we knew all about everything, would it? There’d be no scope for imagination then, would there?” But am I talking too much?

These are called columbine flowers, and their dainty fairy-like blooms held high above delicate foliage, nod and dance in the breeze. Surely one of the top reasons why I love coming here must be the fairies, the color bursts of flowers, the exotic fragrances of leaves, the hypnotic effect of arching stems swaying in the wind, the singing of the trees as gentle breezes rattle their leaves, and of course, the intriguing columbines…

I like to give columbine exotic names like “Joyful Adelfa”, “Fairy Mist”, “Yellow Luna”, and “Colorida Almida”. As I gazed at them floating and dancing above the surrounding vegetation I know why they always have been inspiration for the notion of woodland fairies. Oh yes, I see fairies in my garden. Can you see them too? They’re dancing in the sunshine with wreaths of columbines and foxglove wands in their hands.

I told you… is pure magic here…. I walk through my garden just like Anne of Green Gables walked through Violet Vale on her way to school, with reverent steps and worshipping eyes, as if I trod on holy ground. What can I say? I love my garden, and when I am here is like being in Paradise. My own delicious little Paradise!

Have a great day everyone, and don’t forget to dream in your garden!

Im linking this post to Outdoor Wednesday

Chinodoxa are beautiful, hardy spring flowering bulbs that are easy to grow. They grow 6inches tall from small bulbs and have pretty star-shaped flowers with long narrow leaves. (Also spelled Chionodoxa and common name Glory of the Snow)

Cultivation 0f Chinodoxa

They do well in most garden soil. Plant 2-3″ deep.
Chinodoxa are most effective when planted in clumps and allowed to naturalise.
Suitable for rockeries and growing in pots.
Flowers lasts for 3-4 weeks, after which both the flowers and the foliage die back.

Chinodoxa Varieties

Chinodoxa Lucilliae is widely available and flowers bright blue
Chinodoxa Luciliae Alba is a clear white with star shaped flowers in March.
Chinodoxa  Forbesii Pink Giant produces a wealth of pink flowers.
Chinodoxa Forbesii is bright blue with a white centre.

Glory of the Snow from Kew Gardens

‘Transforming the landscape from white to blue, the delicate alpine Chionodoxa comes into flower as the snows melt in the mountains of Turkey, Crete and Cyprus, earning it the name Glory of the Snow.
Thousands of deep blue, starry-flowered Chionodoxa siehei from western Turkey have been naturalised in the lawn close to White Peaks creating a blanket of spring colour. They emerge in the early months of the year, flower and then die back to survive the summer underground as dormant bulbs.’ Well worth hunting out if you visit Kew in spring.

Species list from Wikipedia
* Chionodoxa albescens (Pale Glory-of-the-snow) – Crete
* Chionodoxa cretica (Cretan Glory-of-the-snow) – Crete
* Chionodoxa forbesii (Forbes’ Glory-of-the-snow) – south-west Turkey
* Chionodoxa lochiae, synonym C. gigantea (Loch’s Glory-of-the-snow) – Cyprus
* Chionodoxa luciliae (Lucile’s Glory-of-the-snow) – west Turkey
* Chionodoxa nana (Dwarf Glory-of-the-snow) – Crete
* Chionodoxa sardensis (Lesser Glory-of-the-snow) – west Turkey
* Chionodoxa siehei, synonyms C. tmoli, C. tmolusii (Siehe’s Glory-of-the-snow) – west Turkey; the commonest garden form

There is not a lot of point in raising even Broad Beans just to bury them in ice and snow. nature has a way of catching up so there is no panic.

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Then as it started to rain it was time to bring back my old wooden bench from the shed into the greenhouse and set everything back in place. A little inquisite robin got trapped in the greenhouse as I was preparing a couple of pots for sowing. I sowed some sweet peas (of mixed colours) as well as some passion flower seeds which are both lovely climbers and which I will keep indoors for now.

Amaryllis Aphrodite

I am in the process of sorting my seeds and getting all my pots cleaned and ready for the succession of sowings to come. This is probably one of the coldest and longest winters that we’ve had for a few years. In fact I was reading in a gardening magazine that magnolias which traditionally flower earliest in Cornwall are still not in blooms. This is due to the cold snap in that area. Hopefully by March they will be in blooms at Trewithen near Truro.

On this cold day I also bought some potato seeds from an early variety called Red Duke of York which I have never grown before. I intend to start chitting my seeds in the next couple of weeks. It was good to see my local garden center selling so many varieties of loose potatoes sold by weight. Mine only cost 1 pound per kilo.

But right now back at home I am enjoying the blossom of my lovely Amaryllis from a variety called Aphrodite and I look forward to warmer days.

Newmiller Dam is surrounded by dense woods. These trees are like giants towering over the dark waters of the Lake. Today the water was frozen in parts, and the trees decked out in snow which melted slowly onto us as we walked around. The Trees bark is visible during the winter months.

Newmiller Dam is famous for its wild water birds. These are some strange looking Ducks with black mohawks slicked back. They dive to the lake bottom to feed. We saw these at Pugneys, and now at Newmiller dam. They fly close to the water with their feet dangling. I wander if these are winter visitors?

The woods are being managed now by cutting down non native trees to clear more space within the densely packed woods. Native species should thrive in the new cleared areas. We saw a few Wrens flying amongst the undergrowth. The trees support more birds, different from the lakeside birds.

This Robin sat nearby in a tree and let me photograph him. The Robins were in evidence all over the Lakeside. They were singing away defending their territories. These are beautiful birds to look at, and they are so unafraid of people.
It was a lovely day for a winter walk. The roast chicken is in the oven now cooking. The cold and the walk has made us hungry..

You might get sent to the Tower of London if you damage your Lawn during winter. One gardener must be there as the picture of their lawn in January after the snow is shown above. You can start your own business with the book and tips below.

Winter Lawn Care

Do not walk on frozen grass the leaves and stems will snap and damaged patches will show when the frost has gone.
Do not walk on very soggy grass or when covered in snow as this will also damage turf and soil structure.
Do not be afraid to smarten up your lawn on a fine dry day. Trimming the edges and removing any dead leaves or debris always gives a lawn a lift.
If you want to cut the lawn set the blades on the mower at the highest level and give it a light trim not a short back and sides.

Preparation for a Summer Lawn

Consider using a professional lawn maintenance firm to up the standard of your grass or take a course yourself.
Source and buy a spring feed with a high nitrogen content that will boost the young growth.
If troubled with moss, and many gardens are in a wet winter, plan to kill the moss with lawn sand or a copper base product.
When moss turns brown after treatment rake out the dead matter and bury or dispose of the detritus, do not compost it.
Improve drainage by spiking the lawn.
Reseed any bare patches or transplant turf from another area.

Start Your Own Lawn Care Business

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Lawn Feed Weed and Moss Killer

Lawn Spreader from Amazon

The snow and exceptionally cold snap has delayed the first snowdrops, but, this weekend, I spotted the first snowdrops peeping through the soil. I love the way they suddenly just appear. You hardly have time to notice the leaves before they are in bloom.

Another great early spring flower is the yellow aconite. A low growing bulb, this looks great in mass planting and creates a great foil to the white snowdrops.

A single snowdrop

Yellow Witchazel from our post – yellow plants

Hellebores – another excellent early season plant – see Gardening with Hellebores

Related

• Best Snowdrop gardens in England