The last full week of February has been eventful but here the focus remains on the garden. Storm Franklin lashed a few more fence panels. Thankfully none of them are mine but there are some interesting gaps in neighbouring gardens. It has been a difficult week to find time to garden but a moment here and there was grabbed and the cut down of the herbaceous perennials continues. There is growth under the brown and the March surge is approaching. Here’s six from the garden this week.
One
The fig tree had a prune. Three or four of the larger branches were shortened and the overall height was taken down a little. Come the summer the longer thinner branches will be shortened. It is amazing that despite the high winds there is still a number of last seasons figs clinging on.
Two
Last summer saw us say goodbye to two box shrubs which had succumbed to blight and caterpillars. It has opened up this corner of the garden to a little more sunshine. It will be brief lightening of a shady corner that will be back in shade once the trees are in leaf. This is also a big tick for cutting back the old stems on the phlox.
Three
I do have some crocuses in the garden that have withstood the wind and rain. If I remember rightly these are ‘Ruby Giant’ – not so ruby in colour.
Four
New buds on the climbing hydrangea are encouraging. This is year three for this shrub and gradually it is making its way over the fence.
Five
I used to have four of these euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii which made a dramatic impact in early spring. I’m down to two now and they are looking a little thin. I think the soil here is just too wet for them. Evidence of climate change perhaps. I have a couple of seedlings in other parts of the garden so we’ll if they do any better.
Six
I feel sure the viburnum usually has more flowers than this by now. They are only just beginning to open, perhaps March will push them on to a better display.
I think the garden is the place to be this weekend. Things are looking a whole lot more positive there! Mr P will no doubt be out and about one way or another and yet always finds time to cheerfully host the SOS meme.
n20gardener 
Are the last figs that are hanging still green? Mine are brown and grilled with frost and unfortunately not going to ripe. There are plenty though! Pity…
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Mostly brown, and as you say frost burnt. Occasionally I see a magpie trying them out – with little success!
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The euphorbias have great impact, it’s a pity they don’t like the wet as I would quite like some like that. Perhaps in containers? Although they might be a bit too tall. Hopefully the seedlings will do well for you. Enjoy your gardening weekend, I got a bit of shredding done.
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I think the wulfenii would be too big for a container – or perhaps the container would keep it smaller! I am missing the two I lost so I am very tempted to try again! Perhaps with a ‘Portuguese Velvet’ which is smaller – maybe that would be good for a container??
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I’ve not heard of the euphorbia before, it does look good.
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Fig trees are so weirdly resilient. We sometimes pruned ours hard to promote more of the later figs for drying, but then left it without pruning for the following year, for more of the squishier early figs. No matter what we did, production was exemplary.
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That is encouraging. The earlier figs are the best.
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Ah, so you prefer to prune it down by taking out the high limbs, while leaving the smaller (previous season) stems on the lower limbs.
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I am interested in the summer fig pruning – when do you do that and how does it differ from the winter pruning? The climving hydrangea looks quite promising, and the euphorbias are lovely. Can they be moved to a drier location?
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Euphorbia don’t last many years here either. The lay soil is too wet in the winter. I’ve never understood why Crocus ‘Ruby Giant’ has that name
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So glad I didn’t get the crocus name wrong! And yes to the clay soil in winter – cold and wet!
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A lovely six – I am having the same issue with my euphorbias. They used to look fine, but are now thin. At first I thought it was age, but then newly planted started doing the same thing, so I think it’s soil that’s too wet. What a wonderfully large fig you have!
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