I feel as though the garden is at its lowest, there is so little to show this week. Yet there is the sense of a turning point. New shoots are emerging and although patience is required before the results appear there is something happening out there. Those winter gardening jobs need to be progressed. Two storms came through this week and it seems that this is winter weather we must get used. Here’s six that survived the winds.
One
The snowdrops have emerged only to eaten by something – pigeons, slugs and snails? And so it begins again.
Two
Encouraging signs elsewhere improved the moment. Camassia shoots are coming through, but this only reminds me that I will have to step carefully when taking down the collapsing rose arch. I know I should have done it weeks ago!
Three
We had a very large tree taken down about a year ago and having had so many storms since I am very glad we did remove it. I have seen two trees in local front gardens that have collapsed in the high winds. One landing on a car and one just missing. Half the trunk of our tree was ground out and euphorbia robbiae seemed a good option for a dry inhospitable place. It’s doing well, of course.
Four
The primroses seem to have been in flower for several months now, happily supplying food to the chomping hordes!
Five
The cold weather has taken its toll on the lemon tree once again. Storm Jocelyn whipped of the protective fleece revealing a very sad picture. The lemon tree recovered from last winter and probably will do again but its not going to be a great addition to the garden and I think I can find something more suitable to conditions. Time to say farewell.
Six
The sarcococca confusa that was planted to replace three lost pittosporums have made a good deal of flowers in its first winter. There is a way to go before they fill the spaces but a start has been made.
I feel I have been a little harsh. There’s plenty of promise and plenty of work to be done. I can see Sunday will be a busy day – sunny intervals and a gently breeze sounds quite inviting. Happy gardening to you all and as always there is the invitation to Jim’s for his garden view and all the SOS links.
n20gardener 
Waiting for Spring can be an impatient process and seeing flowers nibbled after all their effort to grow is annoying.
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We’re all so ready to get going again!
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You and Jim had talked about camassias and I’ll have to see the state of mine. They tend to get bigger year after year and are starting to give me a nice clump of flowers. I should add some white ones because it would make a nice mix with blue ones . Sorry for your lemon tree, maybe still a little hope , like last year?
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I’m going to be strict. It’s just not worth it!
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Snowdrops are starting to peek through here too. It’s always somewhat disappointing when something starts nibbling on flowers.
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I’m slug hunting today!
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I enjoy seeing the shoots and tree buds appearing despite the storms and the cold. Euphorbia looks like a winner. Perhaps you can pot the citrus into a container and protect it when the weather turns cold.
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The lemon is in a pot and used to go into a greenhouse to overwinter but a storm did for the greenhouse and so the lemon tree has had to live tough, but it’s too much to ask of it so it’s time to say farewell.
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I’m getting very particular with what grows in my garden, things have been left to their own devices pretty much this winter, what dies won’t be replaced. Plenty of hellebores beginning to open, though some are a bit tatty, crocuses emerging and dwarf iris. The constant wind and rain has not been kind to them though. My gardening mojo seems to have disappeared along with the sun, but there are jobs that need doing so I do need to push myself to get out there!
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I made it out side yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. Temperature just right for gardening and new growth just emerging. I’m going out again today- and so it begins!
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Nice to see some primroses in flower. Mine have yet to do anything. I must also check if my one and only Camassia has reappeared.
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I understand and sympathise about the lemon. I have two I grew from seed, now 8 years old, and they are quite unattractive really, though the smell of the foliage is nice. I feel having mothered them to this point I cannot now abandon them, but they do take quite a bit of care, attention and feeding and in my heart I know they’re not really worth it! Hang in there, the days are getting longer and Spring is just around the corner!
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I spent some time in the garden yesterday and was encouraged by how things are coming along. You are right the tide is turning.
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It’s always lovely to see snowdrops appearing. The sarcococca and the euphoria are looking fine and healthy, but what a pity about your lemon tree. My camassias didn’t reappear last year – I wonder if they will this year.
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‘scuse the typo. Euphorbia! 😄
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Finger crossed for your camassias, I wonder why they didn’t appear last year.
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As you say, probably the lowest point in the gardening year but definitely signs of spring! Such a shame about the lemon tree though.
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Once the greenhouse went (storm damage) it was always a tough job to get it through winter. I give in.
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Oh, that lemon tree looks sad! I tend to take lemon trees for granted. They grow so large that I could not cover them If I needed to. They can grow like weeds.
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It has a tough life here and I’m admitting defeat!
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Sometimes it is just easier to accept when you’re beaten!
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Well, it may be more humane than expecting it to survive much longer.
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🙂
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