"Why, what's the matter, That you have such a February face........

............. So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness?" -  William Shakespeare,  Much Ado About Nothing

With the prospect of at least two weeks good weather ahead, I have swapped the Friday and Saturday of last week I had off a snow days for my usual Monday and Tuesday off. It will be a long work week but if I can make use of the weather and get on with work in the nursery I might be on my way to catching up, yay!  

Bergenia cordifolia 'Purpurea', Bergenia 'Eden's Magic Giant',
Hesperis matronalis mix, Leucanthemum vulgare, Luzula sylvatica 'Hohe Tatra',
Daucus carota, Lamium maculatum 'Beacon Silver', Geranium robertianum,
Trachystemon orientalis

So Tuesday and another dry day and on with the wellies again, which I know now definitely have a leak. I tackled what we call the Stream Extension. I also had a helper who considers himself more of a supervisor. Bracken deemed it warm enough today to be out in the nursery for a while and not wrapped around the office heater as he usually is. Another garden area tidied, more new willow edges put in, a layer of compost on the borders and a top up of gravel in front of the bridge and the stream garden is done for spring. Winter interest plants in this border - Bergenia cordifolia 'Purpurea', Bergenia 'Eden's Magic Giant', Hesperis matronalis mix, Leucanthemum vulgare, Luzula sylvatica 'Hohe Tatra', Daucus carota, Lamium maculatum 'Beacon Silver', Geranium robertianum, Trachystemon orientalis. The afternoon was spent doing some propagation and creating some soring interest in the sales area which will be in another post.

The stream extension before it's tidy up

The stream extension after

Bulbine frutescens

Useful Plants from the garden - Bulbine frutescens

Bulbine comes from South Africa so will need protection from cold, wet and frost here in Scotland in winter. I grow mine in a big pot in the greenhouse with my cacti and succulent collection.

It has a large range of uses but is best known for drying up acne, soothing cold sores and insect bites, chapped lips and cracked heels, sooths sunburn and gives instant relief from eczema symptoms.

The leaves of the bulbine are long, round and fleshy and contain a natural healing sap. This sap contains glycoproteins, which has soothing and protective qualities.

The sap of a bulbine leaf is clear and can be rubbed onto parts of the human body to ease the pain, irritation and itching of nettle stings, skin irritations and insect bites. Relief is almost immediate which I can personally vouch for this as I use it frequently in summer. Just crush or break the leaf and rub the entire crushed or broken leaf back and forth over the affected or painful area.

Plant quite deep to avoid it growing off to one side or flopping over when the leaves are fully grown. The flower stems grow quite a bit taller than the rest of the plant, and this could cause the plant to topple over. It needs a deep and strong foundation to help prevent this. The flowers are orange and yellow on tall spikes and very striking, its worth growing for the flowers alone.

Wednesday's main task was to tidy up the big entrance border. From May to late autumn this border is a tapestry of colour (see the photo at the top of our facebook page) but at this time it's very empty apart from a couple of shrubs and the metal plant supports. I'd already cut off all the tall stems when the snow was on the ground, so a morning saw all the leaves and last of the plant debris lifted. A top up of bark and some new plant supports from Plant Supports in place and job done. It was a dry sunny morning but the cold wind made it feel quite chilly, so I didn't have my canine assistant today, he was wrapped around the office heater! I spent the afternoon deciding where to put the new pot shelves, watering the tunnels and tidying up some plants for the sales area. Another productive day.

Matteuccia struthopteris fertile frond, Rhododendron thomsonii,
Saxifraga x urbium, Bergenia 'Claire Maxine'

Matteuccia struthopteris fertile frond

Tidying the big entrance border, before

Tidying the big entrance border, after

That wind chill was baltic on Friday and I was working in the windiest part of the nursery, brrrrrrrrrrr. Another border cut back and tidied. This is the shade border on the right side of the track up to the sales area. Lots of lovely spring plants live here and then a late summer celebration of Astilbes and Asters to finish the year. A couple of pink hellebores are coming into flower and there are signs of lots of other plants beginning to put out tentative shoots. The weeks of snow have been hiding all sorts of goings on. And if you can't have the real ratbag dog with you, you need one of these. I've lost count of how many times I've looked over at this border and thought what is Bracken doing out there

Helleborus orientalis

Primula denticulata Red

Pulmonaria 'Diane Clare', Cardamine pratensis 'Flore Pleno',
Digitalis purpurea, Primula 'Wanda', Ranunculus acris 'Citrinus',
Epimedium, Geranium phaeum 'Mourning Widow', Waldsteinia ternate,
Viola labradorica 'Purpurea', Pulmonaria 'Opal'

Ratbag substitute

Tidying the shade border, before

A lot of tidying to do

Tidying the shade border, after

The border on the left of the track is a big one with lots of plants that need cutting back and tidying so it always takes a couple of days to tidy up and all those leaves from the big beech trees. The stars of winter in this border are the two Carex: C. buchananii and C. dipsacea and Hellebore ‘Pink Lady’ has lots of buds this year and who can resist a plant called Ranunculus ‘Brazen Hussy’! It was a wet miserable day today but at least it wasn’t too cold. I’ve also put in some edging hurdles bought from

Plant Belles HQ

to highlight the entrance to the scented garden and they look fab, I'm really pleased with them. David has finished the new fence, must do a post about that and finished the stands for all the pots we will have in stock this year. It’s all go.

Left side of the track

New border edges

Carex dipsacea

Helleborus 'Pink Lady'

Ranunculus verna 'Brazen Hussy'

Set myself the task of getting the scented garden tidied today. It’s a big border that widens as it goes up the hill leaves lifted, last of the plants cut back, new bark on the bare bits, compost in the sweetpea boxes and the slab path scrubbed. Finished at 5 to 5! Hard going after 8 days working, but I am really pleased with how I have got on this week, feel like I am getting something done at last and catching up after all that snow and ice. It was nice to feel a hint of warmth in the sun too. Not much winter interest in the border until you get to the top where Chionochloa (love that grass), Osmanthus x burkwoodii, Sarcococca confuse and Viola conuta ‘Alba’ provide colour and interest. I’m really pleased with how the Osmanthus is doing. Its an evergreen which needs a bit of protection in colder harsher conditions, but is doing really well in this border in one of the windiest most exposed areas of the garden, its always worth experimenting in the garden.

Chionochloa rubra

Daffodils poking through

Before tidying

Monday was a day at home, catching up with housework and tasks out in the garden after a busy two weeks. A chance to see the snow drops and crocus in the garden and enjoy the sun. Once David was finished with work we had a walk up the road as the river is too high to cross. We even found a geocache.

Another week draws to a close, with the prospect of another two months plus in total lockdown. Its wearing, depressing and bad for business.

Take care, keep well, stay safe

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