Willow weaving, sunsets, a bit of history and of course plants

My second attempt at being back in the nursery after christmas and new year.... pressing the re-start button and working hard to make up three lost days. It was great to be back out there in warmer weather, though the sudden melt is causing a lot of flooding and its wet underfoot, but my new work boots are up to the job. I got 40 feet of willow woven on Monday, which is a great start. Once it was dark I tidied up four trays of alpines from the farm tunnel to go in the new tunnel, the start of the great plant move. I also took all the fleece and bubble wrap off the tender plants in the farm tunnel and was delighted to see them looking so good after the -10C temperatures last week. Some are looking a bit sad, but in the main ok.

Getting on with weaving the willow

The more tender plants are looking much better than I hoped

Three of my paintings I did over winter have made it to being cards and will be available from the nursery wee shop when we re-open for the season at the beginning of March.

Plants with history - Begonia sutherlandii

I’ve had this tender bergonia for forever, indeed I can’t even remember now where I originally got it from, I’ve certainly had it for more than 20 years (I had a laptop melt down 15 years or so ago long before back-ups became a thing and lost a huge amount of information about my plant collections and so much more). Any hoo this lovely little Begonia species is well worth growing if you can get a hold of it. It grows from small corms which reproduce down the stem in summer, so keep an eye out for them to pot up before the plant dies back for winter. Small, bright orange flowers on pendulous stems appear all summer long until it dies back for winter.  Ideal for a shelf or window sill where it gets plenty light but not direct sun, keep slightly on the dry side and more so in winter. It does need winter protection from frost so a heated greenhouse or corner in the house to hibernate is ideal. H 30cm, S 30cm.

Gorgeous sunset from the nursery tonight

Another 50 feet of willow woven and 5 trays of alpines tidied and re-potted and relocated to the new tunnel

It's was crazy warm today, 9C at 8 30 when I arrived at the nursery, considering it was -10c last week. Plants are flowering away ahead if their time and bulbs are well up already

Some winter highlights from the nursery gardens today. Its quite startling just how far on a lot of plants are already, we're only half way through January! The evergreens are looking great despite being under snow and ice for a week. Lovely to see the cyclamen coum flowering and bulking up in their second year in the woodland garden. This garden is now coming into its third year and the plants are really bulking up now, its great to see.

Useful plants from the garden - Rosmarinus officinalis (Prostratus Group) 'Rampant Boule'

Apple and Walnut Cake

A moist, moreish cake, served with a hint of warmth from the oven. I love rosemary in a cake, with the right mx of ingredients it takes the flavour to another level. Infact one of my favourite cakes is a twist on a madera cake with rosemary as its flavour, devine. This cake would also work as a dessert, served with custard, cream or icecream.

 100g sultanas                                                                             75ml rum

150ml sunflower oil                                                                  200g caster sugar

2 large eggs                                                                                350g plain flour

teaspoon cinnamon                                                                  1 ½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

½ teaspoon cream of tartar                                                    ½ teaspoon salt

450g eating apples, peeled, cored, cut into small cubes     zest of – lemon

100g walnuts (optional)                                                           2 sprigs of rosemary

 

20cm Springform cake tin, buttered and floured

 ~ Put the sultanas and rum (or water) into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat, letting the sultanas plump up aromatically. Now, preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.

~ Beat the oil and sugar together in a bowl, and add the eggs one at a time, beating until it looks like a light mayonnaise. I'd use an electric whisk of some sort here.

~ Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, folding with a metal spoon, then add the chopped leaves of the rosemary. Then stir in the apples, lemon zest, drained sultanas and walnuts if using. 

Rosmarinus officinalis (Prostratus Group) 'Rampant Boule'

Something completely different for us but I couldn't resist these bright recycled plastic bags. Waterproof to carry your plants home and use again and again and again, £9.95

The best nail brush! Made of natural materials with nice stiff bristles to get all the gardening muck off, teamed with our french soaps, perfect for the end of a gardening day £2.95

Cluckie the hen and Woolie the sheep with nesting wool for birds, can be hung up or sit flat, £5.95

Good morning world

Fragrant Friday

Sarcococca confusa

Sweet Box. A bushy evergreen shrub with glossy, deep green, ovate leaves and in winter, inconspicuous, very sweetly scented, creamy-white flowers, followed by glossy black berries. A great shrub for the winter garden or by a door where you can enjoy its heady scent and evergreen foliage through winter. As I have done at home, potting them into pots on either side of our front door so I can enjoy their scent as I come and go each day. Plant in well drained soil and sun or shade, although I do have them in a south facing situation and they do very well. H 2m, S 1m.

I'm making great progress with the willow fedge. I've been cutting out a lot of the older bigger branches this year and reducing the height by about a foot, so bit extra work but good long term so the fedge doesn't get too congested. Reducing the height also means its at a more manageable height, after all I'm not that tall . I'm really looking forward to our two willow workshops on Saturday and the weather looks good too, not too cold and dry.

Thank you everyone who came along to our willow weaving workshops on Saturday morning and afternoon. The weather was dry with a bit of sun and not too cold and we got lots of weaving done. Hopefully everyone will have a go at growing their own fedges at home.

Our next workshops are up on our website to book, propagation, maintaining potted plants and designing containers for year round interest.

What do you mean it’s my day off after working 6 days lol. My own front garden got its post winter tidy up today, including taking up to 2 feet of growth off the top of the ivy growing on the front wall! Borders all cut back and tidied, just the compost from the compost heap to go on the borders and job done. I also got rid of all the leaves on the gravel with my new leaf hoover, saved so many hours of bending and picking up leaves, love a useful garden gadget. The bulbs are coming up already and Hellebore flowers are opening up. A nice wee fire pit to burn the woody rubbish once I’d finished.

A day in Edinburgh on Monday, a day off as I worked on Saturday. We visited Mary Kings Close and did some photo opportunities and location investigation with David Dodds Author for his books. No cameras allowed in Mary Kings Close, so just the official mug shot of us lol. Lovely lunch in the city Café (dog friendly too). We walked 7 miles and the old town was bearable at this time of year, not to busy, but busy enough. I’m no good with crowds and people these days, no patience, lol . We investigated lots of closes and wynds and Maisie got lots of look at the cute wee dog comments.

You can read a more detailed account in a blog coming soon

Stevenlaws Close

Fleshmarket Close

Mary Kings Close

David and his book in one of the book locations

Hellebore in Princess Street Gardens

Greyfriars Kirkyard

Touchpaper, Warriston's Close Stairs

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