Confused by the mild weather
Merry Christmas from the Outer Hebrides! Up until now, apart from a lot of rain, the weather has been quite mild and I think the garden isn’t quite sure what season it is! Winter pansies, heather and polyanthus are looking good but so are the roses, which continue to bloom. The honesty has seeded well and reminds me again to plant more next year as I so enjoy the translucence of the seed cases – perfect for some Christmas table arrangements.
For 2018, I’m planning to have a plant stall once a week in the town, so I need to have plenty growing on in the polytunnel. I get such a kick from sowing and growing my garden but I just can’t contain everything I grow.
There’s real interest in gardening here and, last week, went to a workshop on planting a winter container. The resultant planter looks very festive by the storm door. Interestingly, we used a standard potting compost and then made pockets in it for the ericaceous compost for the heathers and conifer. I did something similar when I decided the camellia was getting too large for its pot and planted it out in the garden, I just hope it flowers in spring. The French beans I planted in the polytunnel didn’t thrive, partly as the light levels have dropped so dramatically, so the tunnel is now home to some bantams and a late clutch of ducks.
Like many gardeners, my Christmas present list has lots of outdoor presents on it, including my own wheelbarrow. My husband’s is all right but it’s often full of building materials. There are, of course, resolutions to be made, such as getting to grips with the compost! Many people say it’s not warm enough here to make it from scratch but I’m a girl who likes a challenge! I also want to make an auricula theatre but I need to find a place for it out of the wind. Here’s to a New Year full of gardening!