Gardens spring into life despite the cold weather
Spring bulbs continue in bloom as our favourite seasonal trees and shrubs weigh in with their valuable contribution.
Despite the unsettled weather of late they seem ahead of their normal flowering time but let’s enjoy the multi-coloured spectacle and the moment.
Two Forsythia in this garden are entering their fourth week in glorious golden bloom which shows no sign of fading.
There are several useful cultivars (varieties) of this plant but F. intermedia ‘Spectabilis’ is our favourite.
Just remember to prune out the spent flowering stems immediately after bloom fades to encourage new growth that will flower next spring.
Propagation is simple. Place a weight on any stems close to the ground and they’ll form roots.
An alternative is to take hardwood stem cuttings in autumn. Use a piece of the current year’s growth 20cm long.
Push it upright into loose soil in the open garden until only the top third is showing.
Make the spot firm and wait until next year.
Osmanthus burkwoodii is currently a mass of white flower clusters that are highly fragrant. It’s a small-leafed evergreen shrub that’s easily raised from softwood stem cuttings taken in early summer.
Three mature standards in our garden that were raised this way, stand 2.5m tall.
Berberis darwinii is an evergreen shrub with spines on the periphery of its small leaves and a dense growth habit.
This makes it an ideal plant for plugging gaps in a boundary hedge or border.
It’s also a favourite fortified nesting site for blackbird and song thrush.
The small, deep yellow flowers that line the underside of every branch, are just opening and a delightful sight.
They eventually give way to attractive purple fruits which blackbirds love.
No wonder a fresh harvest of random seedlings appears in the garden every year. Because this shrub is a species, indicated by the lower-case d in Darwin`s name, it reproduces true to form.
Late winter/early spring shrubs with tassel flowers (lamb’s tails) deserve a mention for their graceful appearance, occasionally enhanced by a breeze as they dance in the wind.
Two February/March bloomers that are propagated via ground layering, are worth a mention.
The silvery catkins of Garrya elliptica that are just beginning to fade were around 15cm long, and Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ (corkscrew hazel) has contorted stems which add to the attraction.