Over the FENCE

All hands on the plot!

It’s wonderful to feel back in touch with the garden. Each day, whatever the weather, I’ve been tidying leaves, cutting back and planting. All the rain has left a rotting mulch of leaves, best cleared up so the emerging bulbs don’t suffer, but great for composting. What a delight it was to uncover so many waking daffodils, snowdrops and hyacinths! The sedum, buddleia, grasses and roses have space to stretch after pruning. I used to be nervous about cutting back too much, but the clematis ‘Bees’ Jubilee’ and roses responded so well to this last year that I’ve trimmed them right down without hesitation! Primroses and dwarf iris are suddenly blooming and some pots of flowering daffodils have brightened up gaps in the borders. The borders look like they’ve been scattered with some colourful sweets!

To improve the interest in our garden this month we’ve planted Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’ and an unusual frilled, white cyclamen that appears to be ‘Rocolina White’. Due to my Welsh roots, I couldn’t resist ordering the new streptocarpus, ‘Cariad’, which is Welsh for love.

We’ve scattered dwarf marigold seed among the emerging bulbs for future interest. Some broad beans will be sown in pots this week and potatoes ‘Arran Pilot’ and ‘Pentland Javelin’ are chitting. I also sowed chilli ‘Cayennetta’ indoors for the first time.

All of the family came to help at the allotment! While our youngest bug-hunted and climbed trees, my husband and I, with our two eldest, tackled the grass and weeds. The unruly brambles strangling the rhubarb will have to go, and we’ve a few beds to clear before manuring and generally feeling organised.

Dwarf iris have brought some sudden colour All hands on deck on the allotment! The unusual white, frilled cyclamen is striking – we’re trying it out in the border

Clematis ‘Bees’ Jubilee’ is ge ing a hard prune now so it’ll look like this again in summer

Iona Chisholm A developing family garden and allotment in Staffordshire.