Signs of fresh growth are a joy Derrick Turbitt
During a cold, dry spell I was able to do some winter digging. I’ve also been able to do some general tidying up, including weeding and cutting back fuchsias and buddlejas. Outside there are signs of fresh growth. Some daffodils have shown above ground and snowdrops are also poking their noses out – we even have a single snowdrop in flower. One plant of Cyclamen coum opened its first flowers well ahead of the rest. Plants of ophiopogon growing on in pots outside are looking good and showing black, seedbearing fruit. Cuttings of skimmia ‘Rubella’ taken about two years ago are displaying red flower buds that will provide colour until they open in spring.
Indoors, seeds of winter lettuce and parsley sown in autumn have been transplanted. The lettuce have been transplanted into a large pot. They’ll mark time until spring and give an early crop. Parsley has also been transplanted. These should give strong plants to go in the veg plot later. Cuttings of lavender, heather and rosemary taken in early autumn are in the greenhouse and should be well rooted by spring. On the other hand, cuttings of Calocephalus brownii (snow bush) taken at the same time have rooted quickly and are potted on. These are in the cold greenhouse but just in case we get a very hard frost I’ve moved a couple of them onto the conservatory window.