Monty’s month
January always arrives at Longmeadow with a general sigh of relief. There is an overwhelming sense that however grim the weather might be at the moment, things are getting better daily.
Climate change has brought forward the flowering of the first snowdrops, aconites and crocus, so whereas when we first planted the Spring Garden 30 years ago we waited until February for the first glimmer of flower, by the middle of January things are in full swing.
Our snowdrops have spread from the first planting of a small bundle wrapped in newspaper that we were given by friends, to become thousands of brave little white flowers, surviving flood, snow, ice and storm with equal equanimity.
Then, by the end of the month the first hellebores and pulmonarias will be starting to flower, and the yellow hazel catkins catching the late afternoon sun. The days are slowly lengthening and spring is round the corner!