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Will we really get snow on Tuesday?

On the eve of a potential weather break (back to snow) from our unseasonably warm spell (where garden maintenance and new projects have taken up my PC time) let’s go back and pick up a post that’s been sitting in draft since the middle of March…

‘Guid things come in sma bulk’ (meaning just because something is small doesn’t mean it’s of little value) could be the motto for my March 2012 Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day. Let’s take a look at some of the small stuff back on March 15th starting with my favourites the alliums breaking through the gravel…


Seen in the montage above: there were lawn planted Crocuses past flowering (early bees would have fed here), buds ready to open on weeping Pear tree (attracting small insects birds will feed on) , Sedum rosettes forming on the ground, Hellebores flowering their socks off (bees feeding again) and new growth on Catmint (ladybirds hiding in last year’s woody stems) giving just a flavour of the March garden.

Perennial Wallflower Bowles’ Mauve (photo bottom left) has not stopped flowering all winter and should any butterflies flutter by then this would be where they’d stop. No flutter sightings back on the 15th but there have been since. We haven’t had a hard winter so this plant has survived but this year I really must take cuttings. Having this plant flowering in full sun and partial shade would definitely take it to my list of recommended plants for the garden.

Also seen above: Drumstick Primulas and new mixed crocus planting in shady spot (these crocus later to flower than the lawn plantings that get more sun). Delightful small blue flower clusters on Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ (large foliage leaves will shelter wildlife in summer), Bergenia buds (again large leaves giving shelter to insects and wildlife throughout the year) and last but not least the wild primrose that I grew from seed which attract low foraging bees.

Next I was going to chat about the potential of mixing up small borders and that being the main link to the ‘Guid things come in sma bulk’ but the chat got a tad lengthy so I’ll come back to that another time. I would like to ramble on with this and I do like to think slightly out of the box sometimes 😉

Finally… I’ll end this post with a few more border images taken for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day back on March 15th. I’ve a few stories to share since my last postings including updates on flowers that have flowered since, bird & hedgehog tales and a new project and a small border that has exceeded my expectations… don’t you just love it when a plan comes together 🙂

I do hope you’ve been enjoying the plants, birds and wildlife in your garden this past few weeks too. Have you taken on any new projects when the weather has been nice? Perhaps you have had special bird or wildlife moments in your garden?

This post was written by Shirley for shirls gardenwatch in March/April 2012.

5 thoughts on “Will we really get snow on Tuesday?

  1. We were on holiday on the banks of Loch Ness last week and the highlights in our garden there were pheasants, bats, a hare and a couple of roe deer. Things other people may find commonplace but although my sister does have a couple of pheasants visiting most of these visitors are a novelty for us.

  2. Hi Shirl, nice photos 🙂 Here in Somerset where we're on holiday is definitely a bit colder than it should be at this time of year… or maybe its just that its been so unseasonably warm recently that it feels colder. The idea of snow where you are is weird though! The birds will definitely be confused by the weather though, especially those who have started nesting a bit early. Hopefully this colder weather doesn't last too long!

  3. Hello Shirl,
    I started by garden blog in the warm weather. Its cold and rainy now – I was just wondering if my new enthusiasm will continue in the grey weather.

  4. Hope that you are now snowed under today Shirl. It will be a shock for both man and beast. Had to believe the comparisons in temperatures between one week and another. Sadly I was away for a chunk of the sunny spell. The remainder was spent at the allotment so the garden will be next when it warms up 🙂

  5. Hello everyone, thanks for your comments 🙂

    Sue, sounds a great trip. I hear you completely, I have a holiday post with a very common place visitor that became a huge mystery to me (another overdue post). I’d love to have seen the hares 😀

    Joe, thank-you. Thant’s thing re the weather – you’ve had it colder with you recently and you’ve had more snow than us. Topsy turvey this winter! This snow and cold has been very weird indeed and it is snowing hard as I go very late to bed tonight! Yes, fingers crossed this is just for a couple of days! Well, re birds nesting it seems to be longer hours of daylight and not temperature that triggers things there 😀

    Janet, ah… I do think you’ll find a way round that. One suggestion might be to look out old garden/garden visit photos and chat about them until the sun comes out again 😀

    Anna, absolutely – this is hard to believe. I thought I was going to bed with a light dusting but heavy flakes are swirling around again!! Really hope this doesn’t last and I can get back into my garden projects and the bees and butterflies can came back again 🙂

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