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Winter |
| 'The Gardening Seasons' |
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The winter months are generally a time for looking and thinking, not doing a great deal but staying in by the fire, planning the year ahead, although crisp, bright winter days can be rewarding for those who venture out. Autumn leaves have dropped to reveal the structural architecture of the plants; the colourful winter stems of dogwoods and snake bark maples, the flaking, fissured bark of pear trees and the tortured, sculptural forms of the lately pruned apple trees revealed by the fallen russet canopy. In the depths of winter the steel grey bark of the horizontal apple branches is sometimes highlighted by a covering layer of snow which can build to unlikely depths.
The colour has drained from the garden making everything look sepia and grey but contrasts can be discerned between the various trees and shrubs, both in colour and texture, differences which would scarcely be noted when in leaf. Occasional punctuation marks of tough evergreen shrubs such as Euonymus, Fatsia and Photinia illustrate the benefit of permanence in a rapidly changing view. Long weeks of short days leave the lawn looking distinctly dull and trampled down, like me in need of some exposure to the sun which on the odd day it does show itself provides precious little strength in the watery rays which struggle to get above the height of the house. The sight of the black winter buds of the rowan, Sorbus commixta ‘Ravensbill’ set against an occasional azure clear winter sky are a rare winter treat along with the bright red winter stems of dogwood, Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’. Every day I scan the ground for the first sign of emerging snowdrops and wonder at the bumbling bees searching rare flowers on a sunny winter’s day, often rewarded by an occasional early flowering native primrose growing in a sheltered position by the house. Winter flowering shrubs are invaluable in this respect and often reward with a heady scent. Mahonia and Viburnum can always be relied upon and those who are brave enough to plant the brutish, unfeasibly large Garrya in their garden will be rewarded with a unique display of pendant, tasselled silver catkins. Heathers appear commonplace at other times of year but now seem precious along with winter flowering honeysuckle and jasmine. Cyclamen coum invaluable in its ability to flower at the merest suggestion of a sunny day, a sign that spring is on the way with its shocking fuchsia and marshmallow coloured flowers which have lain coiled in wait, buried under the blanket of winter snow, arriving weeks before the shy, retiring snowdrops which prefer to make their entry bathed in sunshine, rarely in snow ’round these parts.
Frosty weather and snowfall are times to appreciate the value of evergreen shrubs and hedges which maintain the local temperature a degree or two above the surrounding to keep paths clear and provide winter shelter for wildlife. Privet is particularly good even if it does partially defoliate in a cold year, likewise the deciduous beech and hornbeam hedges which retain their dead leaves until the buds burst anew in spring, providing shelter from the storm. The detritus which accumulates under an old established hedge is invaluable for hibernating creatures and forms a habitat in its own right as decomposing leaves blow in amongst dried fallen twigs and dead wood to provide sustenance to a myriad of invertebrates. Similar conditions exist around the dormant shrubs, collapsed herbaceous plants and teetering clumps of ornamental grass which should be left as long as possible before being tidied away in spring. The fabled autumn clear up is now very much a thing of the past and the benefits for the untidy gardener are all around. Blackbirds rummage amongst the leaves scattered over the lawn and under the protective eiderdown of leaves the shoots of bulbs begin to emerge awaiting encouragement from the first rays of warming sunshine. Piles of dried vegetation rustle with the movement of unseen creatures, perhaps mice or voles protected from the worst of the winter weather. Many a disgruntled hedgehog has had its hibernation disturbed by my attempts at tidying the garden, so now I wait until spring. Suffice it to say bonfires are banned too, but how can I convince my neighbours? Any seed heads left by the likes of Agapanthus, Echinacea and Hemerocallis will be highly ornamental when rimed with frost and will provide a welcome break for hungry visiting birds tired of the ubiquitous peanuts and sunflower seeds. Ladybirds seem to favour them as places to hibernate and even juvenile snails get in on the act and look photogenic and cute, while hoverfly larvae hide in stacks of pots preventing my early attempts at planting. Am I alone in feeling guilty about disturbing hibernating invertebrates? I suspect that creatures low down in the food chain serve some higher purpose and terrible damage will be wrought by their demise, but I could be wrong!
The winter blues affect many who spend much of their time outdoors with persistent heavy rain or frost-bound ground making gardening virtually impossible. It takes more than the occasional sunny day to lift my torpor and encourage me out to ready the garden for spring but my idleness probably benefits the slumbering fauna and flora, while it is never advisable to walk on frosty lawns or dig in icy weather. It is tempting to get out and prune the fruit trees but frosty weather can damage newly cut surfaces and act as a source of infection for canker or woolly aphid so perhaps it is best to wait for longer days in good light making the swelling buds visible. Several days must be put aside to sort the Wisteria from the rambling roses. And although the Boston ivy looked fine in autumn, covering the side of the house it must now be removed from the upper reaches of the wall before it reaches the gutters and disappears under the roof tiles. Spring invariably arrives before I am ready with many tasks left undone but there is always another year to worry about that! |
| 'The Gardening Seasons' © Copyright Kevin Revell (Autumn) |
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