What’s looking good at the moment

I’m loving that Spring has finally sprung! Seeing all the crocuses, daffodils. primroses and the blossom on the trees. The Magnolia stellata is in full bloom outside of my front door, watching the star like flowers opening up every time I open the door brings me joy. Even better when the sun is shining and the flowers are offset by a brilliant blue sky. The chocolate vine (Akebia quinata) by my back door is in full flower with its deep crimson flowers and its vanilla scent. It is one that I keep an eye on, before it wends its merry way up the drainpipes.

At the end of my garden are a patch of cowslips and a few primroses, they are clearly really happy there. Every year they spread a little further, as the lemon coloured flowers make their way up the garden. Fusing into the purple hellebores which are still going strong and a scattering of anemones. A pop of colour before the tulips start appearing. I’ve kept the narcissus for the front garden, choosing white varieties, Thalia with its reflexed petals and Silver Chimes with its lemon yellow trumpets.

Out and about I’ve noticed the tulips are already putting on a show, particularly the smaller species tulips, Tulipa turkestanica and Tulipa tarda. Often there isn’t the space in the garden for a large drift but I love seeing large drifts of tulips in all their multi-coloured glory, in parks and public gardens.

Advice

Easter in the UK is the busiest weekend of the year for DIY shops and garden centres. It is the time of year when everyone wants to refresh the house and to start working on the garden in time for summer. My top tip is to have a wander round the garden before heading off to the garden centre and look at where the gaps are to see how many more plants the borders and pots need. Also noting whether the gaps are at the front, middle or back of the border. Also if you can remember what is already growing in the garden and think back to which season are you missing colour most in. I like to take photos through the seasons and make a few notes, that way I can review which season or season most need more colour and which colours the garden could do with some or more of. Tulips often need topping up and with the flower shows just around the corner it’s the ideal time to start putting orders in.

Summer flowering bulbs: This is the last chance to plant summer flowering bulbs, to allow them a chance to flower this year. These include some of my favourite cutting flowers, dahlias. I like a mixed collection of deep reds and purples along with some autumnal orange shades. However they come in an amazing arrange of colours and shapes, from the cactus dahlias, pompoms and the simple single petalled varieties. This year I’ll be adding to my collection of agapanthus and daylilies too. There are a few clumps that are doing well in the garden but I’d like to have more of a river effect down the border. I’m particularly drawn to the more slender, paler yellow of Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus. The agapanthus varieties I thinking about adding are the purple of  Agapanthus ‘Royal Velvet’ and the purple with white tips of Agapanthus ‘Fireworks’.

Weeding: Before the borders fill out with flowers, it is the perfect time of year to get on top of the weeds. A quick run through the borders with a hoe is often enough, unless there are some particularly deep rooted varieties.

Deadhead any flowers: Any flowers such as Narcissus that have recently finished can be deadheaded. I’ve been out deadheading the hydrangeas in the garden (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ and Hydrangea paniculata ‘Silver Dollar’). I like leaving the flowerheads over the winter to sparkle in the frost. The ladybirds like hiding in them too, making us both happy.

Sow hardy annual seeds: Many guides talk about starting to sow seeds directly in the ground, however living further north in the UK I still sow seeds in pots and keep them under glass in a cold frame or on a windowsill, for a little while longer. There is always the chance of another cold spell of weather as happened last year. I’ve also noticed that as I’m typing that some areas of the South coast were hit by snow this morning, with the unusual weather patterns we are having it’s hard to predict when the frosts are likely to pass.

Trends

Outdoor Living Areas, there is a move away from outdoor dining tables and chairs to using sumptuous sofas and lower chairs. More a living than a dining room, with plenty of cushions and space to relax in. Gardens are becoming a place to sit out and have a coffee or enjoy a drink while dining is bubbling away in the background. With more extensions being built that open straight onto the garden, many are opting to have dinner inside with the doors left open. Whatever height or style of chair I’ve chosen there is nothing I love more than being able to sit surrounded plants. Being able to brush up against them, particularly the softness of grasses or the scent of climbers.

Gardening for wellness leads on from the outdoor living area trend. Spending time in nature is good for our mental and physical health. Taking to sit under a tree or surrounded by flowers in the garden is the perfect way to destress. As well as pottering round the garden, wellness is about taking to sit and take in the greenery. As well as being as enjoying the view, being able to inhale the scent from plants contributes to the feeling of wellbeing. Round seating areas I enjoy planting roses and honeysuckle and mounds of lavender and herbs. It makes it really easy to grab a handful of herbs to take into the kitchen to cook with, once I can be bothered to move.

What I’m working on

Virginia Woolf, William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter all had writing gardens, what’s better than being able to take a notebook or laptop out into the garden and write surrounded by flowers. This is exactly the feeling I’m trying to provide for a writer, she sits in her vegetable garden surrounded by raised beds and writes when the weather allows. This is her favourite place to write, more than any nook in the house. She is looking for more colour and scented planting but also when she pauses and looks up to be able to see plenty of vibrant and colourful planting whichever way she looks.

I’ve been out at the nurseries, particularly looking at flowering cherry trees that are currently in blossom. A client loves seeing the blossom so we’ve chosen an early flowering white cherry (Prunus tormentosa) and a later flowering pink cherry tree. To keep the blossom going for as long as possible.

In my own garden, I’ve finished digging out all the box cones (in the back garden) and the box balls (in the front garden). They had succumbed to box moth caterpillar and I decided it was time for something new. At the moment I’m weeding, pruning and dividing up a few perennials. Once I’ve done this for the first time I’ll be creating a planting plan for my own borders. I always create plans for clients but usually work it out in my head in my own garden. The basis of the planting plan will then be used to create the lighting plan. The end of the garden gets the evening sun, a lovely little space to enjoy a drink and it’s also where the shed is. So having a light or two to be able to see the way up and down the garden will help. Watch this space for progress …