Too much going on

Chilly, wet weather seems to be universal. I am not a sun worshipper but I really would welcome some sunshine. I hope you have one of those special lamps that are supposed to help people suffering from SAD. I have a Vitamin D spray: easy to use and, hopefully, helpful!

At least your garden sounds colourful. Tulips seem to have done well this year.

Always liked Lupins. Wonder if the slugs find the peppery smell off-putting?

Aubretia is a cheerful plant and seems to seed itself quite easily. Ours seem to be in all the cracks they can find.

Arbuthnot- I am glad I’m not the only one suffering from this grey drab weather. If something is on my mind I use the garden as a outlet for my frustrations. I have not been able to do that since last October, my husband says I’m like a bear with a sore head! What has cheered me up is the colourful displays of tulips, violas and narcissi that I had planted up last autumn but completely forgotten about! Hope the sun comes out soon. ?

SAD is awful and I understand your frustration in it all. My OH suffers from it. Your mention of doroconium reminds me I haven't seen mine yet.

I tried 'wisteria flower or you are out' and it hasn't worked. I love the foliage so cant really see me throwing it out.

Your list of plants sounds great Arbuthnot. I envy you your Doronicum - it just dies if I pant it here.
We've had some lovely sunshine here today though the wind was a bit on the chilly side. Sorry to hear you are one of the SAD sufferers. Winter can be dreary enough without that. I've heard good things about the special lamps that Eirlys mentioned.

Threatening your wisteria just might work. I tried it with a campanula that had just sat there greenly for several years and ever since then its flowered profusely.

Eirlys, I’m intrigued by the vitamin D spray. I have a special lamp but it doesn’t seem to do the trick for me since you’re suppose to sit in front of it first thing in the morning. I’m usually otherwise occupied. Plus, being forgetful, I don’t remember. I don’t think it’s a good idea later in the day as it’s supposed to give you more oomph. I guess I’ll just have to stick it out and wait for the sun.

Seaburn, you have to use the right words for the wisteria! You need to tell it a few times in the autumn or early winter saying something like “if you don’t start growing properly I’ll dig you up”! :)

I accidentally split my doronicum so one half looks very sorry for itself. Hopefully next year. It’s strange though, Stera, how some plants just don’t want to play ball with us. Have another try, plant them in a moist semi shady spot and see what happens. And say nice things to them!

Thats true Arbuthnot. I've tried several times, in shade and out of it.. What I really want is the original tall one that did really well in Sheffield at 1000ft up (don't know its name)but I can only find Little Leo. Seems a shame to keep buying them only to condemn them to an early death...I didn't try saying nice things to them - perhaps that's what went wrong!

Yes, its surprising how many plants don't settle while others are fine..Nothing wrong with our soil - pH 6.5, clay but not too bad.. The climate is wetter than average but the winters are usually mild (we only had one days' snow here this year but we did have a pretty sharp frost one night)
I lost two,possibly three fuchsias this winter and that hasn't happened before, even when we had minus10 one night a few years ago. Sorry, meandering away from the subject again....

I hope we get some bright weather for you soon. It must be awful to suffer from SAD. I'm just fed up with the cold temperatures.

Your garden sounds colourful :)

Both my parents were from South Wales, Eilys, one from the Rhondda and the other from that 'beautiful' town, Abertillery. When we moved house after my husband retired I wanted to live in Wales but the nearest we got was the Welsh Marches in Hereford. The roads are a darned sight better in Wales than the rest of the country though and even with your eyes closed (not the driver obviously!) you could tell when you'd crossed the border just by the smoother ride.

Back to the garden. It's getting a really good dowsing at the moment, as we would be if we went out. The doronicum I accidentally split - both halves have taken a dive. What I thought were the pretty yellow flowers of it I could see from the kitchen window turned out to be cowslips so I hope both sections of the plant recover for next spring. I just love it.

Its horrible when a plant you really like just won't perform, Stera, but I suppose we must just accept that, for some unknown reason, they don't like our gardens. My wisteria has been in four years and this year is the first that it's showing signs of bushy growth rather than the odd twig though it's only at the top. Maybe we're just too impatient. I know I am.

With any luck, we may get some prolonged decent weather soon.

Daily Vitamin D tablets have helped me over the very long, weary winter. I do hope that the weather we are having at the moment is really helping you to feel brighter.

We cannot have lupins or delphiniums in our garden and our hostas are living under threat too!!

SAD can be so disabling. Nice that you posted here. I hope it will soon feel more summery and cheerful for you x