Beautiful January Morning

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I’m so relieved that the gales didn’t hit us this time. I hope everyone is ok. I know it’s been dreadful in parts of Scotland and NI especially.

Anyway, here we are entering the last week of January (Halleluia) with a gorgeous sunny morning. I went out to move the tulip pots into their flowering position and took a few photos.

Being East facing, half the garden is still very shady, but the sunlight is beginning to creep up now and by 10.30 am it was nearing the centre of the circular patio. These pics are all of the sunny side.

Actually, to start with I’ll show you a little piece of what I see from my front garden. It’s only a little part as I had to cut a lamp post and neighbours’ cars! But this is looking North West to Wiltshire.

Looking east from the patio doors. There are loads of pots here of course. The larger ones contain my dwarf fruit trees. I also have a few dwarf pines and prostrate Rosemaries for winter interest. The smaller pots with the Violas on top are the tulip pots which are now in their flowering position. No sign of the tulips yet. There are pots of dwarf Irish on the table too. In the summer the tulips will go in the compost and I will use those pots for summer bedding.

Here is my newest pot. I love the Teal and brown combo. Over the years I have grown to prefer a pretty glazed pot. The terra ones are more fragile and tend to go black with algae which I have to wash off at least once a year. Yuck! This pot is home to my latest fruit trees, a dwarf, self-fertile Apricot called Isabelle.

This is Tasmannia (Drimys) Lanceolata. Another one that’s had its name changed. If you want a great winter shrub this is a must for a sunny spot. In Spring it produces tiny yellow flowers in panicles and scented too. What is not to love?

This week I’ve set up my Solar fountain in the corner beside the seating so I can enjoy the sound in the sunshine. Beside it is a little evergreen Magnolia. I can’t wait to see these blooms. It has a few buds.

This is the sunny corner which now has two birches and a Pineapple Broom behind the solar birdbath. Hopefully these will bring in the feathered friends this year, now that the builders have left us.

I haven’t ever grown Melianthus major before. I bought this one in the autumn and planted it. I expected die back, but no, not a bit. It kept growing and has produced two new leaves over the winter. What a lovely plant! I look forward to watching it grow fast this year!

Another shrub that I wouldn’t be without is the dwarf Buddleia. This one has a white flowers in and has stayed wonderfully blue all winter.

Those pots again. The one nearest the front is a Eucalyptus Nicholii which I bought a pair of really for winter interest. They have suffered with the frosts. I’m not sure whether they will make it. Ido have one in the ground, a much smaller 9ne. It looks ok so far. I only need one really…

Daphne bholua ‘Spring Beauty’. Wonderfully fragrant. I planted it right at the front so I can get my nose in it. It’s quite light and doesn’t obscure its neighbours.

Next time I’ll try to show some of the shady side. The Camellia rosthorniana will be in bloom before too long, and I am so excited for the double-flowered Azalea.