Get your coat on.

And come for a short walk around my garden with me if you've got nothing else to do.:D

The centre border by the lawn.......looking a little bare.



Looking from the Arbour:



Some Hellebores that are getting over 20 years old under a Choisya of around the same age.





My Hedgehog Holly:



Somebody's residence under my Bird Bath:


Some of the Ferns by the pond and hiding amongst it one of my few garden statuettes "Boy and Girl reading"


A Harts Tongue Fern that been there over 15 years and survives all conditions.


One of my Bird Boxes behind a Buddleia Globosa. I'm hoping to have some residents this year.





Part of the over wintering pots on the Patio:



The front border of the rear lawn.


Snowdrops on the main central border.


One of my favourite Winter Shrubs, Garrya James Roof:


Snowdrops by the old Bird Bath:



The bench under the Acer Brilliantissimum viewed from the central path



These two large pots on the main central border need planting up this year. Any ideas anyone. Shrubs/, Herbaceous?, etc?





And lastly the state of the bulbs in theborder underneath the Acer:





Right, let's head for the House and a cup of hot tea.:D

 

I have, Strongy, but I cut it down quite low to a good bud, along with the others so I could retrain it up the Trellis Archway.:D I want to get some Clematis to "double plant" against the existing Clematis to get it really heavy with flowers.:D

 

Thanks for the tour.

Spring is on its way

 

Thanks Sheal, the Sunflowers are definitely an idea. Yours is the first suggestion so I'll hang on to see if any one else has ideas. It's been on my mind all Winter about what to do with them as they are central pieces in the big border. I'm trying not to cut into my lawn, Sheal, but it is getting really hard to find space now as when I try to plant some bulbs there always appears to be a layer, or maybe two, already there!! The Cannas are in large pots so should be fairly easy to move into place, I hope. I've got a lot of perennial seeds to sow and where they will eventually go is worrying me somewhat:D

Andrew, if you're serious it's not a problem for me to send you a cutting of the Hedgehog Holly [Ilex aquiloilium Ferox Argentea].:D

 

Hi Strongy. I've done the same as you. I originally had my Hedgehog Holly in a large pot until about 3 years ago when I planted it in the soil. It appears to have appreciated it and has put on a fair amount of growth since then.

It does have berries, but being dioecious in nature it needs a male or female, depending on the gender of yours, to fertilise it. That being so mine has never flowered and had berries, but that's of no matter to me as I love the twisted contorted spiky leaves!!:D

 

Thanks Chitting Katz, I'm glad you enjoyed it.:D I posted it just to remind us that while we're waiting for Spring to come there's always something to look at, even if it's in someone else's garden.! Also it was good for me to wander around the garden with a camera as it makes you see things that you probably overlooked, and see the garden in a different light.:D

 

It's lovely to see your garden armandii.

 

Thanks, lollimac, I really am glad you enjoyed it. Yes, the Garrya was a shrub that my wife saw at a Plant Nursery called Stapley outside Nantwich in Cheshire, which has unfortunately just closed down. When we saw it it had been trained in Espalier form but we decided to leave ours in it's natural shape. Being evergreen it's always got some interest and colour, but during the Winter it really becomes a show stopper with the tassels. This Winter seems to have suited it as it has performed outstandingly this time. I just love the tassels:





This particular Garrya had the benefit of being planted on the site of an old compost heap 20 odd years ago. My wife used to make sure she claimed such areas whenever I moved the compost heap so she could plant her favourite plants.......I had no chance!!! But I do garden on sandy soil which drains easily and it's also in a sheltered position against the East fence which helps. It's a fantastic shrub, tough, long living, thrives on neglect but puts on a show that will catch your eye every time!!!.:D