February
Well it is certainly a pleasure getting out into my garden again after all the cold and frozen weather. I had a few projects that I was itching to do. Firstly the snow had broken the support to a very old Clematis Montana, which had in turn squashed the shrubs in the rest of the border. The Clematis was in dire need of a haircut as it had become a rather unsightly tangle. I had also been given a lovely arch for Christmas made from galvanised steel which I wanted to use to replace a slightly rickety black plastic arch already in the garden. So this was the perfect opportunity to change everything round.
Old arch relocated in garden
I enlisted the help of my husband and by the end of a tiring but satisfying day we had dismantled the old broken arch, constructed the new arch and taken down and re-erected the black plastic arch tying in the now much smaller Clematis as we went. I now need to buy some more climbers for my new arch. I had thought to use Climbing Roses and Honeysuckles but then I thought about using it for vegetables instead I can’t seem to make my mind up at the moment so I think a wander round RHS Wisley or West Dean Gardens near Chichester will give me some inspiration and a lovely thing to do on a bright day.
The second job I wanted to tackle was to cut the bank to the side of my house. This was because I had noticed masses of Snowdrops pushing their delicate little heads through the soggy leaves and tangles of brambles and old grass. Now I know that they are there I will strim this area in the Autumn but as we had moved here in December it was a job that required my trusty shears and the upmost patience so as not to spoil them. As I cleared the bank I also noticed that there were also daffodils ready to take over when the snowdrops fade. With these tasks completed I can now turn my attention to the rest of the garden.
I must get to grips with where I want to sight my Vegetable garden I may use a border that runs through part of the garden by my new arch this year as there are many plans afoot to change certain areas of the garden. So watch this space. I think that this should work for a while, it may be small but the soil is well dug and nicely worked so not too much digging for me as it had already been cleared. There were some very, very old and mainly dead lavender bushes in it and it was a joy to have them removed. I can sow some Broad Beans this week and plant some onions and garlic as well alittle late as I like to plant them normally before Christmas but the soil was too frozen.
