It has been a Winter of storms and challenging weather. We seem to have had a weather warning almost every week and it has made work in the garden difficult to contemplate, never mind get started. Thankfully Spring does look to have really landed and we can look forward to longer days and our gardens and hedgerows coming to life writes Matt Keane of Future Forests.
In my own garden the bulbs have been a great source of joy, the crocuses were first, then the snowdrops and the Daffodils. I planted Cyclamen coum in the garden a couple of years ago under some trees and they do not disappoint, beautiful pinky purple, windmill-like flowers stand out over gorgeous foliage. They can flower from January to late April and are generally sold in small 9cm pots. Do try to remember where you planted them, as unlike most perennials, they are dormant over Summer and will have retreated under the ground, storing their energy for the next season.
Another great surprise to me in the garden last year was Pulmonaria. I had never planted one before and was curious to see how it would do. Well it did so well; I have already planted a few more under the same tree. The variety Raspberry Splash is especially long-flowering and very attractive to pollinators.
In the garden centre, March is one of our busiest months of the year, we quite often call it ‘March Madness’. The bare root season is still going full tilt, but the finish line is in sight and everyone who has left their planting of bare root fruit, hedges, trees and ornamentals are busy getting them in the ground. A cold spell may extend the season into April, but if it’s mild, the curtain will come down and the bare root planting will have to wait until next November.
We have weekly deliveries of potted plants landing in, our range of perennials and wild flowers in particular starts to grow and grow. Fruit bushes and herbs are available in large numbers and our range of Magnolias and other Spring flowering shrubs and trees is at its best. By early April, the nursery will be fully stocked and literally bursting at the seams.
I am a big believer in trying to get the garden into shape in March or early April at the latest. Leave it too late at your peril, as when growth does fully burst, you can be overrun with weeds and corners that looked like they only needed a quick tidy a few weeks ago, now require a lot more work. If you can find the time to get beds weeded, last year’s perennials and deciduous grasses trimmed back, unruly shrubs brought to heel, you won’t regret it! Then you will have time for the nicest Spring job of all, selecting new plants for your garden.
If you are unsure what to buy, a member of our experienced team will be more than happy to advise, whether it be choosing the right hedging for your soil, a climber to cover an unsightly wall, a drift of grasses to add movement, perennials to add a blast of colour, or maybe even a tree to remember someone by, one of us will be on hand to help.
For those seeking some refreshments on arrival, our café ‘The Coffee Bee’ is open from Thursdays to Sundays, serving good coffee and light lunches.
We love Spring at Future Forests and we hope to see you there.
