Play SeeHow - The Gardening Game
Outside, on 21 January, the early morning sunshine is bright, but it is still very cold. The lawn tells the story, as the low sunlight casts long shadows, that slowly migrate across the garden. In the sunshine the grass and evergreen plants glow shiny green, wet with melted frost. But the areas in shadow remain frozen all day.
I ventured out for a walk to our allotment, passing many garden plants that have self-seeded along the verges of the country lanes and footpaths. It was good to see that despite the cold, some plants are thriving. Clumps of snowdrops are starting to appear, maybe a little later than usual, their little nodding white heads beginning to open. Normally the graveyard surrounding the local church would be full of snowdrops by this time, but this year the clumps of erect green leaves are only just beginning to appear.
One plant that immediately caught my eye was Jasminum nudiflorum. The one I passed had many bright yellow flowers pushing through a yew hedge. It brought a smile to my face. Yellow is the colour of springtime after all – full of optimism. The last 18 months have been difficult for everyone. It is so nice to see nature at work regardless of our travails – life goes on.
The colour and height of the jasmine reminded me of the Kerria japonica that we grow in a large pot near our door. It is over 2m tall. This is a wonderful hardy shrub – one of my favourites. It is easy to grow and propagate and rewarding in many ways. Fairly soon flower buds will start to appear on the green stems, that will quickly turn into bright yellow flowers covering the whole plant – a cheerful sight in our small courtyard – and lasting for many months. In fact last year it was still flowering into November! It really is a star performer, requiring almost nothing but regular watering, feeding and occasional thinning.
Out in the lanes daffodil shoots were everywhere. Also tall mahonia shrubs and tiny primroses too – both in full yellow flower. Many daffodil bulbs have naturalised on their own in the verges, but here and there, garden owners have extended their gardens by planting bulbs beyond their garden walls. One or two lucky daffodil stems were almost ready to burst into flower, enjoying their warmer microclimates, tucked down, out of the cold northerly winds.
It is no coincidence that all of the above plants are in SeeHow and cold winter days are the perfect time to sit down inside, in the warmth, and play the ‘gardening game’ with SeeHow. If you would like to see how and when your plants will perform, not just at their peak moments, but throughout their lives, SeeHow shows you – at a glance! Select plants and lay them side-by-side on any flat surface, to build up your own garden colour-calendar. Try swapping plants, experimenting by season and by colour. Have fun playing SeeHow, the ‘gardening game’!
SeeHow - the gardening game that everyone can play!
The above Text and all Photographs are copyright of Wincenty (Wicek) Sosna. Please contact SeeHow for permission to reproduce in any way, in part or as the complete text.