• My Garden,  spring

    Spring in Slow Mode

    Spring came in a quick burst, but in recent weeks the temperatures have been moderate, so there has been plenty of time to admire snowdrops and other spring beauties! My new border looks ok and it seems to have been a mild winter for most plants. The rabbits (of the large variety) have been the nastiest. I’m sad to see they have eaten most of my newer (of two plants) Rhododendron schlippenbachii . But otherwise, a good winter! The gardening year looks promising. In the first picture: Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’ – they get better every year! I must remember to divide a few plants in a week or two. Hepatica…

  • photography,  winter,  woodland

    Photographing Snowdrops

    The snowdrop season has not quite arrived here yet, but statistically it should be here soon. About a meter of snow still puts a damper on the snowdrops arrival. I have not kept an exact chronicle on their arrival each year but I can see from my picture folders that in 2005 I have the first pictures of snowdrops from March 26th, in 2006 they are from April 16th, in 2007 already on March 13th of, in 2008 March 10th(!) and in 2009 they flowered at least on the April 19th. Last year work kept me so busy that I did not get a chance to photograph them at all. Snowdrops…

  • greenhouse,  winter

    Genius Loci

    This picture is for the Gardening Gone Wild   Picture This Photo Contest , this is a direct link to the pic as I have right click disabled on this site. ’Genius loci’ is the theme for Gardening Gone Wild’s picture contest this month. I like the theme, it was always central to me when I had my gardening design business and did more garden designing than I do now. Ice roses – or are they called that in English? Genius loci refers to a sense of place i.e. the sprit of a certain place. In terms of garden design it could be to match the design of a house to other materials in…