Some areas of the garden are past their best. The hellebores and snowdrops planted under the magnolia tree have faded. They had their moment of glory earlier and will now rest under the magnolia until next spring.
The bulbs in the bird bath bed are also fading but hopefully I can enliven this area with some annuals.
The latest of the narcissus bulbs planted in the front garden are flowering but perennials should take over there soon, however there seems to be one or two gaps that will need replanting.
One group of plants that have moved into a star role are the flowering shrubs and trees.
The alpine plants in the pebble beds are getting ready for their moment of glory. I moved one plant out of the small bed and onto the ledge of the larger pebble garden as it was growing too vigorously for that area. I may need to force myself to buy something smaller to replace it.
Various spring bulbs are now flowering with the tulips hanging back in bud waiting for their turn to flower.
The tubs on the patio are adding colour to the garden. Some of the primroses are actually self sown pants from last year's primroses
The perennial plants in the blue and white border are beginning to bulk up. Technically being purple, the vinca shouldn't be there but I have allocated it a free pass as it is good ground cover under the acer.
Last year some of the taller perennials flopped over on the shorter growers and hid them so this year I am ready with some hazel twigs to try to keep them in check.
The dicentra - that I refuse to call anything else - is in another part of the garden. The hostas in pots around the pond are beginning to shoot and so we will have to take some precautions to try to mitigate slug attack. Some will need repotting as their old clay posts are crumbling.
We are gradually beginning to populate the cold frame. More precautions against slug or snail attack will be necessary. We are trying some wool pellets called Slug Gone and spraying with Grazers slug deterrent. I'm hoping the blackbirds that are often hanging around up near the cold frames will do their bit too. We tried most other things in the past. Some methods are impractical and others have been of limited success. If anyone comes up with a foolproof method or product, they could make a fortune.
I've arranged some pots of herbs between the climbing roses in the cold frame courtyard (area). The mossy growth has been tidied up and the herbs clipped where necessary. I just need to topdress the pots with some fresh compost.
That's it - the state of play on the garden at the moment.
