Isn’t it incredible how fast things can turn around in a garden? It’s only three weeks since I was complaining, on this page, of how sick I was of my winter garden. Yesterday I was out there working in it, and loved every minute.
In the intervening weeks, the Narcissus ‘Tete-e-Tete’ have popped up in the lawn and are flowering like mad (see our previous Plant of the Week about it here), the dutch crocus have been celebrating a very favourable number of days of sunshine, and the Euphorbia rigida, of which I have many, have started to add their fabulously enlivening visual acidity to my steppe garden. It’s not like it’s a major makeover – yet – but there’s enough sparkle to feel like everything’s on the move – that the switch has been thrown on the loaded spring, and there’s no going back.
And if the release of spring’s march is irreversible, so is the rise in my engagement. Yes, the crocus have been very substantially munched by cockies, despite my much-touted prevention processes. The cockies have also had a bit of a go at the ‘Tete-e-Tete’, which in any case look a little odd in the grass, being as small as they are. But none of that can curb the rising enthusiasm. Spring 2024? – I’m in. I’m totally in.
What I’m doing now, and why I’m doing it now
I’m moving a whole lot of bulbs around, right now. Most are perfectly tolerant of being moved in full bloom, as long as they’re not out of the ground for so long that their roots dry out. I have large sweeps of snowdrops, of several miniature daffodils, and the above-mentioned crocus and (I noticed yesterday) the brilliant blue Scilla bifolia. But nowhere do I have them meeting or visible in the same field of vision. This is stupid, and I don’t know why I haven’t thought of combining them before. Insofar as time allows between now and this time next week, when Ash and I will be on a plane heading over to the Beth Chatto Symposium, and then our New Naturalism tour, I’m going to be reconfiguring my bulbs for greater collective impact!
When and how do you move/divide or rearrange your bulbs? Sign in to comment below.
Did you get a glimpse of our ‘One minute in the South Island’ video last week? If not, check it out here. This year we’re heading to the North Island, for the first time. There’s a few spots left on the tour, but bookings must close at the end of this month. We’d love you to join us!
Have a great week
Michael
You’re so right about this time of year … keen gardeners really notice those teeny early swellings on stems and the shy little blush of greenery at the base of perennials ..here in Canberra with our beautifully distinct 4 seasons, it’s a treat after what has been a quite frankly unpleasant winter ! I was pleased to see your comment about moving bulbs .. and it’s emboldened me to move a few hyacinths growing right at the base of a camellia – and therefore completely hidden. Whenever I think of it I’ve feared it was too late as they were well in leaf but I might just forge ahead now . But I won’t let them dry out ! I’ll try to dig them intact in a large clump of soil so they won’t even treatise what’s happened !