Gardening – Chocks Away
The horticultural afterburners are lit and we’ve finally got clearance to lift off out in the borders! Time to strap in, switch to 100% oxygen to clear the senses, arm the heat-seeking missiles and blast our way out of one of the most extraordinarily bad winters I have ever encountered and straight into the heart of spring. The trouble is that the velocity we’ve reached means that spring this year is going to be more of a shock and awe campaign – over in an explosive splash of colour and rampant growth before summer arrives a month later.
Regardless of how short the gardening spring is going to be, we should enjoy every single minute of it because it undoubtedly represents the very best season in the garden. The splashes of colour from daffodils, crocus and tulips, softened by the soft greens of emerging leaf buds and new plant growth, knocks summer’s often frazzled and exuberant display for six. It’s like chalk and cheese as far as I’m concerned but, then again, my bias is centered on my interest in some of the smaller gems of the plant world which are at their very best right now. To be fair, they aren’t for everyone as they don’t represent the best value (both financially and aesthetically) as far as garden plants are concerned and they also need a modicum of TLC which can be tiresome, unless you are a bit of a plant geek such as yours truly.
So what do I consider a gem? Well, without wishing to bore you all with Latin names, I would include the following: coydallis, sternbergias, primulas, ranunculus, narcissus, erythroniums, crocus and violets – all of which deserve a closer look either on bended knee or a position in a raised bed near the back door. Most of them rarely get above a few centimeters high (apart from the bigger narcissus which I have excluded from the accolade of gem!) and most are available locally from good garden centres. The more scarce varieties (true gems) have to be tracked down through careful and diligent searching on the internet and by attending specialist flower shows with fellow geeks – although this can lead to a trainspotting-like addiction and madness if not carefully controlled!
Take, for instance, the violet. Normally a bit of a scruffy little plant with a smattering of small, violet coloured (funnily enough!) flowers at this time of year. Just what I used to think before visiting Grove’s nursery in Bridport, Dorset last week where I was met with what can only be described as an aromatherapic overload from the vast display of violets they had on display. This garden center is the national violet collection holder and has every colour, size and variety available today – which amounts to hundreds of species and hybrids – most all of them blessed with an intoxicating scent of, believe it or not, violets!
Suffice to say, I am now the proud owner of yet more little gems; this time they are exotically named French hybrid ‘parma’ violets – well worth a few hundred miles drive to collect them??? I must be mad – or is it just Spring Fever?!!
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