Tuesday 25 January 2011

Tiny woodland.......

One of my most favourite areas in this garden is the woodland walk. It was the first mark made on this plot. I have watched it develope with interest and after the initial planting, I have left Mother Nature to take charge. I like her style, she does it so much better than I ever could.
It does not matter how small or large a garden is, it is what we do with it that matters.

In a changing world, I get much comfort from the garden. It is a natural space, full of life. Can you see the fly......the sweet perfume of the Christmas box has charmed him.......me also.


This is a green space, green is good, when the skies have held nothing but grey for weeks and weeks on end.
Our native Lords and Ladies have risen from the soil, some have spotty leaves. They are lush this year, perhaps the extended cold weather has done them good.
A woodland would be incomplete without native primrose. They line the pathway, putting on such a pretty show.
Stinking Hellebore, another native. The leaves smell when they are crushed, their blooms are much loved by bees. I watch the 'mosi' on the leaf.......
BUT the star of the show has to be our native snowdrop. Such a fragile looking bloom and yet they survive the coldest temperatures, and never fail to bring a smile.
A week of milder temperatures has brought much life to the woodland walk. The cold weather returns at the end of the week. Despite that, I feel as though I am
walking the path to spring, that she is only a breath away. It is good to dream.






31 comments:

  1. Goodness, you have snowdrops already! In fact, there's certainly a lot of life in your woodland garden, Cheryl. Spring certainly seems to be on the way!
    Dan
    -x-

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  2. So wonderful to have you back, Cheryl! I've missed your thoughtful posts and seeing what is blooming in your garden. My goodness, it looks as though spring has arrived at your home already with all the green and snowdrop blooms as well.

    Your woodland walk seems like the perfect place to spend some time reflecting, and this is a good time of year to do that as well. I've been taking advantage of my time indoors by poring over books and magazines getting ideas for the new flowerbed. I have such a long list of plants already, I may have to talk my Mr. P into giving up even more of the lawn:)

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  3. Hi Dan, the snowdrops have appeared early, I have been surprised. It is lovely to see them dotted through the woodland area, such a pretty little bloom.

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  4. Hi Rose, during the last week temperatures have risen and it feels a little like spring. I am not fooled though, the weather can change so quickly and we could end up with snow covering all the blooms.

    I have often thought of your new bed during the winter months. It is so exciting to start a new area in a garden. I am looking forward to seeing your choices.

    I had toast and honey the other day and thought of you and Beckie. Tku for the treat.

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  5. Hi Cheryl, As we were walking Luna this morning I thought about trying a woodland path but the snow hasn't quite melted enough. I hope by tomorrow we can vary our walk by going through the woods. Wow those primroses are such beauties. Can't imagine having them blooming already. Everything here look awfully ragged. I will look for snowdrops later. Maybe they have been coaxed out since the snow is melting. So good to hear from you.

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  6. Hi Cheryl. I applaud the way you let nature do its thing and then soak up its beauty. I spotted one Snowdrop in flower here today hidden and protected beneath the Myrtus. Also signs of emerging bulb shoots .. although it looks as if the squirrels have had a feast from a couple of pots!!
    Let's hope the spring delights are only round the corner. FAB.

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  7. Hi Cheryl...go to see you post. I always miss you!!
    How lovely that looks..the fungi is so cute,
    like little fairy should appear!!
    Primrose is one of my favorites, and yours is a beauty, but unfortunately the only ones hear right now are at the florist : }} I might just buy myself one to brighten up my dining room table!!
    Hope your weather stay spring like!!

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  8. Hi Lisa, a woodland area would be a great addition to your pretty garden.
    There is something so magical about them.
    I have a bank of primroses and they look so pretty, so natural.

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  9. Thank you Frank....I know you also appreciate what Mother Nature offers.
    Squirrels do such a lot of damage to spring bulbs. I planted many last year, I wonder how many have survived......

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  10. HI Grammie, tku, I have also missed my blogging friends. Primroses are a favourite of mine also. They grow wild here and look pretty dotted along the country lanes.
    I have some spring bulbs in the house, they bring cheer and give us hope for the seasons ahead....

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  11. gOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK - i HAD BEEN WONDERING HOW YOU WERE RECENTLY AS i KNEW YOU'D SAID YOU WOULD NOT BE POSTING TILL THE nEW yEAR AND HERE IT WAS MORE THAN HALF WAY THROUGH jANUARY. lOVELY WALK IN YOUR WOODS AND YOU ARE LUCKY TO HAVE THE PRIMROSES IN BLOOM ALREADY OURS ARE NOT VENTURING OUT YET HERE. tHE SNOWDROPS TOO ARE QUITE EARLY AREN'T THEY - oops have just realised I had caps lock on but won't take the time to retype my comment!

    Jane

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  12. Hi Jane, love the caps lock, did not need my glasses to read your comment, ha!

    I am really surprised that everything has bloomed so early. It has been bitterly cold here for weeks, hoar frosts, heavy icy rain etc.
    I do not think you can ever take for granted what will happen in a garden, you just have to wait and see.

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  13. Dear Cheryl - what a wonderful woodland walk with a real Spring in your step since your last post. Glad to 'see' you back with such naturally lovely images - especially the Hellebore ;)
    Laura

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  14. Cheryl, Your woodland garden is a delightful haven for critters and humans~I love the name~"Lords and Ladies". This is a wonderful wildflower post! gail ps xxoo

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  15. Welcome back Cheryl :) I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

    So lovely to see the signs of Spring in your garden but I can't believe you have Primroses already! I love them so much...my very favourite wildflower!

    I do have some Daffodils shooting up at the warmer end of the garden but at the other end the Snowdrops are barely showing.

    A lovely post and photos Cheryl, full of promise for the new year, I hope it will be a good one for you :)

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  16. Hi It is amazing how quickly things can change in a garden. It just needs the temperatures to lift slightly and everything seems to romp away.

    I love the hellebore to!

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  17. Hi Gail, like you, I love my wildflowers. Some have been sent by the birds, some have been blown in on the wind.......gifts from Mother Nature.

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  18. Thank you Jan, that is so kind of you.

    The primroses are pure joy. I can understand you loving them so much. Their buttery blooms always charm me. They started to bloom just before Christmas....they are old plants, well established here. Very precious to me.

    I wish you every happiness for 2011 and good health to you and your loved ones.

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  19. Hi Cheryl,

    Lovely post and photos as always :)

    It's so nice to see you have growth around the garden, I've been on the hunt for 'native' primroses, most just sell the purple/pink ones.
    I'm surprised to see the sweetbox flowering, mine hasn't opened yet and was badly damaged in all the snow :(

    Hope you have a good week and manage to get out in the garden for a little while.

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  20. Hi Liz, My

    Native primroses are well established here. They line the pathway of the woodland walk.
    I am going to collect seeds this year and grow them on.

    I have several sweetbox and they are all in very sheltered places. They are always snuggly situated with other shrubs which affords them some protection.

    Have been working in the greenhouse. It is warm and I love the smell of the fresh soil in the pots........

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  21. Dear Cheryl,
    Thank you for snowdrops and the reminder that Spring will come! My garden is under her snow blanket. Warmer temps are promised so hopefully we will have some melting, but another round of snow and cold is expected.
    Just thinking of Spring makes me smile. Your woodland walk is a treasure for birds and bugs and people! I love seeing your native plants.
    Sherry

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  22. Thank you Sherry, as I type it is trying to snow. It is not settling.....I do not want it to. It has been a long winter here.....

    I am learning more and more about our native plants. I am walking the countryside with Nella and collecting seeds. Not from rare species, just the common varieties.

    Thinking of Spring makes me smile to!

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  23. Hi Cheryl

    You certainly live alot further south than me and your woodland seems like the kind of place I love. I've been searching for snowdrops but as yet I can't see a single stem and I'm sure it will be ages before my Lords and Ladies appear. I'm also surprised to see how far on your primroses are. I have some yellow ones in bud called Primrose Emily which I love as they seem to flower for months and months but my foliage looks dreadful on those plants.

    Thanks for the visit to my blog and thanks for the link in your sidebar.

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  24. Cheryl, when I first looked at the photos, I thought you were showing ones from last summer! How wonderful to see a bit of spring somewhere. We are still covered in snow and although the temps have moderated some we are still below freezing with promises of colder air later this week and most of next month.

    Mother Nature seems to love your woodland walk!

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  25. Hi leavesnbloom,

    Winter started early here. We had our first frost at the end of September. It has been the coldest winter I have known and we have had a lot of snow, compared to other years.

    Some of my primroses are a little tatty but they are all in bloom, which has really surprised me.

    It is good to have found another garden in UK that interests me....I shall be visiting often.

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  26. Hi Beckie.....that is just why I love the woodland garden. When the rest of the garden is sleeping, she wakes early and puts on her beautiful but gentle displays. It will always be my favourite because it is there that the hellebores grow, which of course will be in bloom around February time. I always look forward to seeing them.

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  27. Hi Cheryl,
    Welcome back! It it so nice to stroll with you in your woodland garden, watching things slowly coming back to life. I did see that little fly, although it was hard to see at first.

    Snowdrops and primroses - lucky you! I hope your spring-like weather continues and if it does get cold, that your flowers don't freeze.
    Stay warm, my friend.

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  28. Hi Wendy, how are you?
    I expect the cold weather will return......in fact, it is bitterly cold this morning with an Easterly wind. I have just filled the bird feeders and was glad to get back inside in the warm....

    Have a good weekend.

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  29. We had such beautiful weather this weekend Cheryl, but we're not as far along as you. Such beautiful photos that get me excited for spring!!

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  30. Hi Cheryl, so nice to be visiting my old friends again. Your beautiful plants are such a welcome site after our endless snows. It will be more than two months before my garden looks as alive as yours does. Love the tiny fungus. So very delicate.
    Marnie

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  31. Cheryl I shall learn much from you on how to care for and what to grow in a woodland garden when I return home in the Spring.Waving from Arizona.

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