Contemplate the space and calm of your garden in February
February can be a tricky month. Thankfully it is also the year’s shortest for if the skies remain grey so can one’s mood. However, if we can get out into the garden, we may find it’s not all doom and gloom. The Hidden Gardens of Grayshott team found some uplifting sights in their gardens this month.
A cold but bright and sunny day sees a carpet of pale purple crocus tommassinianus abuzz with the honeybees, back legs laden with their gold dust haul. Congratulations to ‘Brad’s Bees’ whose heather honey from his Grayshott hives, won first prize at the National Honey Show.
The hellebores nodding heads of green, white, pink and plum are in their prime in February. The flowers appear fragile but these low maintenance beauties are robust winter bloomers that favour fertile soil and partial shade.
A tapestry of evergreens that form the backbone of a garden can take centre stage in the winter season. The soft mid green of a Choisya ternata or the glaucous blue of the Euphorbia wulfennii with its swan head blooms waiting to unfurl. The sharp sword like stripes of Phormium ‘Yellow Wave’, the plate sized leaves of Fatsia japonica or the deep purple of Pittosporum ‘Tom Thumb’ are all enhanced when a cold crisp morning sees Jack Frost’s breath spread like a thick blanket.
With a chill in the air and frost on the ground the birdfeeder is a hub of activity. A flurry of small wings flit back and forth in a feeding frenzy. The blackbirds having gorged on the currants and now wait to snatch scraps dropped by the smaller birds from the feeders above. The robins fiercely defend their territories, and the woodpeckers are (almost) forgiven for the mess made of the lawns as they dig in search of grubs.
An invitation to view the Rae’s snowdrop collection of over 100+ varieties is once again extended to members of the gardening club, Grayshott Gardeners, it’s worth joining the club for this event alone. The variations of these early bloomers are fascinating. Tall and robust, tiny and delicate, fat and thin, they jostle for attention shimmering ‘look at me!’ Perhaps it’s the purity of their delicate white blooms or their sheer tenacity to break ground in harsh conditions that reminds us to be grateful for another year ahead.
Enter the February Prize Draw
There are several ways to be in with a chance to win the £10 voucher before entries close at midnight on 28th February 2022:
Comment on our posts on Facebook or Instagram, to tell us what uplifts you in your garden or
Tag us with an uplifting photo of your garden in February @hiddengardensofgrayshott on both Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag #hiddengardensfebuplift or
Email to tell us what uplifts you at info@hiddengardensofgrayshott.co.uk. Photos optional.
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