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The Bloomin' Winter Garden

© Gay Klok

WINTER FLOWERS ARE GOOD FOR THE SOUL

Blow Winter Wind only one more time
The leaves have gone, and lie on the ground
The birds have come and find the apples just fine
And their songs of pleasure are a far better sound
Than the howls and moans of the bitter cold gales
And the damaging clatter of the icy cold hails.

I sit in our lovely warm house and suffer the Winter blues. I try telling myself I am lucky that our winter climate is so much milder than the freezing conditions suffered by many of my overseas gardening friends. I look out the window and see the Autumn cherry trees are in full bloom, covering their branches with sweet little star-like flowers. The Prunus subhirtella 'Autumnalis' always waits until the cold weather to please this jaundiced gardener. I notice most of the hydrangea bushes are needing their annual prune, their old flowers turning an ugly brown. They were so full of blooms only a few weeks ago, so cutting the old flowers off will take several days. I will search for the two buds on either side of the stem and make my cut there, for these are the shoots that contain next years flowers. Non productive stems I will cut out at ground level. Last weekend I cut many purple, blue and green hydrangea heads and placed them in a dark spot in a pail containing about one inch of water. I hope that they will keep their quite startling rich colours as they dry out because next weekend I will place them in a basket to cheer up the decor of the kitchen.

Kees is out there braving the chilly air, pruning the roses, so not only do I feel low in spirits, I also suffer guilt. I know, I will take you out for a walk around our midwinter gardens. The garden is always my friend and never fails to cheer me up or control angry emotions.

Well, that was a bracing walk and I feel so much better, there is a warm glow in my heart. Did you see the brave Christmas Roses, Helleborus orientalis hybrids and H. argutifolius, their gentle flowers, white pink and green, brightening up many an odd corners? And the early Camellias sasanqua? The pink and white, single petal blooms are not so showy as their family members, but these members of the large Camellia family are very brave and reliable.