The Head Gardener

2nd February 2021

Two or three years back I bought a few pots and put a few plants in them. I was surprised and delighted to see a couple of  blue iris flowers in full bloom poking out of one pot.

Crocuses are doing their best to come into flower, but seem to be having a struggle - having succeeded some seem to be top heavy and fall over. I am confident that they will have greater success in the coming weeks.

I have just booked my first dose of coronavirus vaccine. Hopefully the vaccine will lead us out of the pandemic and life will look a bit

brighter. I hope that soon it will become available worldwide.

I have mentioned in past blogs that I am not responsible for introducing many of the plants in my garden. During the past week, in particular, I have been reflecting on Jesus the Head Gardener. Personally I am very comfortable with the role of Assistant Gardener. In my student days I spent many of the holidays working in the Parks Department of the Local Authority as an Assitant Gardener.- a job which I enjoyed immensely. My gardens now comprise a front garden, where I have recently attempted to create a bog garden and a back garden dominated by two ponds - they had a pretty covering of snow about a week ago.

A few years back an elm tree in the back garden died of Dutch Elm Disease. I talked to a plaaning officer who suggested I replaced it with another tree. For a small garden I thought my garden had plenty of trees, but after some thought, decided that it would be good to have a nut tree. A hazelnut seemed to fit the brief - being of a moderate size and a native variety.

I am afraid it often takes me a while to sort things out! I looked around local nurseries and online, but after a couple of years, I had still not bought my tree. One day looking around the back garden I spotted a couple of saplings - probably about two year's old. Yes! they where both hazelnut trees. My Head Gardener had taken immediate action, while I delayed!!

I have been looking around the garden for flowers, but ignored the catkins, presuming that they were something left from last year. I decided to look up hazelnut trees, becuse I wanted to cut some of the tall branches. I learned that the catkins are in fact the male flowers. A few days after they release their pollen small pink female flowers should form. There is a delay to stop cross pollination on the same tree. Now I know why he gave me two trees! I also learnt that hazelnut trees can live for about 80 years - if they are pollarded they can live for two or three hundred years!! I cut the tall stems without guilt! I now have plenty of sticks for my lilies!

At this time the mosses in my garden are doing very well. They are growing on exposed pond liner around the pond as well as rocks, concrete and wood. There is something relaxing about moss - it seems soft and almost cuddly! It also has a number of roles in the overall ecologicl plan.

I noticed some more fungi this week - another important plant. The more we look and investigate the more we realise how great a Head Gardener we have!

 

With love and prayers,

Chris

A Time for reflection

8th December 2020

We have had a few cold days with temperatures here dropping to about zero. Today the first doses of vaccine are being administered in the UK. This is not simple, because the vaccine needs to be stored at -70°C - a lot lower than temperatures we are likely to find even at the coldest places on earth. However, this is a major breakthrough - and by Easter life might look and feel a lot brighter.

Some years ago I made a few visits to Lanzarote. On this island rain was a rarity. Much of the land was devoid of plants and even birds were not plentiful. However I noticed any flower and it took on a special beauty. At this time in the UK I experience a similar joy when I see a flower in bloom. I am glad to be forcing myself to go outside and search. Each day is different and I notice something new.

Perhaps this week is a time for reflection. The past few months have been difficult for everyone - though I have been much luckier than most. I enjoyed walks in the first lockdown - the peace because there was little traffic, clean air and birdsong. On the chimney we had two herring gulls hatch - perhaps not everyone's favourite bird, but they are so graceful in flight. A pair of house sparrows took up residence very nearby and when four chicks fledged they made their way to my feeding station and enjoyed the mealworms. The family is still together and visits regularly.

It is also a time for patience. we know that the Spring will come bringing colour to the gardens and brightness to our lives, but we cannot hurry it!

I am looking forward in anticipation. I am sure that my cyclamen will bridge the gap - providing flowers from now until the Spring bulbs take over. Bulbs are sending up shoots everywhere in my garden at the moment - they grow and multiply every day.

I am struck by the hardiness of some plants. In recent years moss has become a feature of my garden - especially around the ponds. It seems to thrive in the cold damp conditions at the moment. Even the lavender seems to be enjoying the weather.

I am looking forward to the next few weeks - I am sure it won't be long before I see the first snowdrop - maybe you have already found one! I hope you are able to enjoy some nature around you - even if it is only from a window.

With love and prayers,

Chris

Flowers in November

 

24th November 2020

I started to write this blog as The Spirit of Christmas in February 2013, then restarted as The Real Spirit of Christmas in January 2014, but neither developed.

At least on this occasion I am starting before Christmas - perhaps a more appropriate time of year for this blog! I am going to set myself a target of providing a weekly blog with pictures - mainly from my garden.

We have been in a strange world for the past 8 or 9 months. I have been very fortunate because I live in a pleasant part of the country. Here in Cheltenham there are many open spaces in which to relax and I have a garden which I love.

I am a real softy and enjoy some of the Christmas films. Few are artistic or technical triumphs and the plot is almost the same for all. At least one of the key characters is driven by success and money and has no time for the "frivolous" things of life. They meet the other key character and recognise and stsrt to see beauty in nature and in people. They fall in love and live happiliy everafter

I want to focus on nature. It is easy to get stuck inside with electromic devices and miss what is happening outside. Yesterday I went into the garden with the intent of finding something to photograph. I know that a Cosmos plant (a rather impressive name!) is in flower. So I was sure I had one subject. However, I find that there are a number of different plants currently in flower, as well as bulbs pushing shoots up through the soil and berries adorning the trees and bushes.

My faith is very important to me. The Christian church effectively squeezes it's story into four or five months - strting at the end of November with Advent and reaching a climax in April with Easter.

We start now with a period of reflection as we await the arrival of Jesus (God) as a little baby and look forward to celebrating his birthday. This year I am determined to have a very special Christmas. I will reflect during Advent to prepare for a wonderful celebration. I don't intend to meet others inside, but, if allowed will meet outside and perhaps go for a walk. I will think about what virtual actities we can enjoy together as a family. Maybe a virtual Christmas can involve family throughout the Country and the World!

I start now just before Advent which is the preparation for Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. It is easy to forget that Jesus was a real person born about 2000 years ago. There is a lot of historical information about him.

My garden is far from the tidiest and my photography leaves an awful lot to be desired, however life is pretty messy in reality - unlike the impression we might usually get from social media.

I will do my best to honour my weekly commitment and if one person finds it useful and is perhaps inspired to go out and see what joys nature has instore for her, then I will be very pleased.

As I write my friendly coal tit is knocking on my window before he takes a couple of sunflower seeds from the feeder - it is as if he is asking permission before moving to the feeding station.

With my love and prayers during this time,

Chris