Eastlife February 2019

The
Say hello to Wendy Howes, our
gardening columnist, who will be
revealing the trials and tribulations of her
garden restoration project every month…
Camellia japonica
Elegans
February is a bit of a marmite month; you
either love it or loathe it. On one side there
is the feeling that the winter will never end,
yet pop on your positive hat and we’re actually
through the worst of it. Or let’s hope we are …
Helleborus niger
vibrant leaves giving the plants a new lease of life once it
has finished flowering.
There are glimmers of hope in the garden. Those tiny
little snowdrop bulbs I painstakingly planted back in the
autumn are now rewarding my efforts, with their bright
white heads dancing in the breeze. As the Betula utilis
Jaquemontii they have been planted beneath are too
young to have developed their trademark silver bark, the
snowdrops are a welcome beacon; the bare branches of
the ‘glade’ are somewhat lost against the green grass for
now.
If your garden is lacking a bit of late winter/early
spring colour, consider adding an evergreen Camelia
japonica ‘Elegans’. This stunning, bright pink camellia is
guaranteed to brighten up even the bleakest of days. In
a sheltered spot, the shiny deep green foliage creates a
fabulous backdrop for herbaceous planting later in the
season. Alternatively, if you have a tired old fence or wall
that is crying out for a climber, why not head to your
local garden centre for a Jasminum nudiflorum, more
commonly referred to as Winter Jasmine. Adorned with
bright yellow flowers, it’s a real show-stopper at this time
of year.
I also salvaged a few Helleborous from one of the borders
we were closing down. They were being suffocated by
the heavy clay and perked up no end once transferred to
a position under one of our willow trees, an area which
had been freshly dug over with plenty of organic matter
added. Having trimmed their foliage back to give the
roots the maximum chance of settling in, they are now
happily flowering. Helleborous niger is particularly striking
and co-ordinates well with snowdrops. As a little tip, now
is a good time to trim back last year’s foliage so you can
showcase the flowers. This will also encourage new,
Read more on Wendy’s blog at
www.wendyswholeworld.com
Jasminum
nudiflorum
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