Monday, March 26, 2012

The promise of things to come

March is definitely one of my favourite gardening months. Not only do the days visibly get longer (remember just a few weeks ago when it was dark at 5pm?) but the garden is positively burgeoning with the potential of what the year will bring. 

The Conference pear tree, despite a severe pruning in November, looks to be promising a good harvest for 2012. This one is a small specimen tree that I hemmed in quite tightly with two raised beds back in 2009. Thankfully it doesn't seem to be holding that against me and is a regular and prolific producer of lovely big juicy pears that are perfect for my tarte tatin recipe.




Bursting into leaf already is a lovely Hydrangea anomala subsp petiolaris - the climbing hydrangea. Situated on the north facing fence, it grows incredibly well and produces huge attractive flowerheads each year. Even during the winter when all the laves have fallen, this plant manages to look appealing with its red/brown peeling bark and framework of stems. Last spring it took a bit of a battering when the chickens took a fancy to the leaves and totally stripped the lower third - basically to the height that they could jump...



The old March favourite - Forsythia x intermedia - is just coming into its sunny yellow best. This much maligned spring-flowering shrub is harshly judged by many for being brash and ubiquitous, but I think they're two of its best features. These shrubs add such an injection of vibrancy into the garden at a time when signs of life are much needed. Bring it on, I say.
My forsythia is a fairly old specimen judging by the thick woody basal stems. In June last year I embarked on a rejuvenation pruning plan - the eventual aim being to remove most of the thick old stems as far down as possible to encourage new flower carrying growth. As advised in many books, I'm doing it over a three year period - one third of old stems being removed each year.



And lastly, the ornamental quince (Chaenomoles spp, possibly japonica) that seems to be throwing up more and more suckers every year. It blossomed in early Feb and was then hit by the snow and below-freezing temps. But since then it's rallied with even more blossoms - in a gorgeous rich shade of red - quickly followed by small shiny leaves. I usually get between 2 and 4 small fruit from this most years, which I tend to chop small and add to any jam I happen to be making. Judging by the  number of flowers on it, maybe I'll have enough for a small pot of quince jam this year.



BTW: for those who have noticed the time of this post - I'm not suffering with insomnia, I'm just in a different time zone currently...

13 comments:

  1. I'm really excited about our fruit bushes and their potential this year! I keep looking at them thinking about what I'll do with the harvest. I love our neighbours Forsythia x intermedia - it brings a nice dose of colour into the garden at this time of year. I really hope you get enough quince to make jam. I made some sauce last year and it was delicious!

    Philippa

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    1. I know what you mean - I also have buds bursting open on blueberry bushes and a cherry tree and I can't wait for the harvest from those.

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  2. The quince flowers are superb. It'll look nice trained along your fence.

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    1. I haven't figured out how to train it yet. It was already in the garden when we bought the house and the whole plant leans away from the fence. Any advice on that front?

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  3. lovely to see all the sings of life now in the gardens, and some flowers too - the quince flowers are lovely.
    Your pear looks healthy, and i like the sound of pear tarte tatin!
    Thanks for stopping by mine! I love this time of year when each week there is something new - last week the pink buds were showing on the ribes, today it wasnt until i got back in the house that I noticed its now in full bloom - hence my "thru the window" photos - next time i'll get some better photos outside!

    Have a great week and enjoy the spring weather

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    1. That ribes plant is amazing- such vibrant colour blooms! It's great that everything is really gaining momentum in the garden now.

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  4. The quince flowers are so pretty in red!
    Spring is really beautiful there!

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    1. We're having a very hot spring here so everything is coming out earlier than usual. Not sure it's all going to look so good a few months further into the drought...

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  5. It's wonderful to see everything springing back to life in the garden. I love the flowers of the ornamental quince, so pretty.

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    1. I've never seen so many flowers on this particular plant before. It clearly thrives on neglect!

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  6. I love your pictures of things bursting into life. The forsythia is very beautiful like that. Every year I think I don't like forsythia and every year for a short few weeks I forgive it again.

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    1. I'm hoping that my pruning plans will really rejuvenate the flowering as the bottom third has become quite woody and therefore non-flowering.

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  7. I love the green of freshly shooting climbing hydrangea

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