27 January: bin four and winter flowers

Friday, 27 January 2023

at home

My shoes show how muddy yesterday’s garden was.

We’d had some rain.

I finished emptying compost bin four and got all the uncomposted material piled precariously onto bin three, thus achieving three empty bins. I slid some of the worms down the narrow back opening (due to poorly fitting lid) of the plastic kitchen compost bin, where they will find tastier food to eat.

I got some more rough compost for the woodsy south end of the garden. The one full load was so heavy that I took some in buckets on the rollator, lightening the barrow before moving it. Great news, my balance is now good enough that I can move wheelbarrows without either asking for help or transporting all the contents via rollator buckets.

Bin four, empty! The smaller bin five is 3/4 full of leaves.

Here is bin three from my west window a few days later, after I had added more fresh clippings from some winter clean up.

I can think of few views as delightful as my compost bins.

Allan helped me move a Cornus ‘Midwinter Fire’ from where I wanted to put a larger showpiece…

..to its new home next to the deep swale. (Note new name for the deep end of the bridged swale, which is not the same as the Deep Path.)

In its place, I planted a young Salix aquatic ‘Gigantea Korso’, a willow with an interesting story, from Forest Farm.

“Highly ornamental, particularly in spring when its very early catkins emerge a pretty, soft pink before turning silver, then the anthers make their wonderful golden-orange appearance, this large (to 50′) tree developed in Sweden features bright chartreuse spring leaves, the ‘Gigantea’ part of its name comes from its enormous 8-10″ leaves; when coppiced every few years, the branches are often used for baskets, furniture and firewood; it looks very elegant planted by waterside.” (Forest Farm’s description.) I also read that it was developed because its rapid growth makes a lot of biofuel.

I picture a tall and big leaved willow as a view blocker just to the left of the new bridge, with a new Salix magnifica (not yet planted) to the right (where the yellow shovel handle is):

I also did some smoothing and refinement of the edge of the seasonal stream.

Nearby, my very dark burgundy chaenomeles is just starting to bud. I got it from Cistus years ago after seeing it in their display garden. It’s a gorgeous rich colour that blooms for a long time in early spring. I wish I remembered its cultivar name.

Chaenomeles (Japanese flowering quince)

Next to that, a young Garrya elliptical ‘James Roof’ is showing some “silk tassels” (the shrub’s common name).

In the front garden, another apricot scented hamamelis is in full bloom…

…and an Iris unguiculara is just coming on.

Grevillea victoriae has been budded for a few weeks and the flowers are finally fully opening.

And a double white hellebore blooms in Allan’s garden. i