Jo's latest

Good Day Everyone,

After a mixed bag of weather over the last month it looks as though there is more chaos on the way with temperatures plummeting to zero and below with snow as well!

So, take a moment to enjoy the beauty of Myddelton. I'm starting with the Alder tree in the Honesty Bed outside the courtyard, photo 1. I think it is often overlooked because we concentrate on the wonderful array of succulents that are planted around it. The bare branches against the blue sky stopped me in my tracks and I had to share it with you.

Moving onto the Crocus Collection in the cold frames. They have flowered well this year and Liz is continuing to work hard as custodian of these treasures, photos 2,3 and 4. They require weekly maintenance and monitoring, including the recording of things such as how many flowers each pot has, which is required in the annual report. The new frames are great and make it much easier for Liz to open and close them on her own.

Now onto the Glasshouses. A recent acquisition is from the Tropical Nursery at Kew Gardens and includes a number of bromeliads and aroids. Gary has made cork baskets for them to live in which I think is very clever idea, photo 6. There is also a splendid addition to the succulents as someone has anonymously donated a very unusual plant, a Senecio haworthioides, photo 7.

Next are two of the projects lined up for 2018. The first one is the bed outside the front of the house as you walk towards the pond, photo 8. This will be renamed the 'Bowles Bed' and will be planted with ..... yes, plants named after Mr Bowles. The existing plants will be gradually moved to other beds around the garden. The second one is the bed between Christine's Gate and the Lodge, photo 9. This will become the 'Euphorbia Bed' and will be planted up accordingly. It has been weeded, leaf mould and logs have been added, the holly hedge has been reduced in height and the gap filled in with Ruscus and old stock fencing. Now, this is where you can help us. Do you have any Bowles or Euphorbia plants that you could donate to the garden? Please let me know and I will forward the details to James.

Finally, the moment you have all been waiting for, snowdrop time. They are appearing everywhere around the garden and look lovely on the front drive in the sunshine, photo 10. The snowdrop collection has settled in well and have been flowering since October with some only just emerging, photo 11. The Headache Tree Bed is next, photo 12, and the view from the Orchard to the Alpine Meadow is photo 13. As well as snowdrops, the leucojums are flowering well too, photo 14. Then it's down to the Torii seat, photo 15, and the Rock Garden, photo 16.

Finally, a nod to the man himself, photo 17. I took this photo in early February and when I looked at it on the computer I realised that the gentleman I had captured reminded me that Mr Bowles is always with us when we walk around the garden.

Keep warm and stay safe.

Regards

Jo