The Lakeland Gardener

Why are red roses the most popular flower to be gifted on St. Valentine's Day? In Britain we are in mid-winter, the soil is sleeping and roses have a long way to travel before reaching our doorsteps.  The skull that might be of St. Valentine lives in a reliquary in a basilica in Rome            Snowdrops at Lowther Castle Gardens this week On this day, 14th February 2022, in Cumbria the first snowdrops are coming into flower, their tiny buds peep above the sodden earth, as if asking  "is safe to emerge?" The white bell shaped flowers, with smooth dull, green narrow leaves, are the first sign that spring is on the way.   So why not give snowdrops instead of roses? People ask St. Valentine to watch over the lives of lovers but he is also responsible for beekeeping, epilepsy, the plague, fainting and travelling. Snowdrops have medicinal uses.    The plant has been used for treatment of traumatic injuries to the nervous system for hundreds of years.     Extract of snowdrop wa

  T he industrial revolution created massive growth in towns and cities.     People lamented the loss of the rural idyll, the farm and cottage gardens with old fashioned borders of mixed shrubs and herbs.    Pollution, smog and toxic waste contaminated our cities as they grew larger and larger. A new style of English garden was created by Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932).    Nostalgia for the pastoral scene inspired her to reintroduce the herbaceous border, plant hardy flowers in drifts, use restricted colour palates.                                       Gertrude Jekyll by William Nicholson                                         Gertrude Jekyll was an energetic lady, born in London to a wealthy family, a talented artist.    When her eyesight failed she established a partnership with Edwin Lutyens and together they created more than 400 gardens. She drafted her designs with an artist’s eye. Sadly with the effects of the First World War (1914-1918) many gardens were kept going by old

  The wind is pummelling the gardens.     The 1 st February 2022 three major storms – Arwen, Malik and Corrie.    In the midst of November 2021 we were without electricity for 4 ½ days. Snow has twice covered the soil.     Yet through January 2022 the land has seen little rain. Strange weather patterns, strange times.   Andy Goldsworthy: Woodland Branch Arch I have been experimenting.      Inspired by landscapers and artist, Andy Goldsworthy, I have dragged branches through the garden into the field on a brilliant blue plastic sheet and woven them together to create “dry hedges”.     Shelter belts for insects and animals.   Nigel Dunnet - Woven Branch Circle Pruning has taken priority – roses, deciduous shrubs but not evergreen, I will leave these until May. The cuttings have always been a problem.     In the past I have had massive bonfires but lessons learnt at Newton Rigg College have encouraged me to be more resourceful with the remnants of my pruning. This winter I have