Since December, all eyes have been focused on the evolving situation regarding the novel Coronavirus, Covid-19, which began in China and has become a pandemic. It all feels so surreal. The elderly and those with certain underlying health conditions are most vulnerable and many are, by choice and on advice from the Government, self-isolating. I am one of them. But life can be good with a positive attitude and so my focus is shifting somewhat to my own little world, inside and out. The garden is coming to life and much has stayed green over a relatively mild winter. I cannot believe that the parsley, which I bought from the supermarket last year and planted in the garden, is not only thriving but a monster! It's about 24" (60cm) tall at its utmost point. It's tolerated zero temperatures and even a light covering of snow!
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| Parsley, March 2020 after overwinter in the garden. |
I'm starting to do garden jobs, little by little, making them a form of therapy as much as anything. The four hanging baskets on the east-facing wall of my home have bacopa and fuchsias that are still alive. They look a sorry lot, and some of the plants have died, but just as many have survived, are in leaf-bud, and there were even flowers on some parts of the bacopas. Not now though; I have chopped back the straggly growths to encourage new growth. It's good that they survived because it doesn't look like I will be able to mooch around the garden centres this spring and perhaps even summer, so many businesses are shutting down temporarily. It is like one of those apocalyptical movies. As I said—surreal.
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| Bacopa and fuchsia hanging basket, August 2019 |
I also lightly pruned my Hydrangea paniculata White Lady, in the hope that I will make it stronger. I mentioned last year that the dustbin men had kept throwing bags on it while it was young and had broken it several times - they have been warned! So now, it is rather leggy but alive and that is good.
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| Hydrangea paniculata White Lady - July 2018 |
I threw all the cuttings off the hanging baskets into the compost bin which I bought last year. I was happy to see that there are worms in there, doing the thing that they do best, aerating the soil. They are such helpful little creatures and they save gardeners from having to dig soil. Who needs the work when we have worms to do it!
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