Perthshire Native Snowdrops

Lone Flower, hemmed in with snows and white as they

But hardier far, once more I see thee bend.

Thy forehead, as if fearful to offend,

Like an unbidden guest. Though day by day,

Storms, sallying from the mountain-tops, waylay

The rising sun, and on the plains descend;

f2.8

Yet art thou welcome, welcome as a friend

Whose zeal outruns his promise! Blue-eyed May

f2.8

Shall soon behold this border thickly set

With bright jonquils, their odours lavishing

f13

On the soft west-wind and his frolic peers;

Nor will I then thy modest grace forget,

Chaste Snowdrop, venturous harbinger of Spring,

And pensive monitor of fleeting years!

 The Poetical Works of Wordsworth

For my phenology records - The native snowdrops along the lade started to bloom on the13th January 2012.

Submitted to Wildflower Wednesday and Wordless Wednesday by  Kent Weakley  (my current photography tutor on composition).

© 2009- 2012 Leavesnbloom ~ All Rights Reserved.

"Ever since the creation of the world  his eternal power and divine nature, invisible  though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has  made. So they are without excuse." Romans 1:20

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A Crisp January Garden Bloggers Bloom Day 2012

Strange weather isn't it and do you think that our winter has gone into hibernation? It's certainly a great time to buy a snow shovel at a discounted price around here!  The radio is on as I type this and the weatherman is assuring me that it's going to get a little bit frosty and crisper here over the next few days.  Now 'crisp'  is a word I can relate to in January but will some of my flowers feel the same way?  Who has ever heard of a perennial Oestospermum flowering in  a Scottish frost pocket in January or even a yellow wallflower and a Hebe Pixie?  Will their petals cope with crisp ?

The Lenten Rose that first started to flower in November

Even Iris reticulata 'Katharine Hodgkin' has made an early entrance into the garden and my first photos taken of her in 2011 were in March!

Iris reticulata 'Katharine Hodgkin'

oops I forgot to photograph the Cyclamen coum for GBBD 

Hamamelis × intermedia 'Jelena', Primula 'Greensleeves' mix, Oesteospermum, Primula 'Heritage', Hebe 'Pixie

To Weed or Not to Weed

I shocked myself aswell last weekend when I ended up doing a few  proper gardening jobs in January!    I planted over 2 dozen 9cm pots of Auriculas propagated from my neighbours stock and some passalong clumps of Hemerocallis.  Then I surveyed the borders further from the kitchen window and was horrified to see that I need to move weeding up my list of priorities..............and  SOON TOO.  The border near the boundary fence had its makeover in the autumn and now is full of that invasive hairy bittercress Cardamine hirsuta that has relished in our very moist  and crisp winter weather.  Who weeds in January?.........well you might......... but I don't even venture down to that part of the garden but normally view it from a window! 

Those little weeds have the reputation for their exploding seedpods and their seed dispersal rate is up to 1 metre away if they are shaken by the gardener or by the wind so I'll be sorting them out asap before they flower.

Hellebore 'Niger', Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion', Pulmonaria 'Diane Clare', Erica carnea, Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire'

Did you know that some people use that same weed in their salads?  There's even a UK website called Eat weeds which gives plenty of wild food foraging recipes including one for Hairy bittercress.  I've heard of crisp lettuce but never crisp Hairy bittercress..............despite it tasting peppery mine won't be heading to the dinner table despite probably having enough to feed a family of 4!    Makes me wonder what Hairy bittercress soup would taste like?

photo submitted to my new Pantone inspired meme:  ColorMeme Weekly #2

I think my Witchhazel 'Jelena' looks very much like the Pantone Tangerine Tango color of 2012.  I like the colour description from Pantone as it's supposed to be  a spirited reddish orange providing the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward.............and I sure need some of that if I'm ever going to head into the garden in a crisp January to weed! 


Today's post is also linked in with
Carol and Garden Bloggers Bloom Day
Holly and Friday's Photo Blog Hop

Lisa and Macro Monday  all photos taken with  1:1 macro lens

© 2009- 2012 Leavesnbloom ~ All Rights Reserved.

"Ever since the creation of the world  his eternal power and divine nature, invisible  though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has  made. So they are without excuse." Romans 1:20

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Is Spring coming earlier?

Is Spring coming earlier? Well you might find the answer if you're interested in Phenology.  It's the science of recording natural regularly occurring events and it's name is derived  from the Greek words “phaino” (to show or appear) and “logos” (to study).  This year I'm looking forward to being one of the volunteer "Citizen Scientists"  for the UK's Nature's Calendar Survey in my locality of Perthshire and you can volunteer as well. 

beech leaves, ivy seed heads, lichen and cytisus seed heads :photos taken 7th January 2012

photo taken 7th Jan 2011 - the bank was too slippy after our heavy rain for me to take a shot from the same place this year 2012 but this year we are not encased in ice and snow.

The first written phenology records date back to around 974 BC by the Chinese and the Japanese have been making phenological observations for the past 1200 years on the peak timing of the cherry and apricot blossoms. The UK survey contains data from as far back as 1684 and it's the longest written biological record in Britain. 

Robert Marsham is phenology's founding father here in the UK and he began taking notice of the Indications of Spring in 1736 on the family estate in Strutton Strawless, Norfolk.  He continued to meticulously note down significant dates for the next 62 years recording a list of 27 natural events for more than 20 animals and plants. Successive members of the same family kept on recording until the death of Mary Marsham in 1958.

Marshams 27 Observations of Spring

1. Snowdrop first flowering
2. Wood anemone first flowering
3. Hawthorn first flowering
4. Turnip first flowering  
5. Hawthorn first leafing  
6. Sycamore first leafing
7. Silver birch first leafing
8. Elm first leafing
9. Rowan first leafing
10. Oak first leafing
11. Beech first leafing
12. Horse chestnut first leafing
13. Sweet chestnut first leafing
14. Hornbeam first leafing
15. Ash first leafing
16. Lime first leafing
17. Field maple first leafing
18. Swallow first seen
19. Cuckoo first seen
20. Nightingale first heard
21. Nightjar first heard
22. Song thrush first heard
23. Ringdove first seen
24. Rook first nest building
25. Rook young first seen
26. Brimstone butterfly first seen
27. Frogs and toads first heard croaking

In 1998  Tim Sparks a research biologist at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology in Cambridge revived Phenology recording in the UK and in 2000 the Woodland Trust joined with the centre to promote the  recording to a wider audience.  Over the years Spring and Autumnwatch have encouraged their viewers to send their reports to the survey via the BBC  but now the data is sent directly to Natures Calendar.
 
Even though I often  make notes of the first indications of Spring with the native flora in my locality this year  I'll be recording the following data (though I know that I'll not spot all the birds on the list) ....... I even have to take note of  the date I first cut the lawn in Spring!

It's not too late for you to join in too and if you live in the UK you can register here.


Related Phenology Sites:

• Project Budburst: USA
• Nature's Calendar: Netherlands
• PlantWatch: Canada
• ClimateWatch: Australia

© 2009- 2012 Leavesnbloom ~ All Rights Reserved.

"Ever since the creation of the world  his eternal power and divine nature, invisible  though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has  made. So they are without excuse." Romans 1:20

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Chocolate or Spinach?

As they say............ everything in moderation but I have to warn you that reading this and viewing these photographs will tempt your taste buds no end!  So are you ready for something deliciously sweet and very gourmet for the New Year?

I don't understand why so many "so called" chocolate lovers complain
about the calories in chocolate, when all true chocoholics know that it
is a vegetable. It comes from the cocoa bean, beans are veggies, 'nuff
said. Author Unknown

How about a Gingerbread truffle with warming gingerbread spices or a Christmas Mess with a fruity berry mousse with crispy crushed meringue.........I think that might be my favourite (that's the one with the white chocolate covering).

Then there's the ultra smooth and quick melting festive hazelnut praline and the milk chocolate truffle.  Oh decisions decisions decisions......

One of my goals this coming year is to eat less chocolate............ but it looks like I'm not going to start off the New Year very well.

Though there's a glimmer of hope as I've had the willpower to put them back into the box.......... for now!

Maybe I'll just cut the chocolates in half and share the calories healthy antioxidants and natural mood lifting compounds around - it's a veggie afterall.  I'd much prefer these to spinach any day though I better start writing my gardening to do list to help me think about burning off all those calories.

The Chocolate Lovers Border

And if you can't get enough of chocolate then there's the fat free version that I'm thinking about incorporating into the garden in 2012.  How about creating a chocolate lovers border with the Chocolate vine Akebia quinata, the unrestrained  Chocolate Mint Mentha piperita along with the  summer blooms from the Chocolate cosmos 'Choca Mocha' Cosmos atrosanguineus and the dark leafed coleus plants along with  Heuchera 'Chocolate Ruffles'.  Ahhhhh what a chocolate fix that would be intertwined with a few soft centres  nestled inbetween for contrast!   I think I better get my copy of Christopher Lloyds  Colour for Adventurous Gardeners  (aff.  link) off the book shelf for a little bit of self indulgence.

Happy New Year Everyone!

© 2009- 2012 Leavesnbloom ~ All Rights Reserved.

"Ever since the creation of the world  his eternal power and divine nature, invisible  though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has  made. So they are without excuse." Romans 1:20

.

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Only one more sleep till Christmas

After all there's only one more sleep till Christmas.............so I wish all my readers a Happy and Blessed Christmas and to also say a big thank you for all of your support, encouragement and friendship this past year.  Christmas Eve 2010 and 2009 saw the garden covered in ice and snow but this year we are having much milder weather which has meant that the first of the Cyclamen coum flowers along with the colourful ribbons from the Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena' are now in bloom.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

© 2009- 2012 Leavesnbloom ~ All Rights Reserved.

"Ever since the creation of the world  his eternal power and divine nature, invisible  though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has  made. So they are without excuse." Romans 1:20

.

This is a copyright post written for www.leavesnbloom.com. If this is your first visit to www. leavesnbloom.com you might want to take a second to subscribe to my RSS Feed, http://feeds.feedburner.com/LeavesnBloom