Spring 2012 - Grange Farm Cottage

It's snowing yet again here at Grange Farm Cottage, disappointingly it's not pretty little snowflakes this time, it's this horrible slush so in the absence of staring wistfully out of the window I am thoroughly taking advantage of the dreary weather, using it as an excuse to snuggle up on my sofa with a blanket, my laptop and maybe a cup of tea or two. 

Whilst planning what changes I wanted to make to the garden and what I'd like it to look like this Spring I had a gander at last years photos of the garden in Springtime and thought you might enjoy a nosey.

I wish I'd taken some photos of the garden when we'd first moved in, it was a complete and utter mess as the previous tenants had just let the weeds take over. Below is what it looked like after a lot of hard graft and a hell of a lot of help from mine and my boyfriend's family. The garden looks bare but certainly a lot tidier than it did when we first moved in. 

We were very lucky that under all the mess there was some really nice plants left over from years before. Wilfred had apparently lived here for around 50 years and he really loved his garden. The photo below is off Google Maps, it's a glimpse at what the garden looked like in 2008. By this time unfortunately Wilfred had to have a gardener come to look after it but it does still look rather charming. I must get a rose or some sort of climber to ramble up the cottage, I do love that. I must admit I also prefer the green porch to our current brown varnished affair but as the house is rented that may have to stay as it is. 

Anyway, as I was saying we inherited many beautiful plants from Wilfred which have helped the garden to look slightly more established. Amongst them we have Roses, Aquilegias, Pulmonaria, Primroses, Asters, Phlox and a stunning Mock Orange Tree. 

Here's a couple of snaps of the garden April last year, this was when my obsession for gardening truly began... 

I never knew what an Aquilegia was before I moved here and now I love it (it's a good job though really as it's bleedin' everywhere!) Below is what the garden looked like come late Spring last year. I remember sitting out with my Geoff Hamilton, 'Cottage Gardens' book, officially hooked on gardening. 

And here are all those lovely Aquilegia...

Can't wait for Spring 2013!! 

The First Signs of Spring

There's signs all over the garden that Spring is on its way. I step outside into the garden now and I get a slight tinge with excitement with all the signs of life cropping up. Spring couldn't come soon enough for me. This is my first Winter as a gardener and I never minded the season before but now I cannot wait for it to end, I really have missed just pottering about, doing a bit of weeding, looking after seedlings and cutting flowers for the house, am sure most gardeners feel the same.

The newly unfurling Aquilegia leaves

Euphorbia polychroma 

New Rhubarb shoots

Narcissus shoots growing amongst the Wallflowers

New Narcissus shoots

A Primula beginning to flower, donated to me my by Mum last year 

New flowers forming on Euphorbia x martini

Luckily I took these photos a few days ago as it snowed again yesterday up here in Sheffield, perhaps Spring isn't as close as I'd hoped! These first signs of life have given me all I need to spur me on though, on the downside it's also made me realise that I still have lots of tidying up to do in the garden; there's plenty of dead foliage to cut back, hedges to trim and leaves to clear, all I need now is a nice clear day (and a day off from work but perhaps that's asking a tad too much).