THE WEATHER -

A particularly mild start to the month, with unseasonably high temperatures for the time of year and a mixture of sunshine and showers. By the 7th however, colder weather set in, and the 8th brought a bitterly cold and very strong north wind, making it feel much colder than it actually was. By the 11th, the wind had turned and brought much milder conditions, with a lovely sunny morning. Duller with light showers for the next few days, but still mild. Mild conditions continued until the 19th, when the weather became very sunny with frost at night, but the wind had turned again and was blowing from the north-east, making it feel extremely cold. Towards the last week of the month, the wind was blowing from the north again, and although the days were bright and sunny, the wind made it feel bitterly cold. Snow on the 27th, but this had largely disappeared by lunch time. Remaining very cold but bright for the rest of the month.

The first newt was seen in the pond on the 12th.

Maximum temperature 13°C (56°F), minimum temperature minus 4°C (26°F).

One of my favourite flowers at this time of the year is the Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis). Snowdrops are so dainty individually, but a group of them make a beautiful sight on a cold, crisp February morning. The ones pictured are singles, but I also have groups of double Snowdrops dotted around the garden. The secret of success when growing Snowdrops is to make sure that you buy them "in the green". This means that they should be growing, with healthy foliage. Dry bulbs are seldom successful, as I've found out in the past. If you get any to grow at all, they are usually weak, and struggle for several years before finally giving up the ghost! Transplanting or splitting groups of Snowdrops should also be done when they are still in growth, as they will then get off to a flying start before becoming dormant later in the year.

The mild winter we have had so far has coaxed Corydalis cheilanthifolia into early flower! This is a short-lived clump-forming perennial, growing to about 6 - 8" in height and the same width, but seeds itself readily, so you are never without a few plants dotted around to replace any that die. It bears pretty spikes of yellow flowers for several months, and the ferny foliage is also good for flower arranging as it lasts well in floral foam.

I'm mad about Hellebores! They are one of the showiest flowers out in the garden this month. I have several varieties, and all of them are in flower, some of course being rather early due to the unusually mild winter we have had. One which is not early however is Helleborus niger, the so-called Christmas Rose (pictured). This flowers every year for me, but in all the years I have had it, it has never, ever, flowered at Christmas! Mine usually flowers around February, a good two months after Christmas. I love it for its pure white flowers, which develop a pink tinge around the edges as they age. The flowers are held vertically, unlike Helleborus orientalis (Lenten Rose), whose heads droop gracefully, making it difficult to see the intricacies of the flower.

Another early bird in the garden this month is Euphorbia characias wulfenii. It usually flowers around March or even April, and I've never known it to flower as early as February before. It is an evergreen perennial plant, with woody stems and grey-green linear leaves arranged all around the stems. Cut stems exude a white latex-like sap, which can be extremely irritant if left on the skin. Mine grows to around 4 feet tall when flowering. The flowers form at the top of the stems in their second year, and these are typical yellow-green Euphorbia flowers, with small red centres. The picture was taken around mid-February, when the flowers were just unfurling.

A typical early spring flower is the catkin. Catkins are the common name for the pendulous flowers of several different trees, Corylus (Hazel) and Alnus (Alder), to name but two. Corylus and Alnus are monoecious, bearing male and female flowers on the same plant. The catkins themselves are the male pollen-bearing flowers. The female flowers are separate, and these produce the fruit later on. Pictured above are three catkin-bearing plants. On the left are the lovely green-yellow catkins of Corylus avellana 'Contorta', the Contorted Hazel. In the centre, the purple-tinged catkins of Corylus maxima purpurea, the Purple Hazel. On the right, the colourful catkins of Alnus glutinosa, the Alder. The catkins are quite a dusky-purple colour as they begin to develop, but as they mature, they take on a colourful mixture of lime-green and maroon. The female fruit of this tree is also highly decorative, being little groups of small, almost black cones, which dry well for use in flower arrangements. This is an excellent tree for damp ground, as it prefers wet conditions and doesn't mind having its feet in water.

That's all for this month...... Happy Gardening!

Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Crow, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, House Sparrow, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Robin, Rook, Seagull, Siskin, Starling, Thrush, Wood Pigeon, Wren.

A CALENDAR OF SONNETS: FEBRUARY
Helen Hunt Jackson