Shades of yellow…
February 2023
February has seen a sudden burst of growth - fresh foliage is burgeoning and dangling catkins of twisted hazel and primroses are opening in late winter sunshine - spring feels just around the corner. And oh that wonderful cool green shade of yellow!
The complexity of shapes and patterns to be found in young leaves is another joy. Despite being best suited to moist soil Arum italicum subsp. italicum ‘Marmoratum’ is growing against a dry, north-facing wall and its striking heart-shaped, marbled leaves are the perfect foil for newly emerging bulbs and saucer-shaped flowers of Helleborus orientalis ‘White Lady’.
In another corner of the garden wild arum, Arum maculatum is proving less welcome. Difficult to control it has a multitude of sinister-sounding common names, Lords-and-Ladies, cuckoo pint, Jack-in-the-pulpit, bloody man’s finger and adder’s root amongst them. All parts are poisonous, particularly the berry-laden stems in autumn. No wonder that as a child the plant always held a strange fascination for me - more than likely due to parental warnings of the dire consequences of eating the seductively shiny, bright red berries.
Talking of joy…
I am sure I’m not alone in feeling a sense of hopelessness in this increasingly frightening world but I was still wryly amused to read newspaper advice that to improve our mental health during these worrying times we should aim to take pleasure in small things that give us joy. I think as gardeners this is something that we all do constantly as a matter of course - and of course it helps.
In the studio…
How ironic that the first white tips of Jean d’Arc crocus appeared on the same day I had to deliver ‘Walking Home’ to the Royal Watercolour Society for the Open Exhibition at Bankside Gallery. Late coming up, I feared the bulbs hadn’t survived the dry summer last year - it felt like a good omen.
The exhibition runs from Friday 3rd to Sunday 19th March. If you can, do visit, you’ll be able to see lots of wonderful work and I am thrilled to be exhibiting alonside so many artists whose art I admire.
And as always…
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Happy gardening, stay positive and stay safe all :-)
