North Atlantic Skyline - - Photographs from the west of Ireland (Galway, Mayo, Clare, Limerick, Roscommon and even Leitrim)

The Green Circle

At the turn of the year, a single yellow lupin in my back garden illuminated the otherwise gloomy flowerbeds, like a solitary candle in a dark hall, stuttering in a draught. As January progressed, it began to wither, and it has now quenched, joining the rest of the dead stalks in the bed. Amazingly, another lupin has begun to flower (though this morning's frost might arrest that development). This one will have to share the limelight, though. The spring flowers have begun to arrive.

Late November and early December is usually a good time for end of year cleaning in the garden. I've been reluctant to wield the clippers this year, because, at any time, there has always been a few plants that have long outlasted their expected tenure. Until last week, my fuchsia was in flower. Mine is a small shrub that became covered by a canopy of creeping plants this summer. Normally it waits until late summer to make an appearance, but this year, the flowers didn't open until almost New Year's Day. Only a few blossoms appeared and they lasted until the stormy weather of last week. The last of my Sweetpea and Bloody Cranesbill (a stalwart of the Burren) survived until the end of November, and the daisies (including Scentless Mayweed) are still providing illumination to a corner of the garden, though they are looking as bedraggled as wet kittens at this stage.

Camellia in south Galway - photo taken last Sunday.

Three weeks into January, and the regeneration has begun in earnest. The snowdrops and crocuses are flowering, and the legions of daffodils have taken up their positions in the flowerbeds. Some other flowers never went away - a campanula has flowered continuously since I planted it ten months ago, and the gaudy colours of the primulas have remained a constant too.

Other plants are waking from their winter slumber. I have planted a magnolia and a clematis together - both flower briefly but at different times, and the structure of the magnolia supports the creeping vines of the clematis. Both have burst into life - the leaves of the clematis are slowly unfurling, and the magnolia is covered in silvery, furry buds.

Sycamore

It's not just my garden either. On a walk in south Galway on Sunday (on a gloriously sunny and clear day) , there are other early arrivals. Along one hedgerow, sycamore buds are bursting into leaf, and outside one house overlooking Lough Graney, a camellia has begun to flower. The camellia is native to the Himalayas so it's not too bothered by a bit of frost, but the third week of January is about as early as one could hope for blossoms. There was another plant beginning to blossom too - I'm not sure of it's name so I'd appreciate any feedback (pic below). So far, it's been a very mild winter, with very little frost. And though the early burst of greenery warms the heart, I wouldn't mind even a short cold snap, if only to lay waste to the hordes of slugs that will otherwise massacre everything in sight later this year.

Anyone know what this is?

Posted by Monasette at January 25, 2005 11:34 PM