As the seasons ebb and flow, so too does the ever-changing beauty of our founder Lucy’s cottage garden. Each month, she shares quiet musings from among the borders - small joys, new discoveries, and the gentle rhythms of nature as they unfold. From the first unfurling petals of spring to the mellow glow of autumn, these notes offer a glimpse into a garden forever in motion.
It’s amazing what a dose of sunshine will do. It may have proved a fleeting sign of what, with any luck, is to come, but it has done instant wonders for the garden. Everything seemed to spring into life overnight - a glorious, life-affirming reminder of how much I’ve missed flowers and colour through the tail end of winter.
The first bees of the season were another cheering sight, buzzing in industrious abundance at the first sign of spring. It was a joy to see them feasting on my hellebores, which provided a welcome pollen harvest. They were the first flowers of the year to bloom, and they’re now rampantly growing at a pace.
The hyacinths that throng the front door are always the first spring bulbs to flower, unfurling with all their sweet promise. Not only is their medley of pinks achingly lovely, but they also fill the air with the scent of a new season, delighting us twice.
Over in my quadrant beds, it’s the lemon-yellow Fritillaria imperialis that have put in the first showing - a particularly happy sight, since I know that the snake’s-head fritillary will be hot on their heels. This is such a lovely time of year: every meander down the garden path brings fresh sightings of new beauties as they triumphantly emerge.
Another transformation has been taking place in the greenhouse, which has gone from near-emptiness to a well-thronged hive of activity. Every possible pot is filled with my annual seeds, and now the waiting game commences as they burst into life, one by one. As ever, I’ve got a few varieties of nasturtiums, the Irish bells that I adored last year and a couple of new varieties, including a beautiful type of Forget-me-not called Mystery Rose.
