New year, same old me. Thankfully.

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Last year I promised the garden that I would bring new gardening practises and refinement, new plants and cohesion.  I'm not sure if I managed the refinement and cohesion but I definitely kept my other promises.

I didn't use any chemical pesticides in the garden at all.  I had thought that this would be really challenging.  There are aisles full of various killing products in the garden centres, they've even made their way into the supermarket. They are so easy to just pop in your basket. Well it's been a simple adjustment.  It has meant thinking differently about the garden and its place in the wider ecosystem where one creepy-crawly eating a leaf is feeding a frog, that is feeding a bird and so on.  

During 2019 I opting for two types of nematodes to combat my biggest issues in the garden, namely slugs/snails and vine weevils. I also brewed some nettles and made a concentrated spray that helps with aphids.  I've noticed a big difference, mainly more birds which is lovely. 

I didn't quite make it outside with a torch to dispose of the slugs and snails though.  That's probably a step too far! 

 Looking forward to the year ahead with my new Husband whom I married last November.  I've already begun one of my promises to the garden this year.  To revisit the pots and find companion plants for the single specimens in each one.  I need to think about my pots differently that they are a garden in themselves.  

This Sarcococca hookeriana 'Purple Stem' was lying about on its own all lonely so I had a look for items that would do well with it and complement it.  I paired it with a Phormium 'Sundowner' as the pinks are picked up in the stems of the Sarcococca, a few Hellebores with 'Double Ellen Red' flowers and a variegated fern Arachnoides aristata.  The sweet scent is beautiful at this point in the year by the patio doors leading into the garden.
Other promises for the year will include the use of our new National Trust membership.  We really should be visiting somewhere at least once a month, we'll see how that goes.

I hope that by taking care of the garden in these small ways Mother Earth will reap rewards upon us going forwards.  

Wishing all my readers a joyful and productive year ahead. 

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