Spring 2011 review - part 1

There has been lots going on in the Garden of Shaz over the last six months. Here then is a review of spring 2011 to chart the changes over the last few months.

After such a harsh winter the eventual thaw was so welcome. But it brought with it a water-logged ground that took weeks to dry out. So once the water logged ground had dried enough, I could get to the brussels and harvest. I had imaginged that I would be enjoying home grown Brussels and parsnip for Christmas dinner, by sadly they didnt make it to the plate because of the frozen conditions in December. I was concerned with the brussels and parsnip still at the mercy of the elements and how the freezing conditions would damage the vegetables. Apart from a little damage from what I suspect was caused by insect kind, I was quite surprised how good a condition the sprouts were. Once picked there was enough for a couple of dinners and actually tasted pretty good to.



The parsnip leaves had been completely destroyed by the frosts and snow which made it difficult to know where the dig. I decided to leave them in the ground until drier conditions and in that time noticed new leaf growth forming. It wasnt until February until the parsnips were eventually dug up and what a huge surprise it was so see what had been growing under ground. The was a mixture of sizes from the minisule to the massive and the weirdest growth on most. Few were neat plump and long like the supermarket type. Instaed they were mostly odd shapes with finger like growths forming miniutre parsnips. I believe this might have been caused because they were left in the ground to long and had started the growing process again, as with the new leaves.

Oddly shaped or not, they were still edilble and so with much cleaning and peeling a good amount of parsnip chunks were eventually cut.

The green, green grass

Its so green, the grass in my garden. Greener than its looked for a very long time. But how can it be after the harshest winter for a 100 years. I think its because the 8 inches of snow we have had has actually protected it from the sub zero temperatures.


During December the temperatures by day were as low -3 degrees if not lower. Before the snow, the ground was rock solid after days of the harshest frosts I have ever seen, that created the most beautiful effect on everything it touched. Then with a layer of snow that lay on the ground for perhaps as long as two weeks, the ground temperature could start to rise again. Once the snow cleared the grass was already springing back into life to reveal this lush carpet of green.


So while the garden was covered with this second helping of snow the priority again has been to keep the water in the bird bath de-iced and a supply of food for the birds.



This Christmas I was hoping to enjoy my own homegrown Brussels and parsnips. However, because of the big freeze it has been impossible to harvest anything. Hopefully they will survive this weather and be edible for a January meal instead.

After the freeze

Since the last post the only activity in the garden, until this weekend, has been to defrost the bird bath and put feed out for the birds. With temperatures falling to -5 degrees C it must have been very challenging for the wildlife, so its been a priority to keep them fed and watered. Its been interesting watching 5 or 6 blackbirds sitting together in the same tree, then later chasing each other around to defend food and territory.

The robin is a regular visitor and is often sitting on the fence before I go out with feed. It even starts to feed while I am only a few feet away. A long tail tit and thrush have also been spotted.

This weekend brought warmer weather and so I could get into the garden to tidy up. The Cosmos and Rudbeckia had been totally destroyed by the heavy frosts. The late flowering had been a great show but the remains after this cold snap had left them in a terrible mess. Other plants look to have survived although the parsnip leaves have seen better days.

Oh no, snow!

The snow has arrived. Friday lunchtime time the snow started to fall in Cardiff and within a few hours a good few inches had settled. So begins the big freeze.

Earlier in the week the days had been getting chillier with morning frosts damaging the still flowering Cosmos and Rudbeckia. The weight of the snow finally crushed the life from them and all that remains of the Cosmos is withered and broken stems. Surprisingly some of the Rudbeckia might still survive.




Since the snow arrived its been more important to feed and water the birds. The bird bath must now be defrosted each morning with hot water replacing the thick layer of ice. This morning I filled the bird bath with freshly boiled water. With the temperature at -2 the water had started to freeze again by the afternoon. Within minutes of going back into the house the Robin had arrived at the bird bath for a drink. It would have found the water too warm and drank from the cooler spillage on the floor.

Peanuts and seed is already hanging in the garden. Muesli, dried fruit, mixed nuts, meal worms and biscuits are put out each morning. Today these foods attracted the robin, magpies, a group of 8 starlings, a pair of collared dove and 5 or 6 blackbird. Interesting, and worryingly no sparrows have been seen in the garden for some days. Hopefully they have found a better food source.

There is very little to do in the garden for the next few months apart from harvest the Brussels and parsnip later in the year and plan for next year. Ive not really thought too much about the year to come apart from controlling the spread of the hostas and day lilies. These two plants have been most successful but do cover a lot of space when fully grown that other plants struggle to compete. The evergreen shrubs that should be providing winter colour and interest are disappointing as a result.

The last blooms of 2010

November has been an interesting month and its only half way through. The weather has brought the challenges of frost, strong winds and heavy rain. The perennials including hostas, marigolds and fern have completely died away leaving large and muddy gaps in the border.

The winners this month are the Cosmos and Rudbeckia. These were sown late in the year and then planted late into the borders and pots. I didn't expect them to do much this year because they were grown so late. However I have been very surprised as both have bloomed beautifully with the Rudbeckia giving a very strong display.




The apples have been removed from the tree to allow it to concentrate its energy on itself during the winter and spring months.

Autumn takes over

Its November and autumn has definitely arrived, first with warmth and wonderful colours in the trees and bushes, and now with strong winds and rain. Once these winds die down there wont be many leaves on the trees and the arrival of autumn and darkness with the clocks going back makes it all seem to happen so much more abruptly. Never mind, its still a great time of year and so much is changing so quickly.



Way back in august the day lilies were finishing. Since then they have completely died away and their spiky leaves have dried and been cut back. Schizostylis fenland daybreak then took over the boarder. Now even their vibrant but delicate pink flowers have lost a bit of their punch.

Hosta's have all but gone but still strong are the Brussels. Ive had a difficult time controlling the caterpillar populations on these plants. As there are mixed in with the flowers and shrubs of the border I have not been able to net them, hence a variety of caterpillars have enjoyed a feast. Between the thick stalked leaves are small round Brussels that should provide a good accompaniment to Christmas dinner.

The parsnips have also been doing well and it will be interesting to see how large they become when harvested. The leeks are looking good and seem to have survived the attentions of what might have been leek moth. At one stage the drooping and damaged leaves looked terminal. However in recent weeks they have all bulked up.

The apple tree is starting to shed its leaves. The apples are still on the tree and have grown to about 3cm's in diameter, not big enough to eat. I shall leave them on the tree for a while but I cant see them growing much more now. I expect that a leafless tree will be putting its energies into surviving the winter, not growing more fruit.

Lastly the runner beans have been the biggest success of the year, with much eaten and still more in the freezer. I have kept some back to dry out and provide seed for next year. Only a handful of carrots made it through the season which was disappointing. However the size of some of them has been incredible. It certainly helped growing them direct into the border and not into pots as in previous years.

The August report

Its been almost a month since my last post and a lot has happened during that time. The day lilies have given a brilliant display and are just coming to the end. I have let a few flowers develop into seed pods and will try to cultivate any seeds I collect next spring.

The apple tree produced a small amount of blossom a few weeks ago. While the blossom last for only a few days it has developed into seed heads which should go on to become apples. I am surprised by the timing of the blossom and expect the weather will become too cold for the apples to grow.

I harvested the potatoes this weekend. The plants were all suffering from blight so I didnt expect to find much. However I did manage to find enough to fill a bowl or two dinners worth. That evening I boiled some of them but after just a short time they had all split and gone to water. Disaster, and straight into the bin.

The big sucess has been the pea and bean crops. The dwarf beans produce a good amount of pods. I have also been shelling peas and picking runner beans and there is a lot more to come.