A YEAR IN MY GARDEN

The year begins with the blooming of the Snowdrops. Pushing their heads up throughout December, the New Year seems to be the signal for them to open their flowers and lay a blanket of white over the cold hard ground.

Still adorned by swathes of Snowdrops, the Garden is graced with the first colour of the year as the Crocuses and wild Primroses wake from their winters sleep. Ribes and Hebes provide colour above ground level.

Wild flowers push their way up through well trodden gravel and grow in places that seem impossible. Of course, many call them weeds but each to their own. Daffodils and Hyacinth bulbs provide low colour while Ribes and Forsythia compete at higher levels.

Tulips make their mark with vibrant hot colours and the Apple Blossom is a joy to behold but the wild Bluebells pushing up through the lawns give the greatest pleasure. It will be a long time before I can mow those patches of grass but it's worth it.

As the Bluebells begin to fade so many shrubs burst into life. The most predominant force in the garden in May has to be the Lilac trees. Their heady perfume fills the air and reminds us that Summer is just around the corner.

Fragile and they need stakes to prevent them being snapped by the wind or broken by the rain, but Delphiniums light up the back of the borders. Roses produce their first flush of showy flowers and I especially like Tess of the D'urberville's, which was bought in commemoration of our recently departed pet dog, Tess.

So many flowers to choose from in July. My main passion is growing Fuchsia's and they are abundant now but Roses are also a favourite and the Buddleia attracts Butterflies like nothing else.

At last, my Fuchsia's. This one is called Swingtime but it was hard singling out just one to display. Perhaps I should do another page just for Fuchsia's. Of course the garden is a riot of colour with flowers of every description, but this one always catches my eye.

Gardens in England are well past their best now, but the Fuchsia's still provide a pleasant show. This one, Carla Johnson, is one of my favourites for I just love the pale pastel colours.

As Autumn takes hold and Winter approaches, the Heathers will give another showing of warm colours. Of course, my Fuchsia's are still flowering away in my Greenhouse but this page is about my garden.

The long bright yellow spikes of the Mahonia are always a pleasant surprise as winter begins to set in, and the ornamental fruits look very seasonal.

It seems unfair to leave my Rockery till last. All year long my conifers have been looking great and they provide a wonderful summers competition with the other plants even though they produce no flowers. Now, with the flowers gone and the garden in winter-mode, the conifers come into their own and continue to please the eye just as they have all year round.