This is the journal of my endeavours to grow a range of fruit, veg and flowers from seed, grow organically, and my attempts to create a personal paradise with 1/2 acre of maintained gardens and 1/2 acre wild meadows. Northern Ireland's average daily high temperatures are 18 °C (64 °F) in July and 6 °C (43 °F) in January. Soil type: Clay

Saturday 18 January 2014

Emerging from Sleep

We had a mild December and a few nights of frost in January with the likelihood of more frost to come.  Outside I've noticed plants with growth emerging - it seems as if Spring is coming early? 

Here are the most noticeable plants showing active growth in the garden...

Left: Fennel, a perennial grown from seed a few years ago, it is sending up feathery looking stalks. They will reach over 6 feet tall this Summer.
Above: A large clay pot outside the back door with chard growing, and what looks like a sweet pea (?) emerging.
Above: A wild foxglove has established itself in the crevice of  a large planter.
Above: Honesty, which self seeds, has put on good growth already.
Below: Poached egg plant / Limnanthes Douglasii, a hardy annual, has been slowing spreading and growing over the months. It doesn't seem bothered by frost or snow.

Above: Sedum Autumn Joy, covered by Irish moss, begins to show new growth.
Below: An alpine sedum spreads and grows over the Winter months.

Have you noticed much new growth in your garden this month?

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

12 comments:

  1. What a coincidence as I've just posted on a very similar theme.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've just read both of them! Must try to get out with the camera in tomorrow's promised sunshine and take some pics of the emerging buds. The big tidy up that I did last week, including removing the old hellebore leaves, will have helped with the setting.

      Delete
  2. I will have to go into the garden tomorrow, I had thought I had little out there but I shall be checking my sedums to see if they are pushing up new growth.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes, the sedums are showing new growth here too, and the hellebores are really cheering me up at the moment! It won't be long..

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think it's the most exciting time in the garden, everything is starting up and there are nice plump buds everywhere. Plenty of early blooms too , much earlier than last year with the mild winter we are having so far.
    Chloris

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think some of those plants may be in for a shock. I can't believe that we will get away without some really cold weather this Winter! My garden is just the same, btw - everything is starting to grow.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Not here, we are still in the grips of winter even though the sun is shinning today, it is 42 degrees, and most of the snow has melted. No green to be seen yet. Mid March. Be sure to show us your wild foxglove in bloom--pen of my favorites.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Little by little things are emerging - I think the mild winter has helped - just hope we don't get too many weather shocks in the coming weeks.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lots of plants are waking up, though some haven't gone to sleep yet. I've got geraniums and marigolds which are still flowering, they've been at it none stop since summer.

    ReplyDelete
  9. My garden is asleep but there are a few that have piles of green leaves under the mulch and leaf litter. It will be another 6 weeks before my garden begins to truly wake up. But my sedum have new growth at the crowns, too. :o)

    ReplyDelete
  10. We just had a little freeze last night here in Florida, and my cosmos now look horrible. It didn't bother the cabbage and broccoli, though, so that was good news! I really think we will have an early Spring as well. It is so much fun to watch for new shoots and greens to appear.Hope you don't get too many days yet of cold weather!

    ReplyDelete
  11. A couple weeks ago, I did get out and find a bit of new growth, and that was after our intense cold. Now everything is once again covered in snow, with another super cold spell coming. But I'm glad for the snow cover to protect my plants when it gets down to minus 13F! I'm surprised how much new growth you are seeing.

    ReplyDelete