What's Looking good in February

I thought I might as well start this off. :D

Less than a week ago our garden looked like this




I've been out there mowing today








Even some of the old grasses don't look too bad



But need a bit of tidying up





The snow drops are considerably later than normal





But there are signs of spring







The witch hazel only opened this morning




Ferns were looking sorry for themselves but have perked up







We've managed to almost finish the digging of the veggie garden and get the compost spread - everything under the weed supressant has had 6" of compost





Last summer, because of the drought, we had no wild bee orchids in the garden and I thought we had lost them. They've honoured us with their presence for many years and we thought they were no more - but I've spotted them coming up again

 

Thanks

hope both of you can make it to the Open Garden in May.

 

Thanks, sixpence

I usually only have about a five week break in the mowing but this winter the last cut was on the 15th December. So it's been nine weeks.

 

harry, not quite sure what you're asking but I try to mow with the blades as low as the conditions allow. For most of the time that means the lowest setting or the one just above.

I've got a rotary mower and it's easy to change the height by just moving a lever on the side of the mower.

The lawns are much less than 50% grass with lots of moss, weeds, daisies, clover etc. Apart from not having the time and energy to scarify and treat the lawns it would become too costly as I have so much to do. Even that isn't the main reason. I don't use chemicals on the lawns because I compost all the cuttings and don't want them on the beds and veggie plot. Alos, if I use any chemicals in the garden they may drift and get to the areas of grass which I keep for wildflowers. Bee orchids are extremely susceptible to chemicals as they can only survive if there is a specific bacterium in the ground which dies if chemicals get on it.

Keeping the lawns cut low makes them look pretty good as an overall view and that's all I require of them. A closer look would make a professional gardener shudder. A general impression of the garden looking OK is all I aim at as I'm not physically able to do too much in one go - but I enjoy getting out there and working at it.

 

That's easy . you need a mower with a roller on the back instead of wheels. After the blades, which are in the middle of the mower, cut the grass the roller behind the blades bend the grass in the direction you are going. The next cutting row is in the opposite direction so the grass is bent the other way. Light reflecting off the grass gives it the striped effect.

The mower does all the work.

 

Then you won't be able to get the proper striped effect :(. It's something to think about when you get your next mower.

 

Crocus