Everlasting Flowers (Flowers For All Seasons)

It's amazing what a bit of sunshine and fresh air can do. We were forecast snow over the weekend, but had lovely warming sunshine and bright blue skies instead. I had been feeling a little low on Saturday morning after a run of dreary grey weather and so many worrying news headlines, and so the sunny weather was more than a little welcome.

I ventured out into the garden for the first time in a few days and immediately felt enthused to do something constructive. In the end, I only managed some light pruning and a little weeding, though felt much more uplifted by the time I put away my tools and went back inside.

The birds seemed equally upbeat and were very vocal as I worked. A group of jackdaws seemed to be having a party in the birch trees above me and some finches were noisily chattering as they flew between the yew and berberis. The red kites also seemed to be taking full advantage of the warmer weather and I counted as many as ten of them flying directly above the garden as I pottered away.

I'm not sure whether it was the feeling of the sun on my face that enthused me or the sudden burst of colour in the bright blue sky. There are so many reasons why gardens and nature could inspire us. At the end of the day, I think its just being away from the stresses of daily life and feeling part of something that's bigger than ourselves.

Despite the lovely blue sky, colour in the garden is a little sparse at the moment. However, there are splashes of pink from a few remaining summer flowers and pops of red from the buds of the Skimmia japonica and the berries and hips. The buds on the Camellia and flowering quince are also getting very fat.

Unfortunately something appears to have been pulling up my snowdrop bulbs. A bird after young shoots perhaps? I have said this before, but I am very fond of my little cluster of snowdrops. They were one of the first signs of life I found in the garden when we moved into our house several years ago and so, to me, they are a symbol of hope and new beginnings. I hastily popped the bulbs back into the earth, patted them down and cleared away some of the leaf litter that surrounded them.

I do aim to have flowers in the garden in all seasons, though rarely pick any for the house. I have a plan this year to turn one of our borders into a space for "everlasting" flowers, i.e. flowers that I can dry and bring inside during the winter months. I already collect small bunches of lavender and curry plant (Helichrysum italicum) for this purpose, but would like something with a bit more pizazz this year (I think its a sign of the times that I just want a space that is a mass of colour during the summer months). With this in mind, I was very excited to put in my first seed order of the year yesterday, and added to this a couple of packs of more colourful varieties of Strawflower (Xerochrysum (prev. Helichrysum) bracteatum) and Statice (Limonium sinuatum).

Dried and preserved flower arrangements seem to have had a resurgence in recent years (according to The Independent, the Etsy marketplace reported a greater than 90% increase in searches for dried flowers in the first half of 2020). Gone are the days when dried flowers were just seen in bowls of potpourri; they now feature in a wide range of forms, from floral wreaths to bridal bouquets. It's easy to see the appeal as you get so much more flower life for your money, they require such little maintenance after drying and it's possible to have beautiful flowers in your home throughout the wintertime without the need for them to be shipped from far away. There are also lots of plants to choose from; pretty little posies can be created from bunches of dried heather, lavender and drumstick flowers (Craspedia spp.), or more imposing arrangements can be made using prickly sea holly, branches of pussy willow and/or dried eucalyptus stems.

I'm definitely in the mood for bold and bright colours this year but, if you prefer more subtle, earthy tones and lots of texture, dried miscanthus, feather reed and pampas grasses are frequently used in professional flower arrangements. I also love the fluffy heads of "bunny tail grass" which (like pussy willow) are so beautifully soft that I cannot resist stroking them. Lovely white Gypsophila and "Pearly Everlasting" (Anaphalis margaritacea) can also add a soothing influence and (prior to harvesting) are popular with pollinating insects, including bees, butterflies and moths. Even dried seed heads, such as poppy, teasel, Chinese lanterns, "Love in a Mist" (Nigella damascena) and Honesty, can add structure and interest to an arrangement.

After I had finished weeding, I stood and stared a while at the patch of earth that will (I hope) become a bed of lovely everlasting flowers in the summer time. I was trying to plan where I will plant everything and how it will all look (I am hopeless at doing this) when a plane flew overhead and I found myself immediately brought back to the trials of the day as I wondered where it was going. This of course immediately led me to ask myself where would I go if I was free to travel anywhere today. There is no question that my first stop would be to visit family in Cheshire and Scotland. Then, I think I would simply like to go out for dinner. Just a simple dinner in a nice restaurant with my whole family. Where would you go?

"The shortest day has passed, and whatever nastiness of weather we may look forward to in January and February, at least we notice that the days are getting longer. Minute by minute they lengthen out. It takes some weeks before we become aware of the change. It is imperceptible even as the growth of a child, as you watch it day by day, until the moment comes when with a start of delighted surprise we realize that we can stay out of doors in a

twilight lasting for another quarter of a precious hour." Vita Sackville-West

Excerpt from Oh! The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss

Somehow you'll escape

all that waiting and staying

You'll find the bright places

where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,

once more you'll ride high!

Ready for anything under the sky.

Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!

There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.