Winter Wonders

My previous blog was entitled 'I am dreaming of a Dry Garden', which should now perhaps be modified to 'I am desperate for a dry garden', as the rain continues to fall. In fact we have not had quite as much rain as the previous January, when in this garden in SE Gers I recorded 184mm of rain, the average being around 60mm. This year it was 129mm, but it comes after what was a very wet year with last November 154mm of rain, well over twice the average amount, with the result that the ground is completely saturated. On the other hand, so far, and the 'so far' needs to be stressed, it has been very mild.. Our first daffodils - N.February Gold, are already in flower, as also the Iris reticulatas, cyclamen coums, and occasional crocus, along with the half a dozen snowdrops, which is all that we seem to be able to manage.  Also in flower is Prunus x subhirtella Autumnalis Rosea, and it is this that has prompted the title of this blog.It has been in full flower now for almost two months, this an extremely long time for any flowering tree or shrub, and it could well continue for at least another month. It is one of Robin Lane Fox's favourite trees, though he would much prefer the white form to the pink. I am perfectly happy with the pink, and can strongly recommend it to you all.  In previous blogs I have raised the question of why there are not many more varieties of flowering cherries in Gascony. The problem may be a certain conservatism of our local nurseries, or may be there is a real problem with our summer heat, and fairly frequent secheresse, but all I can say is that our 'Autumn Flowering cherry' has flourished exceedingly, and in six years is now quite a large tree which has never failed to perform. In a cold winter it will cease flowering if the temperature drops below freezing, but will then burst into life in any milder spell. Lane Fox suggests that it may flower for six months, which is a bit of an exaggeration, but its ability to stop and start certainly prolongs its flowering period. And just coming into flower is another flowering cherry, P. Okame. I do not rate it quite as highly as the afore mentioned - it is a stronger pink, which some people may prefer, but its flowering period as for so many flowering cherries is brief, and after flowering what you have got is a rather shapeless tallish bush. Still I am happy to have it, and it seems to be happy to be here.


What other winter wonders are? Well, my mahonias are still in flower , and this coupled with their shiny evergreen leaves have helped to keep the winter gloom at bay. M. Winter Sun  seems to have out-distanced its competitors in our local garden centres, though one can find the occasional M. Charity. There is nothing much wrong with either of them, except that neither of them has much, if indeed any scent.Moreover the catalogues are slightly cautious on this subject. According to my 2002 Hilliers M.Winter Sun does have fragrant flowers, but M.Charity's are only slightly fragrant. I wish that I could get hold of M.japonica: not so architectural as the aforementioned but genuinely fragrant flowers. The most architectural is M. Lomarifolia, a plant that I have always desired but never succeeded in growing so alas I cannot comment about its fragrance. I know that I am always going on about the mahonias, I suppose because they appear to have fallen out of fashion, and I think that this is a pity.

At this point I should perhaps confess that here our winters are never going to contain as many wonders as,say, an English, or indeed any countries woodland garden.  The obvious stars of such gardens, for instance the early flowering camellias and magnolias are difficult, if not for many of us impossible to grow. I did grow some of these reasonably successfully in a garden much closer into the central Pyrenees, and I guess that the nearer you get to the Atlantic, and especially if you have acidic soil the more chance you will have especially if you can provide some shade. But here in the Gers they are almost impossible, though camellias will grow happily in a pot if you can assure summer watering, and in many ways their very smart appearance suits a pot well.  Less showy but famous for their scent are the Hamamelis, and since they have also autumn colour they are wonderful things to have. I have seen some in local gardens, but they need shade and moisture to flourish, and these two things in most years at least are difficult to provide.

So I will end with three Winter Wonders that present no problems that I know of.  Cyclamen coum is the winter version of the more common autumn cyclamen, C. hederifolium. The leaves are rounder than its autumn cousin but the variation in the leaf patterns is probably as great. The flowers smaller, or at any rate the stems are certainly shorter, but again share the same colour variations, this from white through pink to deep red, and almost purple.  They seem to be indestructible, which is not true of the crocus, and after two or three years you will suddenly find them  popping up in unexpected places which is always a delight. There are of course a good many other varieties - in other gardens I had some success with C.africanum with bigger leaves and flowers than the two already mentioned. C.cilicium should do perfectly well, and my one C.graecum survived without ever looking very happy, but these do not come into the Winter Wonder category.

What does is Iris unguicularis. Ours have been in flower for as long a time as the Autumn flowering Cherry, which is to say at least two months, and I do not think that they are about to stop!. In fact the individual flower shares the characteristic of almost all iris - from bud to death about two or three days max - but once your clump is established it will produce this amazing succession of flowers. We have only got the bog standard, but my now out of date Plant Finder lists over a dozen of which I.ung.Walter Butt with I seem to remember slightly larger and paler blue flowers is one that I would love to find. There is also a white, which I tried here and failed, consoling myself with the reflection that perhaps I prefered my Iris unguicularis blue.  What we have not failed with are the various Iris histriodes/reticulatas. They come in a much greater range of colours, with some exciting markings, and flower happily in February, so they are certainly a winter plant. Why they perhaps just miss out on the 'wonder' category is that their period in flower is so brief: two or three days with no ability to produce a succession.

Finally the humble Chaenomeles. This is a great concession on my part, being a self-confessed plant snob!  But common it may be and thus obviously very easy to grow, and once out of flower with nothing much to recommend it, it is such a cheerful sight so early in the year, that in the end I think it qualifies as a 'Wonder'.  I have a preference for the deep reds, but there is a huge choice to be made, mainly in the red/pink range, but also white and even, which I do not think that I realised, some that are yellow, or at least yellowish. What I think they show is that almost anything that flowers at this time of year is something to be included in all ours gardens, since it brings such cheer, which this year in particular, as the rain still falls we are much in need of.