Fresh Ideas

After such a grueling spell of weather over Christmas and the New Year I wonder how much of my garden will survive.
Living in West Cork for twenty years I have grown used to a relatively benign climate. I have ignored reminders to wrap up vulnerable plants and lift my dahlia tubers, I’ve left pots of pelargoniums on the terrace and seen no harm come to them for many years. Well, I’ve certainly learned my lesson this winter.
Of course, I won’t give up yet and I’ll wait anxiously for signs of new growth, but if all else fails this will be the perfect opportunity to try some new ideas and even better, new plants.
I want to change the herbaceous borders, to try out different colours and heights. Large spaces can now be found as huge clumps of dahlias will have been destroyed by frost or severely depleted. If I do replant dahlias, I will choose those with smaller heads and more compact growth to cut down on the staking required. But I think I’d like to try Dierama, or “Angels fishing rods”. I have just one in the border at the moment and it really is beautiful. Dainty and delicate with grass like leaves and nodding funnel shaped flowers in shades of pink and violet.
Our huge old Hydrangeas have been badly frosted and will probably have lost next years buds, so I will not hesitate to cut them back. In the spring after the worst of the frost is over I will give them all a good trim. The flowers will therefore be really late, but by cutting them back I can open up space for other interesting shrubs that will spread the flowering season, or maybe an evergreen to give more structure in the winter.
We’ve had fabulous Echiums for the last couple of years, they really have that wow factor. It is so tempting to just leave them to self seed and continue to impress, but having lost them in the cold weather, I will have at least one years gap as I have to resow (they are biennial) and I already have new ideas for change. I’m thinking of Verbascum olympicum, it grows 1.5 to 2 metres from large grey basal leaves with numerous golden yellow flowers. Luckily it is easily grown from seed so I can be generous with the planting.
So although I know I will have pangs of sadness when much loved plants fail to pop up this spring, it will force me to move on and enjoy choosing new plants and planning new combinations. We have seen some extreme weather patterns recently and nature has given us an unexpected push to look with fresh eyes. It’s going to be a challenge but gardeners thrive on challenges.