February

The year round cutting garden....

While the winter months are certainly leaner and less bountiful than spring, summer and even autumn there is still plenty of beauty out in the natural world.

As promised, every month I'm going to list a few suggestions of what I would put in my garden to ensure I would always have something beautiful to cut and play with. By the end of the year we should have a whole roster of lovely perenniels that once planted will come back year after year better each time; many of which actually perform better as a result of occasional pruning.

We are still in what I like to call stick season. Blooming branches are everywhere! The trick with blooming branches is you really need to cut them  BEFORE you can see them. Once they pop open it's kinda too late to cut them. The magic is bringing them indoors while they are still budded up and they will blossom and deliver you a promise of spring; even in February! Right now I'm bringing in and loving...

Forsythia

Pussywillow

Quince

Viburnum tinus "spring bouquet"

Curly Willow

Pieris Japonica  

A couple of these, viburnum tinus  and pieris Japonica are evergreen shrubs that are almost always doing something pretty. They have attractive foliage, the buds that happen before they flower are a great texture, then they flower, and THEN they make cool berries! So good. I'm also using lots of tree ivy berries right now but, that is something I'd never recommend planting anywhere, especially here in the Pacific Northwest where it's very invasive and problematic. The only upside to it's pervasiveness is that you can harvest to your hearts content and no one will ever mind a bit; you are actually helping out! You just may want to burn it instead of tossing it on the compost heap. 

Soon we'll be seeing all the early spring blooms; anemones, hellebores, narcissus, hyacinths and Lily of the valley. Can't wait. What are  you most  anxious for?