Spring-like Hopefulness. Lengthening of days. Waning Winter. Stirring of the Land
Issue 3 February 2020
HALF TERM
Half-term offers a great opportunity to get outdoors, with all the freedom of school holidays and none of the usual routines. I always have great plans of inspiring places to visit during this week, which all to easily get scuppered by work demands or inclement weather - well it is February! I expect this year it will be a balancing act but here are a few seasonal ideas to embrace with or without kids!NEST
Nature Table
Perhaps unsurprisingly I loved the nature table at school! It was a fantastic way to
introduce kids to the wonders of the natural world, capture their curiosity and let them find out what grew when.
I'm a bit of a collector and have ever growing "collections" of seedheads, stones, shells, cones, feathers and leaves, filling up window sills and shoeboxes! Curating these seasonal treasures into a grown up nature table connects me to Nature and the seasons. And in Spring its all about the emergence of new life.
Why not go on an expedition to find your seasonal treasures and create your own nature table - could be on a windowsill, a table, kitchen shelf or by your front door - anywhere you can spot and enjoy your finds.
I'd love to hear how you get on and what you find.
Moon Garden
Plan a place to sit and contemplate by the light of the moon. You can make the most of the low February light by planting white flowers and glaucous, silver foliage that appear luminous in the moonlight. Include plenty of blooms that open at night, plants that release sweet fragrances after the sun sets and foliage with texture and shape that can be enjoyed at night.
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| Grown Up Nature Table! |
I'm a bit of a collector and have ever growing "collections" of seedheads, stones, shells, cones, feathers and leaves, filling up window sills and shoeboxes! Curating these seasonal treasures into a grown up nature table connects me to Nature and the seasons. And in Spring its all about the emergence of new life.
Why not go on an expedition to find your seasonal treasures and create your own nature table - could be on a windowsill, a table, kitchen shelf or by your front door - anywhere you can spot and enjoy your finds.
I'd love to hear how you get on and what you find.
Moon Garden
Plan a place to sit and contemplate by the light of the moon. You can make the most of the low February light by planting white flowers and glaucous, silver foliage that appear luminous in the moonlight. Include plenty of blooms that open at night, plants that release sweet fragrances after the sun sets and foliage with texture and shape that can be enjoyed at night.
You could include snowdrops, white phlox, white daffodils, daphne, artemisia, nicotiana, lavender, stachys, daucus, senecio, thyme, sage but there's plenty of others to try too. And don’t forget to add somewhere comfortable to sit and enjoy your new planting.
PS: If you don’t have room for a Moon Garden you could create something similar in a large pot.
If you want to read more on this subject Lia Leendertz has a great book called "Twilight Garden."
If you want to read more on this subject Lia Leendertz has a great book called "Twilight Garden."
"In the cool of a garden when the evening draws in
Serenity waits where the shadows begin."
- Joyce Grenfell
Teacup Bird Feeders
Food is becoming scarce for wild birds by February and they need resources as they choose a mate and start searching for nesting sites. You can help by putting food out for them. Rather than buying plastic bird feeder, try making homemade teacup feeders. Dead simple.
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- Simply source a teacup with a handle - mine come from charity shops (so recycled too!)
- Put mixed bird food into the teacup
- Melt a block of lard in a saucepan, then slowly tip into the teacup
- Stir to distribute the seed evenly
- Add a small stick to act as a perch for the birds while they feed. I used cuttings of cornus from the garden
- Leave somewhere cool to set - out of reach of pet dogs who I learned are rather partial to the lard!!!
- Tie ribbon to the handle and hang outside, out of reach of cats
The dark nights and clear skies makes February a great time for star gazing. On a clear night you can see the Milky Way with the naked eye and in February you can spot Orion (the hunter with his belt).
The Dark Skies Festival runs from 14 Feb-1 Mar in National Parks around the country and here in Hampshire the South Downs Dark Skies Festival is on now until 23 February. The events are free and include the opportunity to go outside and moon gaze with experts plus enjoy talks about the stars, nocturnal wildlife and the planets.
There's more information at www.darkskiesnationalparks.org.uk
EXPLORE
Take a look at the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) - they offer some great all weather activities to get you outdoors and active. You can learn about the UK's wild weather, make sun catchers and wind socks and embark on a weather themed trail around one of their gardens. There's further info at rhs.org.uk/gardensWISDOM
"Glimpse the wild in Nature and you glimpse the wild in yourself.
Discover your own deep seated wildness and you intuit new things in Nature.
You are gazing in a mirror that is 3000 million years old."
- Richard Mabey
So this half term, if you can do get outside and explore your local countryside. Looking at the details is a wonderful way to reconnect to the seasons. Let me know what February highlights you spot and/or photograph.
If you have any questions you can reach me via my website www.plotgardendesign.co.uk and please follow/like PLOT Garden Design on social media to receive my seasonal updates and photos.
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