Nature Blogging During a Pandemic

Extending Light. Return of Green. Unfurling buds. Cold Soil. Birdsong. Blustery days. Sap rising. 

Issue 7 March 2020

Nature Blogging
During a Pandemic

With all the madness going on in the World at the moment I've been questioning whether I should be spending time and energy blogging while we're all adjusting to our new realities. Does it have any value to others out there? Is it frivolous in a bleak time? It's certainly something positive I can do whilst self isolating.

At the end of the day I can only speak from my own experience and for me being close to Nature is now more important than ever.  The rhythm of the seasons is a reminder that change is constant. Even when things seem most dire and barren there's potential for new growth. Seeing buds unfurl, noticing the colour return to gardens and hedgerows and watching our wildlife getting on with their lives, offers me hope and constancy.

Forging a strong connection to the natural world is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your own well being -  aside from the current medical guidelines of course! If I can continue noticing the details myself, learning about the natural world and sharing it with you, I will do. 

Perhaps I can be the Nature geek that beings some light to you in a difficult time.  Baldwin Botanica continues..... 

"You can't fix a global pandemic on your own 

but everyone has to do their own little bit I guess 

and make sure that their patch is cared for and that 

doesn't mean looking after yourself that actually means 

looking after everyone around you as well."

Greg James

THRIVE

The weather is glorious at the moment and we're seeing some significant green growth. But remember it remains cold at night and the garden soil has yet to properly warm up. In the garden there's a risk of acting too early, in our enthusiasm for warmer days!

That said, there are things you can be sowing now. I'm already growing lettuces. I've sown Sarah Raven's winter leaves which are coming up nicely in a recycled grape container. I'm keeping the seedlings inside and putting them out for blasts of sheltered sunshine during the day. I'll try and sow the lettuce seeds successionally to give us a constant supply of green leaves. 

I've got some of the hardier vegetable seeds to sow outside and the more tender ones for sowing inside or under cover until the weather warms a little more. Currently planning peas, broad beans, french beans, beetroot and spinach. I have some Nicola seed potatoes (of course!) to trial and will plant them out at the end of March.

I also have Calendula officinalis 'Indian Prince' or pot marigolds to sow indoor. They are easy to grow and their deep orange flowers are edible as well as irrepressibly cheerful. I grow them as annuals - plants that grow live and die in one year. You can use the petals to add a neon orange to cooking and put the dried petals in teas or baked goods. Calendula is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antifungal. It's good for soothing minor cuts, sunburn and irritated skin. I'm planning to make a flower oil from the petals to sooth dry hands caused by all this handwashing with antibacterial soaps!

Now's the time to lift and divide clumps of snowdrops that have finished flowering. Snowdrops establish much better when planted now rather than as bulbs in the Autumn - it's called "planting in the green".

FLOURISH

March is the month for daffodils. They get their Latin name (Narcissus) from the Ancient Greek myth of vain Narcissus who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water and became so obsessed that he fell in and drowned. The downward nodding daffodil heads are said to embody Narcissus bending over the water. Seems a tough association for such a cheerful flower! Once your daffs have finished flowering let their leaves die back naturally so all the nutrients return to the bulbs giving you a strong show next year.

The daffodils look wonderful contrasting with the vibrant blue, cone shaped spikes of the grape hyacinths, Muscari. I love these often overlooked spring bulbs. They are easy to grow, the bees in my garden love the early pollen and the bulbs naturalise giving you even more flowers next year. 

The pulmonaria have been quietly flowering in my garden this month. They cope well in the shady spots under shrubs and as well as their attractive flowers in blue, pink, purple, white or coral, some varieties also offer interesting spotted leaves. Have a look at the very pretty white variety 'Opal'. A good "doer" of a plant!

The star-shaped, warm-white flowers of Magnolia stellata (Star Magnolia) are now in flower.  The lightly scented flower open early, before the leaves, eventually covering the shrub for several weeks. It's a great choice for a small garden and more frost resistant than the varieties with traditional goblet shaped blooms. Just find a sheltered spot to plant it, away from strong winds. 

I'm excited to see the tulip bulbs putting up strong green stems and buds. Fingers crossed for a grand show over the coming months.

Clearly at the moment we have a responsibility to stay home and avoid social contact outside of our families. However you decide to spend your days do try and get outside safely if you can - in your garden or on a balcony or taking your daily exercise outside away from others under big skies.  Looking at the details is a wonderful way to reconnect to the seasons. Let me know what March 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.