I really must give up memes – I lack the commitment! Not only is it not Saturday, but I’m not sure if I can come up with six ‘news items’.
I love the garden at this time of year.
I think possibly I suffer from some sort of mental disorder which only allows me to enjoy things that are very well organised – and the garden always seems pretty much under control in January. I can see everything properly. It doesn’t confuse me when I look at it …This garden is actually much too big for someone with that kind of mental health problem!
Later on there’s too much, and I become confused (and worried about the weeds). In January I can breathe slowly and deeply. My garden does not frighten me in this month…
We’ve had snow for the third day running, but it’s not nearly as cold as it might be. Tonight temperatures are set to fall down to -1 degrees centigrade (will feel like -4 centigrade my phone app says).
The winter flowering things are slightly damaged. Generally the two winter honeysuckles come through unscathed …
But Chimonanthus praecox ‘Grandiflorus’ on the Mirror Garden is black around the ears …
and Viburnum ‘Charles Lamont’ is just slightly knocked back, but will recover …
No sign of flowers yet on Hamamelis ‘Pallida’ and the snowdrops are slow – they know what’s good for them.
There’s a nice self-sown plant of Helleborus foetidus ex ‘Wester Flisk’ (which has redder stems that the norm) to the front left in the photo.
I am totally enchanted by how far and wide the local ant population have spread seed of my little Cyclamen coum. Thank goodness for occasional successes!
I used to be a real alpine bulb fan and when I arrived here from Ireland in 2011 it was with three crates full of 9cm pots with bulb seedlings in them. All grown from Alpine Garden Society or Hardy Plant Society seed. I didn’t plunge them in my first winter and all those lovingly tended little seedlings died through being frozen to death. The original plant of this little cyclamen was the sole survivor, along with two species narcissi.
My success rate with seed didn’t improve much after 2011. Maybe, now that the structure of the garden is largely there, I should go back to that kind of ‘playing’ – oh, how I loved it. But when you are laying down the bones of a garden this size, there never seems to be any time. Making sure I do some of those fiddly (light!), fun things that I really enjoy in the garden should be my 2023 resolution.
I’ve just resolved to open for charity this year again (haven’t done so since 2018), so need to get my mojo and lust for gardening back quickly … thank goodness each day is fresh ‘with no mistakes in it’…
These Cyclamen hederifolium may not be flowering, but their leaves are so welcome.
As are the overwintered greens in the greenhouse. I am a fan of Chinese stir-fries, so my mustard greens ‘Wasabi’ are a godsend. Sadly, I wasn’t successful with my chopsuey greens or my pak choi (just writing the names makes my mouth water!). There’s always this coming season.
Greenhouse spinach disappointingly small – but give us a bit of sunshine and I’ll be like a pig in …
Have an excellent week – even if the weather doesn’t allow any gardening!
Garden Dreaming at Châtillon 
Looks great. I loved seeing the Wintersweet and Honeysuckle…old favorites. I agree about January, things seem under control, til they are not!
And February’s just around the corner to disillusion me in my dreaming!
It’s nice to see the bare bones of your garden, it is BIG! Must take a lot of maintenance and hard work, but so rewarding. The Cyclamen coum are so sweet. I really must buy some.
That cyclamen is fabulous – and so easy. It really seems to like the clay here better than C. hederifolium
A nice selection of winter-flowering shrubs! And those dogwoods have made quite a size!
Thanks Paddy – yellow-stemmed grows really fast but ‘Sibirica’ is a little slow for my liking – trickier to root in this soil as well, than I’ve found in the past.
Love your comment about tidy looking garden. My small plot looks also very organized. However the small slugs still manage to survive the cold. Must try to be optimistic like you.
Keep writing, Beatrix
Thanks for visiting – your small plot always looks lovely to me – and is actually not so small! I must visit and see it a few years on this spring or summer!
Six on Sunday works, too! 😉 Looks like your growing season is about to launch as your snowdrops seem to indicate. It’ll be a while yet for us here.
Embarrassingly, I’ve done it again, Eliza. The Sunday thing. I’m getting worse and worse at blogging – but so appreciative of people like you who are more faithful. Must go over to yours this evening for your Silent Sunday!
It’s good to see the defined areas of your garden in winter, and close up there is already a lot happening. Hope you can stay on top of it without feeling overwhelmed later in the year… enjoy this season!
Thanks Cathy – I’m praying I can. The last few years I have found difficult, but some of that ‘psychological’ stuff is hopefully falling away now, just in time for the new season!
Thank you. I enjoyed this. X
And thank YOU for visiting, Paula!
The structure really stands out, and I get what you are saying about the tidiness – it’s as if everything is on hold, making it easier to be in control…but we know that as soon as the weather and light levels improve the garden will be off like a shot and we will be playing catch up for the rest of the year! Good to hear from you again
And from you Cathy – yes, indeed, it is all gathering itself for the off. However I’ve just included a reminder (to myself) today of what February can be like. Lovely, lovely snow …
Hmm, I trust you are being facetious about the snow! 😂 Thankfully the forecast here is dry and all but double digit temperatures for the next fortnight…
Always facetious, me! I hope to catch up with your vases soon, Cathy. All best!
I love seeing photos of your garden, especially showing its structure, it’s so beautiful……and I totally relate to your comment about finding deep winter less stressful in terms of being less out of control with one’s garden!! Me too – where I am we’re in summer now, cooler and wetter than usual (Canberra, Australia), and the weeds are approaching out of control….
Welcome Isla – I must investigate if you have a blog or not… thanks, in any case for visiting and for your kind comment!
Hi Cathy, thank you. Just letting you know I don’t have a blog.
Thanks for visiting all the same!
I just found your blog. Really nice to see your French garden! We have been to France often, and sometimes driving through the countryside, you really wonder what people’s lives and gardens are like… We are living and gardening in Denmark – on an organic farm
greetings from Liv
Thanks so much Liv! I wouldn’t say we were very typical. In our area a garden is mostly vegetables … you must be so busy if you are on an organic farm – so much more so than I! Thanks for taking the time to visit. All best for the 2023 season!