At least the grass has stopped growing this winter. A few spring flowering bulbs showing leaves and snowdrop foliage above ground now. 

Even a half hearted dawn chorus yesterday.

Nick

---

Can see snowdrops today....

---

Winter flowering honeysuckle (the bush type) in flower now

---

My Viburnum Bodnantense is in full flower. It's supposed to be fragrant but I haven't got the slightest whiff of it yet. I planted it to be seen from the lounge window and under our bedroom window with the hope of dozing off to lovely floral perfume. Well at least it looks really cheerful on such a dreary day. 

---

My Viburnum Bodnantense is in full flower. It's supposed to be fragrant but I haven't got the slightest whiff of it yet. I planted it to be seen from the lounge window and under our bedroom window with the hope of dozing off to lovely floral perfume. Well at least it looks really cheerful on such a dreary day. 

Like the Mahonia, Caz, that Viburnum is delightfully fragrant, but at fairly close range. Some of the summer flowers that smell so strong (like the mock orange blossom) rely on summer air patterns and humidity to really carry the scent. But the Viburnum will be best sniffed on sunny, mild days, like the gorse when it blooms in winter.

---

Yes indeed Bertie. It's a shame such fragrance is wasted by weather. 

The Mahonias around here are looking particularly good this year and add some nice splashes of yellow to these grey days.  

---

Yes indeed Bertie. It's a shame such fragrance is wasted by weather. 

The Mahonias around here are looking particularly good this year and add some nice splashes of yellow to these grey days.  

That's lovely to hear Caz. Mum (now gone) gave Bess & me a mahonia years ago and it buzzed with early insects in February. Then the shed we built kind of cornered it- although I could smell it strongly as we had a bench by the shed. The children came and we were concerned about its prickly leaves and yellow sap which looked decidedly dodgy- we always wanted our children to have free-rein in the garden; so we cut it to a stump. Sentimental it is, but it did the phoenix thing and now is as strong as at the beginning- and Dad, bless him, goes out and sniffs it on February afternoons. He thinks I haven't noticed but I've seen him.

---

That's a lovely story Bertie!  I don't have room for a Mahonia but I've planted a few in my early horticultural days and had the scratches to prove it.  

We're coming up to the season for Daffs and I'm looking forward to seeing the ones I dug out of my son's garden and planted in mine last year.  I still haven't put his house up for sale, so if any more come up in his garden this year, I'll be round there with my trowel again.  

---

Sumac - does anyone know whether our UK horticultural varieties lend themselves to cooking? See:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/sumac 

This is the only tree in the garden of our new home - and I am hoping we can make use of it.

Roger

---

Sumac - does anyone know whether our UK horticultural varieties lend themselves to cooking? See:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/sumac

This is the only tree in the garden of our new home - and I am hoping we can make use of it.

Roger

Can't help you with that one Rog- I only discovered the spice last year and your post is my first know that there's a Sumac tree!

I often find a check the genus for a match helps- I now understand the edible spice comes from the Rhus variety but I couldn't tell you if that was the British variety.

On a less revelational note, our first crocuses are in flower, and 3 clumps of snowdrops are flowering too (just right for last week's Candlemas). These appear to have spread down the slope of our woodland bank, following some disturbance after Bess' winter weed-clear.

---

Rhus typhina   Staghorn Sumac.

Collect the heads -dehydrate for 48 hours- take off from stems- Process in blender not food processer- Put through a strainer.   Store in a Kilner type jar....

---

Rhus typhina   Staghorn Sumac.

Collect the heads -dehydrate for 48 hours- take off from stems- Process in blender not food processer- Put through a strainer.   Store in a Kilner type jar....

 

Thanks. ART - that's very helpful. Do you need to refrigerate or is the drying sufficient to preserve?

 

Roger

---

 

 

Thanks. ART - that's very helpful. Do you need to refrigerate or is the drying sufficient to preserve?

 

Roger

Drying process should be enough. You can refine the sumac by using a coffee grinder.  Stores for a year

Process can be found at

Harvesting And Processing Staghorn Sumac For Spice    Wayward Spark.

You can also make a lemonade from it.

---

The thread is a little slow, understandably at this time of year, but there are some very interesting and knowledgeable posts (& posters) on here. The subject matter has matured since this time last year- maybe we're all getting in our gardens more? What a lovely thought.

---

Lawns starting to be speckled with many crocuses now. A wisened old gardener in the Sandbanks Hotel once told me 9th February seems to bring 'em on. Something to do with the light, he reckoned.

---

Speaking of lawns, it's getting back to the time of year when they need to be cut regularly. I gave mine a light cut last Saturday week I thought that would give a good break until the next cut but I think that it's grown a little since then. March was used to be the month for the first cut of the year in the past and it wasn't as though I didn't have a late cut last year either - my last cut was some time in November. Grass cutting is a real chore for me - 2 to 3 hours depending on moisture. And it really needs to be done fortnightly for much of the summer to keep on top of it.

---

Sun shines
Grass grows
Woman weeds
Man mows

MrP

---

Sun shines
Grass grows
Woman weeds
Man mows

MrP

One for the Edward Thomas/ Richard Mabey collection.

---

Broad beans, early potatoes, garlic all in. Peas next. In the potting shed, turnip and tomato seeds sown. Chillies and dill next.

---

Garlic in one tub. More to go in another .   Herbs have survived so far and do not need replacing. Daffodils are being enjoyed. Marigold seeds will go in trays this week. Like the Calendulas....

---