Plants etc from the garden at the end of February 2026

Another month almost gone, and this regular garden chat is being linked in with others over on Jim's blog. 

The end of February has still some lovely crocuses and the sunshine has been bringing out 'giant' bumblebees.  Watching them delve down into the crocus cups is both a delight tinged with a little suspense as I wonder whether the crocus bloom will right itself.

1. I am very fond of the colour purple...

Crocus tommasianus Ruby Giant

2.

Crocus Shockwave

There is one bulb with a much larger flower, I wonder whether I ought to 'separate' this from the clump to give it a more uniform aspect? I am sure this will be done by end of day.

3. A healthy robust crocus for me is this stripy Crocus vernus Pickwick, which I have had for many years, and is slowly increasing.  It is the last of the crocus to flower.

4. Verbascum phoeniceum violetta has been growing in its original position for over six years, and each year I've thought that it ought to be moved.  It was too far inboard for me to enjoy the lovely form of the flower spikes. I could see there were various good growing sections with roots and they were seperated to give five plants.  Hope they survive this and flower this year.

Verbascum phoeniceum violetta

5. It was only when I noticed how large the clump of  Symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'Purple Dome' was encroaching on surrounding plants that I decided it was time to do something about this and hence the 'shuffling' in the garden. With the soil a little improved its space was baken by the Verbascum.

Divisions ready to be relocated in the garden
or given away

Shuffling was a term my SOS Sis used this week when we were 'chatting' on messenger. It brought a smile to my face, and some encouragement to get out in the garden and do some more gardening. Last autumn I treated myself to a set of three useful plyable handled shallow buckets from a farm shop, I like the pop of colour and I can easily find them compared to the large black one I had.  The large black one went to a friend to use in her large garden!

6. For Gill who is not all that keen on Pulmonarias, this is a lovely one for the garden: Pulmonaria Sissinghurst White.  The bees certainly love it. This is just the first flush of blooms, when trimmed down they will spring back.  I'm going to try to show each flush just to guage it garden worthiness this year.

Bonus picture............seedheads of the Miscanthus nepalensis, which I trimmed down this week.  If any SOSers fancy trying to grow this, contact me and I shall put some in the post for you. Use facebook with my name and send me a message with your name and address. I placed a couple of strands on the soil a cm deep with gritty soil on the top, and I had seedling come up a few weeks later, and this spring have sufficient to start a clump,

It definitely feels as if winter is behind us, spring in on its way!

 

In a Vase on Monday - a Trio and Angel Number 333

Looking out the window I noticed this morning that the Amelanchier buds had that swollen look a sure portent that the sap is rising and soon there will be a flurry of blossom. Looking back this is not particularly early. However I love this narrow few days and given that we have had some warmer temperatures arriving there may be a noticeable daily change.

After lunch I wanted to mark this brief period, and found a few of the later flowering snowdrops under the Amelanchier trees and thought they would make good companions, as these are probably the last of the snowdrops. However I have very few daffodils; they just don't last well from one year to another and I have no more than ten or so blooms from all the bulbs I have planted since moving to this year.

The little set of three vases are just right...and this is probably their first appearance as a trio. For more delightful arrangements, why not go over to Cathy's post where you will be able to find links from others such as me for this 'In a Vase on Monday' topic. I do enjoy posting these arrangements from plants from my garden, and have realised that my last post was Number 333 which is considered to be an Angel Number. 

I know many of us have stretched the boundaries regarding different considerations such as What is a Vase? No water required as in dried flowers or a wreath, and even for those friends snowbound bought flowers have sometimes had to creep in, but at least the arrangement carried the guarantee 'arranged with my own hands'.  I therefore knew I had to present something like the above trio, even if I felt you would love to see the following composition.  None of it is of my making but could well be a start point for future arrangements especially for those which are intended to be left outside. These would also making a charming decoration for a ledge or porch on a church or old building.

Nest form of Snowdrops

I went on my pilgrimage on Friday to the Shepton Mallet Snowdrop Festival.  There were workshops for Snowdrop Kokedama and lots of lovely special snowdrops for sale.  However on a stand I spied  Snowdrops in a bird nest inspired arrangement of twisted hazel twigs.  I believe these had been made  to raise funds for the festival. Later when the ovaries start to swell, I shall place these snowdrops into the garden, and may use the twiggy arrangement for another plant.

The reply asking for more information from the Snowdrop Festival organisers:   "We are all volunteers and Simon , one of our committee team made the nests from his own twisted willow and  clumps of snowdrops. All the proceeds go towards our snowdrop plantings and enhancing the economic well being of our lovely town. Do enjoy its beauty."

From the Garden for Six on Saturday - 21 February 2026

 For more gardening, plants and tales from gardeners the place to go to, which we and maybe you congregate is over at Jim's, where this post is linked to.

Did I say I wasn't going to get more plants: well that didn't last long!  I went up to visit Jackie at Tryffids Nursery a little later than I have done in previous years.  I had received her snowdrop list a few weeks ago, and I was delighted to pay her a pre arranged visit.  I came away with some pots and have already planted these around the beds.

1. More Eranthis for the garden, as I love that little bit of 'sunshine'.  Although labelled as Eranthis hyemalis I do believe they may be Eranthis Cilicica, I'll be able to tell which when the leaves are fully out. 

Eranthis hyemalis?

2.It has also continued to rain almost continually except for maybe only a couple of spells ofsunshine long enough for the crocus to open. It will certainly go down as the wettest January and February that I have experienced! During the few moments of sunshine Iit is also lovely to see the second wave oof crocus being the Crocus chrysanthus such as this lovely Crocus 'Advance' open up. This is their fourth season in flower and have really proved themselves coming back each year. I lifted them last year to seperate them, which has meant a less congested arrangement, don't you think?

Crocus chrysanthus 'Advance'

There are several other crocus varieties around the garden, but this little slope along the path near the Ginkgo tree seems to suit them well.

3. This is where I planted up three new pots of crocus this week, again with labels that I believe are wrong, these are not Crocus Herald but 'Prince Claus'. This has been confirmed, the bulb supplier sent the wrong labels!

Crocus Prince Claus

As the pots contain several corms I've just planted these in a clump, but when the growing season is nearly over, and the leaves are dying down, I shall lift them and disperse them a little more naturally.

4.  I also came home with two snowdrops which are in the poculiformis form.  This is a pure white one called 'Bridesmaid' and should be easy to spot and hopefully it will settled in and increase.

Galanthus Bridesmaid

The other poculiform galanthus has a slight green marking and it looks like what is written on the label 'Galanthus green tipped poculiformis'.

5. Found locally ie near Ashwick and Oakhill on the Mendips, a stonethrow from Jackie's nursery is this sweet double Galanthus 'Ashwick Green Tip', 

Galanthus 'Ashwick Green Tip'

Jackie also gifted me a good late Galanthus nivalis found locally and another 'unknown' single greentip.

6. A few years ago I planted a few corydallis in the garden.  I enjoy trying to propagate plants, and my prefered method is cuttings, but I have during the last few years trying harvesting and growing plants from seed. It takes time to grow a corm to flowering size from seed. 

Corydalis Malkensis

It is quite possible for an ordinary gardener, to grow these from seed without complicated equipement or shelter.  Proof here with seed of Corydalis Malkensis gathered and sown in 2023, and which germinated in 2024.  It has taken 4 years from seed to first flower. 

Wholemeal Bloomer

 Another Home Baker's Club bake and one set for February 2026, but of course Jack's demonstration can be accessed at any time to suit.  Today I tried Stone Baked Wholemeal Bloomer, but not to the letter!

I didn't want to spend the time heating up the stone, and I didn't feel confident in using the couch tehnique for the final rest.  And because I didn't use the stone, I skipped the 10 minutes off at the start of the baking.

I loved the slash pattern and the loaves rose nicely, though you cannot really tell by these overhead picture.  

Yeasted Banana and Pecan Bread

 Another success from the Home Baker's Club over at Bake with Jack's.

What I learnt:

Yeasted Banana Bread is excellent and pecans are an excellent substitute for dark chocolate chips.  The pecans were lightly baked first in the oven.

The four strand plait is easy and fun and would work nicely with other flavoured doughs whether sweet or savoury

It might be an idea to shape the loaf and allow to slowly rise overnight to bake first thing in the morning.

I often start my baking a little too late and have to leave the loaf cooling overnight, hence the idea of having a freshly baked loaf in the morning by allowing the slow rise overnight.

Slices were frozen, and will be easy to pull out the night before for breakfast.  I shall try it toasted.

The rest of the loaf was sliced and put into the freezer.  The slices seperated easily, and after an overnight defrost in a bag, they were toasted for breakfast.  The warming and toasting of the bread really enhanced both the banana and the pecan tastes.

All dried out - In a Vase on Monday

The fresh garden flowers are taking a break this week, allowing me to show some of the dried flowers prepared last summer.  The vase is a soap stone one bought in China and given to me by my mother several decades ago. 

 

The pale green of the vase is not quite the right hue or shade to match with fresh foliage and flowers, so at last it gets an outing and pairs fairly well with some of the flowers I dried last year.  

Pseudodictamnus acetabulosus

Pseudodictamnus acetabulosus dries well and keep its form, and Origanum 'Emma Stanley' too with the colour only fading slightly.

Origanum 'Emma Stanley' dried

I have quite a few dried poppy seed heads around so choose three for the vase, and at the base are three more where the outer skin has been removed to leave the fine inner formations. A couple of years ago I noticed such 'skeletons' where I had dropped poppy seed heads on the beds, and used it again last year to great advantage.

With fellow gardeners who love to bring some of the garden indoors,  I am linkins this post to Cathy's In a Vase on Monday. 

In the Garden at the start of February 2026

 This post is one where I note six things from the garden, and like others link this to Jim's anchoring post. Last week Jim posted some 'then and now views of his garden plants' and as I was looking through and trying to delete old pictures I came across a couple of interesting ones. For the 2026 picture of the Chamaecyparis, I had to go out in the pouring rain this morning!  It has been the wettest of weeks, with just one day of a few hours without heavy rain.

1. This lovely golden evergreen started off as a very small specimen when I bought it in May 2019, three years later it had already been potted up twice.

Chamaecyparis pisifera var. filifera early 2021

Now it is a fine specimen and the pot is almost too large for me to move. Had I room in the garden it would probably have been planted out.  However in the pot it does look good standing on the pebbled area.

Chamaecyparis pisifera var. filifera 2026

2. I took cuttings from a friend's shrub in Kenwilworth, and since then have taken even more cuttings.  One of them was planted by the bird bath.

Lonicera 'Baggesen's Gold' Feb 2023

In the Summer of 2024, I had one of those frequent urges to do a little prunning and turned the Lonicera  into a pompom topiary. This is how it is looking this week.

3. We had one day of glorious sunshine, sufficient to warm the cockles of one's heart, and in the garden there was the sound of bees and a huge bumble bee, and flowers were opening.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Romance'

4. I often prune the rose bushes around mid February, but all the mild weather has led to earlier growth.  It doesn't take me long to prune the several bushes, rambler and the other climbers, all were pruned this first week of February.

Ghislaine de Feligonde new shoots

5. I like little plants and this week two of my smallest snowdrops are in full fligh in the Conservatory bed. One which is slowing increasing is Galanthus Margaret Billington (Formerly Quadripetala) . With small upright stems as the blooms open the call me to check the number of petals, snowdrops usually have three outer segments, but this one varies from three to five outer segments.  

Galanthus Margaret Billington

Whether the it is the same bulb that grows more segments as it matures I am unsure.  When I attend the Snowdrop festival in Shepton in a couple of weeks time, I shall try and ask the growers.  I bought this one early in 2023 when we visited Jenny and Mike Spiller at Elworthy Cottage, and since they will be at the festival they will be the best to ask.

The second little snowdrop closeby is Galanthus nivalis Charlotte.  Last year I divided the small clump, and I am delighted that the small bulbs survived this.

Galanthus nivalis 'Charlotte' 

6. In mid January I showed the northern end of the Conservatory bed with the darker cyclamen coum, the flowers are still growing strong and may actually be more floriferous, here is the bed a little further along, where the paler cyclamen coum are making their mark. I've mentioned before that I am aiming for the Millefleur effect in the spring for this border and it certainly is close to achieving this.  Yet to come out are the primulas and corydalis.  Starting in January, growing through February, and into March, this little bed is one of my garden's delights at this time of the year.

Because I left the top of a bag of compost open last week, I now have a bag of 'compost soup'!  And speaking of love: I have a pair of robins what come to check if I have anything for them, but they are still very shy. Here is one the cock I think on the wall.

Turkish Simit

 I've been baking our regular bread which ranges from a wholemeal cobb to a seeded multigrained sourdough, but I haven't been more adventurous and trying out new recipes for a few months. It was seeing my friend on Facebook with his trial of the other recipe this month that pulled me out of the doldrums.  So thank you Nigel.  Together with Nigel we set up a facebook group that worked our way through all the recipes in a new sourdough recipe book. Having like minded pals can really help with encouragement etc.

For February the Bake With Jack club were given two recipes of which this is one of them.  For Turkish Simit you need Grape Molasses.  I couldn't believe my luck, but I had recently bought a jar of this up a Rocky Mountain without any idea of how I was going to use it.  I do like buying different ingredients which I are new to me, and now I have opened the jar, I shall be exploring more uses.

As you can see, I need to work on my shaping and proving techniques, and I have an inkling of what I shall try differently. 

I also bought some Pistachio Butter, which I think will go very nicely with this, perhaps topped with a little honey.

Candlemas Bells for In a Vase on Monday

I happened to read just a couple of days ago that today is Candlemas Day.  Therefore as one of the several names for Snowdrops years before Linneaus settled on the name Galanthus was Candlemas bells, it seems so right to feature snowdrops today.

Here in the vase is a selection of some of the larger special snowdrops. The Galanthus nivalis are only just appearing and those would have been the ones picked to adorn churches.

Not being superstituous I haven't waited till now to pick snowdrops.  Apparently before Candlemas Day it unlucky, but for this festival the snowdrop as symbol of purity and hope were picked to adorn Churches and hence not suprisingly can still be found in old churchyards and around old religious places such as abbeys. When we lived in Kenilworth our walks often took us on snowdrop hunts and the churchyard there never disappointed. 

The little brass snail is an old and the decorated pebbles are all dressed up as it were, picked up at a local art exhibition.  As usual I am linking into Cathy's post of her blog: Rambling in the Garden.