Helping Hands in the Garden

While I was helping a relative with some pruning in her garden, the beautiful Japanese prunus serrulata cherry tree stood out as the centrepiece of the garden. Since I prefer growing vegetables, I wouldn’t recognise many flowers or trees unless I looked at their labels! Her garden is a mix of a lawned area with lots of flowers, shrubs and trees.

The narcissus geranium has white petals with an orange centre. It is not my favourite flower, especially because it is poisonous. You should handle it with care and plant it away from children and pets. I find daffodils a little bit boring in general, but they do look good on the grass verges next to the road. They can make a village look quite pretty.

The yellow lesser celandine is actually a weed. In the past it has had medicinal uses, including treatment for haemorrhoids! Who knew?!

Stitchwort is a wild flower that grows in a variety of places, including woodlands, roadside verges, and hedgerows. It can also occasionally be found growing in gardens where conditions are suitable, like my relative's garden. Some might call it a weed, but I think some weeds can still look pretty. For me, it doesn’t matter whether they are garden flowers, wild flowers, or weeds. I think my relative is on the same page as I am. In other words, as long as something looks good, it stays.

While many gardeners view yellow dandelions as mere weeds, their leaves are actually nutritious and can be used in salads and teas due to their vitamin content. In my youth, I enjoyed dandelion coffee made from the roots. Dandelions are also an important food source for bees and butterflies, making them valuable pollinators.

The Spanish bluebells that were growing next to the garden shed are known for being unscented, which is different from English bluebells that have a sweet scent. They tend to be larger and have a slightly different shape. English bluebells are more tubular. I look forward to seeing them in my local woods, where the ground will be a carpet of blue and purple.

The pink camellia, which I think is my favourite, has glossy dark green leaves with pretty pink flowers. It is quite a delicate, intricate flower.

The berberis darwinii plant produces clusters of vibrant orange flowers. When in bud, they have little bits of red in them. The flowers appear in mid to late spring and may return in autumn. After this, blue-black berries develop in autumn time.

I only have a communal garden at home, but my relative's garden has inspired me to tidy it up and make it look more attractive, especially to encourage butterflies and bees. I've just got to convince my neighbours, who share the garden and prefer an easy life. Watch this space!

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