Well, here we are, almost five weeks into the coronavirus lockdown. To be honest, there are much worse places to be grounded than the beautiful, wild and remote Alston Moor. And for something to do we thought we’d update you on the Temple Croft spring garden. 

We arrived at Temple Croft in spring 2019 (hardly seems possible that it’s a year already). We were so preoccupied with unpacking, exploring our new surroundings and entertaining guests that we didn’t pay much attention to the spring flowers and plants shyly introducing themselves. This time around we decided to take a few snaps of the garden in spring and share them with you.

Spring is a bit later here than in our previous home in Kent (by about two or three weeks I would guess). Even so, our delicate snowdrops and lovely purple, white and yellow crocuses have been and gone. However, the wide array of daffodils and other narcissi in the garden are still a delight with their breezy spring perfume and cheerful colours of sunshine. 

The mini tulips have also emerged, opening up as the sun makes its ascent and closing again against the chill of the Pennine evening. The bluebells have yet to flower, but with the forecast of a full week of (relatively) warm and sunny weather ahead, that should push them along nicely.

Spring flower ID app

Armed with the PictureThis app (free version, of course – very useful) for identifying flora, we have discovered the presence of mountain rock cress, heart-leaf bergenia, periwinkle, forget-me-not, common bleeding heart, Oregon grape, fawn lily and laurustinus.

There are also several species that remain unidentified or are yet to flower. No doubt some or all of these would be considered weeds by many gardeners. However, we remember cherishing these colourful fringe performers last year just as much as their more illustrious bedfellows. As Alan Titchmarsh sagely once said: “A weed is just a flower in the wrong place,” and there’s no shortage of space for all here. (We do not extend this welcome to the invasive ground elder and creeping buttercup which constantly threaten to overrun every bed and lawn in the place!)

Fruit and veg garden

Despite (or maybe because of) the lockdown, it is now our aim to crack on with growing our own fruit, vegetables and herbs. We are off to a rocky start as supplies and deliveries of seeds, compost, plants, pots, etc., are tricky to get hold of at the moment.

Thankfully, we have a great community around us willing to buy, sell and swap anything and everything. They will, no doubt, help get us started with what we need. With any luck, our virtually empty greenhouse and barren vegetable plot will soon be groaning with produce.

We already have sage and blackcurrant cuttings from the ‘Grow Your Own Food’ course we did last summer. They have managed to survive over winter (quite mild all things considered) in the greenhouse and are now ready to plant out.

We recently supplemented these with a few impromptu cuttings of flowering redcurrant bushes (purely decorative). Discovered along one of our regular walks, the South Tyne Trail, they seem to have rooted now, too. So, watch this space. . .

Keep safe and well all.

Laters alligators,

AC/PC