New Year Plans At A Bunch Of Wild

Seasonal flowers and styling.

A happy start to the new year to you.

How are you? I thought I’d leave it a while before I dropped into your inbox, I know I’d had enough of being bombarded with emails over Christmas. Anyhoo… I thought I’d write and tell you about plans I have for the new year and maybe sprinkle a bit of inspiration to get you doing something relaxing and seasonal. For this New Year’s Eve I made the planter above to welcome the start of a new year. A week in and it’s sitting beautifully on a shelf in my living room. It’s so easy to do and I’ve got a post on my blog with full instructions, I’ll add a link at the bottom of my email.

I always like to bring in winter/spring bulbs in January and throw more fairy lights around to rival Christmas. Let there be light in January and no, there is no dry January here, I don’t believe in it! Just cut back throughout the year. OK back to the joy of winter, yes winter can be joyful you just need to allow it in and know what’s best for you! I find the darkness of January/February the hardest despite the passing of the shortest day, I know the days are getting longer but I like lots of candles and lights to look at. Stopping at my favourite florists in Hitchin to pick up some blooms which I can take home to arrange with the masses of foliage my garden has to offer, I really am quite spoiled with this new plot. Straight home into some water before I make up a simple arrangement, I quite like them as is so maybe I’ll leave them. Although the thought of pressing them and turning them into something that will last and fade beautifully is also appealing.

Spring bulbs picked up from the market as I wasn’t organised enough to buy and plant them last autumn, my intention for this year is to make sure I do not miss that window! I’ll plant these this weekend in vintage tins and vessels that I’ve collected over the years and some will stay in the house whilst others I will place in the gravel garden so I can view them from the house. I’ve long hoarded vintage treasure, my grandmother worked in an Antiques shop and I was forever being dragged around old towns antiques shopping, not that I minded, I was always intrigued by the old furniture and beauty of curious objects that had stories to tell. It’s got harder to find beautiful things for a reasonable amount but I’m still a fan of a charity shop or car boot fair. The cottage doesn’t lend itself to my hoarding tendencies anymore (one good thing from the downsizing) so I have to be really selective and utterly in love before I consider bringing anything into the home, my new rule is something will have to go to let something new in! So really my vintage shop should be well stocked… it isnt.

Saturday afternoon I plan to sit in my very well lit cottage surrounded by enough bulbs to open a small nursery, my thoughts will invariably turn to my soon to be flower plot. Last year I spent my time marking out suitable places for raised beds and greenhouse, watching the sun move around the garden at various times/months and realising I’d have to make adjustments. And now the woodland garden sits underwater I’ll have to monitor if it creeps into the main garden! Armed with the knowledge of how my garden will work throughout the year I’m enjoying making concrete plans. I know where the greenhouse needs to be to make the most of the sun in winter and spring- so important if you want to successfully grow annuals and something that’s often overlooked. In the evening I’ll ponder over seed selections, I have some firm favourites like ammi, scabious and larkspur, not forgetting cosmos and also helichrysums which I will dry late summer. Then there is the dahlia list to consider. I add lots to my favourites list and then edit and edit until I’m happy. I don’t like to grow too many annuals, it makes much more sense to build a cutting garden with perennials that you can divide. They also come back after cutting and encourages good growth, my favourites are echinacea, perovskia and roses to name a few. I have grand plans for planting lots and lots of roses, I’m thinking of putting in a trial bed for new varieties too.

Now I’ve started filling my days with fairy lights, flowers, seed catalogs and the odd glass of wine I feel rather smug in the face of winter and able to cope more easily with the crap bits which invariably will always come. I’m also loving the anticipation of creating a new garden and putting down roots. I found the whole year after the move quite discombobulating but I feel much better and more settled now. I’m looking forward to sharing the garden with you and hope at some point you can come and visit! Maybe pick some flowers and enjoy a cup of tea. I can’t say for sure when A Bunch Of Wild will start being able to offer seasonal flowers again but I’m hopeful for early summer, there is a possibility of potted bulbs for spring if I can get my hands on some nice ones, I will of course let you know. But right now I’m enjoying hibernation and making everything look pretty.

Wishing you a cosy winter and I do hope you’re not caught up in the floods!

Emma xx