My garden is on the wild side, which is how I like it. I want to see all stages of life among my plants, including the final stage, death. In winter, dead plants still carry seeds and provide shelter for insects and other invertebrates. These, in turn, help to sustain the birds.
Over the years, I’ve been keeping records of the plants that birds feed on during these quiet months. Most of my observations come as no surprise: teasels feed goldfinches, the ripe catkins of birch and alder attract small birds, and berries of all sorts are a boon to many species. Among the less obvious plants whose seedheads are visited by my feathery friends are agastache, verbascum, eupatorium, artichoke, cardoon, Verbena bonariensis, dianthus, cosmos and nettle. I’m sure there are plenty of others, but these are the ones I can see from our kitchen window. So I resist cutting most things back to ground level and tidying away all the spent growth in autumn.
While parts of my patch may seem an unholy mess to some humans, there are all manner of creatures that see those untidy borders and piles of leaves as a congenial home and food source. It’s time to harden my heart now, and start the big clean-up. Snowdrops are beginning to flower, and daffodils and tulips have pushed their leaves far out of the soil. The fresh growth deserves some breathing space.
On the subject of snowdrops, the annual Snowdrop Gala takes place next Saturday at Ballykealey Manor, Ballon, Co Carlow. Morning speakers include British snowdrop and spring plant experts, Graham Gough and Jim Almond. The afternoon offers a walk around nearby Altamont Gardens with head gardener Paul Cutler, as well as the opportunity to buy plants from specialist nurseries. The day costs €70 (sales@altamontplants.com).
Altamont has an important collection of snowdrops — more than 100 named varieties — and is worth visiting over the next month. If you fancy being introduced to those dainty “fair maids of February”, Paul Cutler is leading tours each day at 2pm (€3) during the gardens’ annual snowdrop week (February 12 to 18).
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Mount Usher and Kilmacurragh, in Co Wicklow, are two of my favourite Irish gardens. Both are well snowdropped. Early spring is also the time for scented shrubs such as daphnes, viburnums, witch hazels and winter sweet. I’ll be sticking my nose into each one.