Whenever we pick up a gardening magazine, periodical or newspaper we find we are being told what we should be doing in the garden now. I do wonder whether these writers spend their January’s in the Maldives, Bahamas or Canaries? It’s cold, wet and miserable out there in the garden and there really isn’t any need to go. It’s nice and warm indoors, and dry, and if we want a drink, we can, without having to take frozen gloves off. Let’s compromise, let’s think about this sensibly, and if the temperature creeps up to 20°C in February, we could venture out to the garden, then and only then!
Next month of course we have Valentine’s Day. Now there are a number of versions as to it’s origination, however, this seems to be the one accepted by most theologians St. Valentine worked as a priest during the reign of Emporer Claudius who had Valentine jailed for disobeying him. This theory puts the date around 496 A.D.
The story is that Claudius II needed an army and was short of volunteers; believing this was due to men choosing to stay with their wives rather than go to war, he banned marriage. Valentine considered this preposterous and so secretly continued to perform the marriage rites, until inevitably he was caught and sentenced to death.
Whilst in prison he was often visited by the jailors daughter who had befriended him, and on the day of his death, February 14th he left her a message thanking her for her friendship and support which he signed, ‘From your Valentine.’
From then on, Pope Gelasius set aside February 14th to honour St. Valentine about 496 A.D. I say ‘about’, as this pope’s papacy ran only ran from 492-496 A.D. This remained a church holiday until 1969, when Pope Paul VI removed it from the calendar, which seems rather ironic as this was a time of supposed free love, etc.
Another version, though much more vague still refers to the jailor’s daughter but states he was martyred on February 14th 269 A.D.
Did you know that the crosses we put on our cards and letters as kisses, originate from medieval times when few people could write and so signed their name with a cross, which was then kissed to show sincerity.
Back to today or tomorrow even, have a look at the garden through the window, any bleak or dismal areas can be easily brightened up with one or two shrubs. For shade consider Choisya ternata Sundance or for a sunny area what about Nandina domestica Firepower – two of my favourites. Just wrap up warm and visit your local garden centre or better still two or three to ensure you are getting some good ideas and a bargain too. Any shrub looking good now will probably look better come summertime. And don’t worry about planting them now – just stand the pots against the house and leave them until the weather improves.
For you die-hard horticulturalists, I have some themed gift ideas for your Valentine.
- An early flowering cherry tree – if you scout around you should be able to find Prunus mugus mume, Prunus alboplena or Prunus autumnalis which should be flowering around February 14th.
- Helliobores or Christmas roses are another winter flowering beauty to give at this time of year.
- Containerised roses – rather than opting for cut roses which will only last a couple of weeks if you are very lucky, why not treat that special person to a pot rose which can be planted out in the garden and will bring pleasure with summer-long blooms year after year.
