February 2019

February is usually my least favourite month of the year, apart from January that is, but strangely enough these past few weeks have been quite mild and it feels like spring is arriving early. Such a difference from this time last year when the Beast from the East brought us over a week of sub-zero temperatures and that dreaded snow. Many plants especially conifers can get completely misshapen by snow but we were lucky at Loftus as damage was minimal.

Last week Paul and I made a start on replacing the dead yews on Loftus Avenue and in doing so have provided a good depth of quality soil to give them the best possible start. The rest will be done over the next few weeks.

February is a month of mainly pruning, feeding and tidying up, all of which we have been busy doing. We have spilt lots of herbaceous plants and planted them around here and there to fill gaps. We still have more to do but when finished our Green should have a bit more colour about it this summer.

Loftus walk has just had it’s first hedge cut of the year and is looking fabulous. The new red leaves are bold and vibrant, and although the hedge struggled a bit to get established at the beginning it is now thickening out and is quite a stunning hedge.

Loftus has many different types of hedges, 9 in total, all with different trimming requirements so each hedge will be trimmed at different times of the year when required.

Lastly but not least, don’t forget the kitchen garden will be open from April for residents to grow their own veg so come along to our open day on sat March 9th from 9-11 and see what it’s all about.
It’s first come first served and there are still plots left. Check out My Loftus for details.