Primroses and The Flood Resilience Garden

Primrose on Old Hardenhuish Lane

I've spotted primroses popping up in many places on my walks this week and it's a welcome sight to see them. I found the pictured ones in Old Hardenhuish Lane on my way to Lidl* yesterday. They're in a patch on the edge of damp woodland next to Hardenhuish Brook and I've also seen them close to the River Avon right in the middle of Chippenham.

They're a timely sighting as I'm thrilled to be working with FloodRe's The Flood Resilience Garden team in a small way during the run up to Chelsea Flower Show. I'll provide the written content for their Plant of the Week spot on the garden's Instagram account over the next few months. It just so happens the primrose is my first entry this week - you'll find snowdrop, birch and dogwood there already, as provided by Naomi, the garden's designer.

Primrose flowers close up

My primrose finds show they're an excellent fit with the show garden's ethos which is to demonstrate simple choices in design and planting can help a garden withstand what nature can throw at it. I was amazed to hear from the garden's sponsor that 5 million homes are at risk from flooding here in the UK and that's a lot! I look forward to learning so much more about the garden's design and planting as my work progresses and it's also a great way to add to my Climate Change Gardening knowledge.

I won't feature all the plants I'll write about, as that's the show garden's story which you can follow on Instagram. However, I will have plenty more to say here in my future RHS Chelsea Sneak Peek and VP's VIPs slots.

Watch this space!

* = NAH and I think of Lidl as 'our corner shop' as it's only 5 minutes away.

Blackthorn flowers on Old Hardenhuish Lane

PS don't be fooled into thinking spring's here yet. I found the pictured blackthorn in flower just a few feet away from the primroses and we know we should all 'beware the blackthorn winter'.

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