Spring is one of the most loved times of the year. After the long winter, everything is full of life and possibility. It’s a fresh start — a new season and a chance to get things right, create beauty, and enjoy the rewards.

Gardening forces the impatient to wait.Today, in your garden: just sit, just watch, just listen, just wait.

Fresh new season Pink Pierre de Ronsard Climbing rose

The first signs of colour after winter are in the almond blossoms heralding the change of season. The established roses are poised and ready; the foliage is lush and perfect, and the recently planted bare-root roses are coming into bud. Some plants burst open with exuberance, and others take their time, appearing only after the soil is well and truly warmed through.

“The deep roots never doubt spring will come.”

Marty Rubin

It is the time of year when I look back on winter, feeling relieved at the work achieved and the effort has given the garden a great start to the season. Nature has also cooperated with regular spells of rain. Although higher temperatures are on the way, the beginning of the growing season has been slow due to late frosts and cold snaps in September and October.

Rather than a sudden burst of Spring, this year has been a gentle unravel in our small garden. The coloured blossoms —daffodils, wisteria, rhododendrons, iris, and now tulips — have unfolded slowly at their own pace throughout our region in predictable succession. This week, with warmer days, the roses will be next.

“Can words describe the fragrance of the very breath of spring — that delicious commingling of the perfume of arbutus, the odor of pines, and the snow-soaked soil just warming into life”

Neitje Blanchan

Everywhere is brilliant iridescent green in shades from lime to sage and emerald, to dark olive, highlighted by fresh young red tips. Surprise plants that I thought had succumbed to frost damage over winter are popping their heads up.

It is a magical time of year with the burgeoning growth of what was once just stick-like bare-root roses. The garden is at its most perfect, no need for deadheading, no snails or black spot tarnishing the foliage, only the joy of buds forming and the very first rose blooms opening.

“She turned to the sunlight, And shook her yellow head, And whispered to her neighbour: ‘Winter is dead.”

A A Milne

There is something quietly redemptive about Spring in the garden. A new start is a reward for the work completed, always bringing a sense of hope and optimism that, after winter, the landscape is suddenly uplifting and full of beauty once more, especially in a new garden

Now, when viewing the small front garden from inside, I often do a double-take -being more familiar with the bare, messy, and overgrown view — the remnants of last summer and winter frost damage; gangly plants too large for the space, and too many weeds.

So, after many days of restoring the garden, it is hard to believe the transformation and how it appears now, one year on. Of course, this did not happen without many hours of design work, trial and error.

“If we love Flowers, are we not ‘born again’ every Day,” 

Emily Dickinson

Initially, the garden was covered in rocks, barren with unhealthy citrus trees and wildly overgrown natives, and the remains of an uncared-for vegetable garden. It was an uninspiring space with remnants of chicken wire and rotting wooden stakes, with few, if any, inherited plant specimens of merit. To me, it was a broken place. So, when I came across the above quote by Jenim Dibie, it immediately resonated.

“All I wanted was to plant poetry in broken places, and watch flowers grow.”

Jenim Dibie

Similar in nature to composing a letter or poem with carefully chosen words placed prudently, every rose varietal and companion plant has been placed with fastidious intention. The emphasis is on restricting the colours and palette of plants not only for visual beauty but also to ensure the longevity and health of each rose in the garden. I am pleased with the results so far, but time will tell once the roses bloom fully and the colour scheme more visible.

The similarities don’t end with garden roses and plants either. A garden’s paths, arches, fences, sculptures and benches are like pauses in poetry and act as elements in the storyboard of a poem’s narrative.

“To contemplate roses is to punctuate one’s days with poetry.” 

Annie-Sophie Rondeau

The use of silver foliage also provides a pause in the landscape contrasting beautifully with all the shades of green. Silver foliage can act as a designers magic wand in creating an engaging, balanced, and unified landscape.

“If we had no winter the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”

Anne Bradstreet

The silver hue will reflect light, brighten and illuminate shady spots bringing different textures and depth to the garden.

 “That is one good thing about this world… there are always sure to be more springs.”

L M Montgomery

The soft-velvety Lambs Ears and the feathery Artemisia, English and French Lavender, Santolina and Lychnis coronaria – Rose campion, Dianthus, Sages, Dichondra Silver Falls and my all time favourite; Cerastium tomentosum or Snow in Summer are all useful and attractive silver foliage plants.

There is a place in every type of garden for Silver foliage. These easy to grow, often drought hardy plants can provide intrigue with their muted elegance and graceful vibrancy. For minimalist, Cottage, Mediterranean, or Modern gardens and meadows they help in achieving a serene and restful colour palette. Even amongst vibrant, brightly coloured roses or flowers, the muted silver with soften the intensity tying the colours together and, to create harmony.

“I play with foliage. Bloom is very secondary and fleeting.”
                                                     

Lucy Hardiman

Before and after shots are terrific as a reminder of where you started when the season seems slow to start.

So much of time in the garden is a learning curve. The new garden has similarities to the Lachlan Valley rural garden where we grew hundreds of roses with a long season of blooms from September to May. The garden now is in a cooler climate with a variety of new plants, shrubs, trees and bulbs to nurture and discover. The roses will unfold as the climate permits, it is a slow tease but very rewarding.

Content and images Di Baker October 2025

Title quote by Jenim Dibie

The header image is the first rose out this season Mother’s Love Rose