Spring has come late to Sherborne this year because of the cold winter we’ve been having. But a hopeful sign that spring has at last sprung is the appearance of the crocuses alongside the busy A30 on Kitt Hill:

And we can see the daffodills leaves starting to appear too, so hopefully they will not be long behind.  All we want now is for the temperature to rise and Sherborne will bloom again!

After some truly horrible weather (winds, rain, freezing temperatures, snow, sleet – the works  ) – at last there are signs of life.

These pictures were taken this week at the Quarr Local Nature Reserve:

February is a month when delightful, unexpected plants can appear and they hold out the promise that spring cannot be far off. As we look forward to Sherborne In Bloom 2010 we’ll be keeping an eye open for everything that happens as the seasons progress.

Watch this space!

When a tidy-minded gardener sees an overgrown plot of land their first instinct is often to weed it, cut it back and keep it under control. And if that patch of ground is in a public space, for example in a car park, they will invariably complain to the council about the weeds.

But consider the consequences if that plot of land was manicured into a neat, municipal little border of bedding plants. Yes, it would look colourful and tidy. But a whole army of bees, butterflies and other wildlife would have lost their natural habitat.  Fussy, finicky gardeners can often be the worst enemies of the very creatures they should be encouraging to share their environment.

This was the philosophy of a couple of beekeepers who decided to ‘adopt-a-plot’ of ground at the far end of Sherborne Station car park and turn it into a bee garden.

Mike Pearce and Gillian Gunner galvanised a group of beekeepers and friends to clear the plot, sow it with wild white clover (which bees love and which enriches the soil) and then to plant it through the season with a range of bee-friendly plants.

Bee-friendly weeds like dandelion, bindweed, buttercups, borage, purple toadflax, rosebay willowherb, meadowsweet and more were welcome.

The garden isn’t meant to look tidy or trim or formal: it’s not designed for humans, it’s designed for bees. It breaks many of the rules of conventional gardening, but the bees and butterflies don’t care – they love it!

Sadly, Mike Pearce didn’t live long enough to see his creation in full bloom and the beekeepers decided to name the garden in his memory.

So, when you see a piece of overgrown ground don’t whinge about the weeds – why not make it into a bee garden? You’d be doing the planet a favour!

In the Acreman Street car park there is a strip of land alongside the ticket machine which has been converted into a wonderful wildlife garden by local resident Doreen Rose.

This previously unloved plot of land has been transformed into a mass of wild flowers providing a haven for birds, butterfiles, bees and other wildlife.

Read Doreen’s account of how she started the garden and see more pictures on the Acreman Street Car Park page.

This is a truly remarkable achievement and an inspiration to us all.

Congratulations, Doreen, keep it going!

Sherborne Abbey is a favourite venue for summer weddings and the flower arrangements for these events are always spectacular.

Here’s just one example of the exquisite blooms on show in the Abbey this week:

Abbey flowers are arranged by Vera Fermin and her talented team of flower arrangers. Well done to them all!

The gardens of Sherborne are now beginning to bloom in a spectacular way.

Gardener Betty Deavin, who is a member of Sherborne Bradford Abbas Camera Club, sent in these beautiful photos she took in her own garden:

And, as if to demonstrate that Sherborne In Bloom is about wildlife too, she also sent in this photo of a little friend who has adopted her garden!

Well done, Betty – look forward to seeing more of your blooms!

Castle Gardens is Sherborne’s local garden centre and is also one of the main sponsors of Sherborne In Bloom.

At this time of year it is an irresistible lure for gardeners of all persuasions. Not only flowers but fruit and vegetables, shrubs, tubs and teddy bears – all are on display in this stunning garden showcase:

Castle Gardens is situated right next to the Castle in New Road and is well worth a visit!

There are fruit trees blossoming all around the town at present and it’s hard to know which are the most beautiful.

What really catches the eye is when there are a row of trees all in perfect bloom. These cherry trees in East Mill Lane take some beating:

On a spring day, with a blue sky, what a sight to gladden the eye!

Sherborne is a small town and many of the houses have very small, or indeed no, front gardens and they face right onto the street.

They often make up for this lack of front garden space by growing glorious climbing shrubs and trees.

This wisteria is a case in point. What a wonderful display to gladden the hearts of the passers-by!

The spring hanging baskets in Cheap Street are still putting on a brave show in late April:

(unlike these two little shoppers who have to take the weight off their feet!)