In a vase on Monday – Narcisscircle

Finally!  I’ve found some time to post a Monday vase.

This one consists of Cerinthe, Narcissus Cragford and a few Tete a tetes, thrown together in my pretty (and very easy to use) milk bottle circle.

I did put together the vase below last week, but failed to post about it, so here’s two for the price of one!  The Hellebores flopped very quickly (despite searing), so I was interested in Cathy’s tip today about slicing the stem lengthwise.  Perhaps I’ll try that next time as I do love seeing them at close range.

I’m so enjoying the beginning of spring.  It been a pretty challenging February – nothing serious and largely self inflicted.  I’ll explain more in my late End of Month View post to follow.

With thanks to Cathy who hosts all our Monday vases – and doesn’t judge those whose involvement is rather sporadic…

 

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – March 2017

All of a sudden spring has sprung and there are hundreds of blooms to enjoy – not least Narcissus ‘Cragford’, above.  And despite moaning last year I’d planted them too close together, I’m delighted to see they’ve all returned!

Plenty of other Narcissi now including ‘Jenny’

 

‘Peeping Jenny,’

‘Tete a Tete’

and my first ‘Minnow’ of the year.  This is definitely one of my favourites – the blooms are really dainty, only about 3cm across, so I hope I’ve planted enough to make an impact.

A few other bulbs blooming now – these Muscari, M. Latifolium are returning again from the wedding flowers.  Last year they got rather eaten, so I’m delighted to see them back better than ever this year.  And interestingly, for those who remember the saga of me trying to get these and the N. Elka flowering together on the day,the Elkas are currently nowhere to be seen!

This last one is the Crocus chrysanthus Miss Vain.  The majority are over now, but if you look closely you’ll see there are daffodils to follow, so hopefully the pot will shortly be rebooted!

I found one of the first bees enjoying the Rosemary (R. prostratus).

And I think I’ve mentioned that I’ve become a bit overrun with Euphorbia, but doesn’t that colour sing (zing?) in the sunshine?

Talking of colour, I know it’s not a bloom, but I couldn’t resist including this Chard.

Continuing on the pink theme, this Daphne x Pink Fragrance ‘Blapink’ is really pumping out the blooms – and scent – now.  It’s in a pot and currently seems happy, but I do wonder if I should plant it out.

The tea tree plant, Leptospermum has just started blooming again after a little rest.  Sadly it has got rather leggy now and I’m not convinced it would resprout from the bottom if I pruned it hard.  Any clues?

There are still plenty of Hellebores but I thought this one was very fine.  Strangely I have no memory of seeing it before, but it seems rather too glamorous to be self seeded.

Of my two witch hazels H. Arnold’s Promise is in full flower

but H. Aphrodite is still being rather shy.

And to finish, because it was such a glorious day it almost felt like a quick dip might be fun, here’s the Diving Lady, with her pool. 

With thanks to Carol at May Dream Gardens who hosts everyone’s GBBDs.  Why don’t you pop over and see what others have blooming now?

End of Month View – February 2017

The Shady Bed is looking good despite the gloom.  Here is probably the largest clump of Hellebores and they’re joined by the sweetly scented Sarcococca and the constant Fatsia japonica.

Elsewhere, the main view is very gloomy (not helped by timing my photos an hour before some watery sunshine emerged).

In the troughs there are plenty of shoots, but as yet no colour.  Did I mention that I’d replaced the old Stocks at the back with new cuttings?  And whilst they don’t seem to be making much progress, the self seeded Cerinthe in the path in front is romping away…

The Swing Beds are still looking quite full but hardly flowery.  Many herbaceous plants still need a cut back, as do the roses, which are looking extremely wild and woolly.

The two Clematis cirrhosa ‘Freckles’ are still blooming well on the pergola, but definitely rather tatty on close inspection.  And I fear pruning the Rosa St Swithun growing amongst them is going to be a little challenging!

More bulbous shoots in the Grass Bed, but as yet no blooms here either.

I’ve pruned all the roses in the Mid Century bed, but still haven’t attacked the Salvias.  In the foreground you can see some overwintered Antirrhinum which look closer to flowering than some of the bulbs!

The soil level has fallen in this bed again this year

so lucky I’m prepared!

On the other side of the garden in the Oak Bed the Hamamelis (H. Arnold’s Promise) is glowing against the wall.  It probably deserves rescuing from all that dead foliage!

In the Bronze Bed the Narcissi ‘Cragford’ are the furthest advanced of all my daffodils and will soon be ready to ‘pop’.

Also ready to pop any minute, my other Hamamelis, H. Aphrobite.  Just a couple of blooms so far, but much promise and such a lovely colour.

In the greenhouse, the Winter Sunshine Sweet Peas have now been planted out,

there are seeds stirring in the damp darkness (I hope)

and on the windowsill a few perky Muscari latifolium, returned again from the Wedding Flowers of two years ago.  Step niece Hannah (whose wedding it was) is now proud mum to Hamish so, looking at the colour, I should probably have sent them over!)

And to finish, you can’t beat a jolly pot of ‘Tete a Tete’.

With thanks to Helen at the Patient Gardener for hosting everyone’s EoMV.

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – February 2017

One solitary Tete a tete Narcissus to herald this February’s GBBD!

With the photos taken in Sunday’s gloom, it was a joy to find more yellow elsewhere from Cornus mas,

rather tatty looking Erysimum ‘Ivory Giant’

Hamamelis ‘Arnold’s Promise’

and the rather acid yellow of an Aeonium flower head.  (This latter one in the greenhouse!)

Less yellow and more green, the emerging flower spikes of Euphorbia characias Wulfenii. The joke is that this burgeoning clump is self seeded, whereas the plant I bought and positioned carefully closer to the swing, is a complete wimp in comparison.

The following pair were featured ages ago in a Wordless Wednesday called ‘Blues Brothers’ – they are both members of the family Lamiaceae, and both flowering now – Rosmarinus prostratus and Teucrium fruticans,

The pergola is still smothered in Clematis cirrhosa ‘Freckles’ but I have to admit that the recent wind and cold has made the majority of them look rather chewed.  I had to work hard to find this one!

I don’t have much white in the garden as I find it hard to mix successfully with other colours, but at this time of year there are a few exceptions – beautifully scented Sarcococca confusa,

Viburnum tinus

and this pot of Crocus – Crocus chrysanthus Miss Vain.  These have been growing in the greenhouse so now they’re out in the open I hope they don’t get eaten.  Wouldn’t be the first time.  Grrr.

And to finish, a lovely clutch of Hellebores.

With thanks to Carol at May Dream Gardens who hosts everyone’s GBBDs.  Why don’t you pop over and see what others have blooming now?

End of month view – February 2016

Welcome to a sunny End of Month View!  Last month’s EoMV, I note was sunny too, but frankly there’s been precious little in between.  The lawn is still soggy, and although it has been cut once during the month, it’s only marginally less field like.

The Swing Beds are much the same as last month just with some more bulb foliage, as well as plenty of Sisyrinchium striatum leaves.  Long standing readers may remember these beds got rather overwhelmed with Sisyrinchium, so I dug them out, only to go on a visit to Mottistone Manor last summer and really admire them there, so I moved a whole lot back.  Fickle?  Moi?

The Grass Bed is also similar to last month, but here, as well as bulb foliage, there are plenty of forget me nots, some of which are just starting to flower.

There’s nothing in the Veg Bed for the Diving Lady to admire currently, but she does have a new pool.  Last year’s rather purple Iris reticulata ‘Blue Note’ has been replaced with Iris histrioides ‘Lady Beatrix Stanley.’

In the shady bed the Hellebores are still the highlight

particularly this lovely dark one.

Just behind it is a Sarcococca confusa which has finally got big enough for the scent to be apparent without having to scrabble around sniffing at kneecap height!

At the other side of the garden, this Hamamelis, H. ‘Arnold’s Promise,’ is finally (after about six years) starting to make a statement,

whilst in the Bronze Bed, H. Aphrodite is a little less shy than she was a couple of weeks ago.

The idea was that the colour of the Hamamelis blooms would be picked up by the trumpet of the Narcissus ‘Cragford’.  Well sort of!

Along the boundary with next door, is this inherited grass, absolutely glowing in the low light.  It’s really time for a cut back, but I’ll for a while longer.  Any clues what it is?  I’m thinking maybe Miscanthus?

There are plenty of pots around including this new one planted up by the front door.  For once I’ve got the Crocuses past the mice.

And meanwhile in the greenhouse, I’ve finally planted out my ‘Owl’s Acre’ supposedly early flowering ‘Winter Sunshine’ Sweet Peas.  I don’t quite see them flowering in March, as suggested on their website, but I think I have to take a lot of the blame for that.

Elsewhere in the greenhouse, I’ve finally started planting seeds

as well as pricking out autumn sown seeds – this time Rhodochiton atrosanguineus, which I’m hoping to have growing up the obelisk again this year.

And to finish, a bucket full of N. ‘Tete a tete’ – so cheery!

With thanks to Helen at the Patient Gardener for hosting all out EoMV.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day – February 2016

Looking back at last year’s GBBD post there certainly weren’t any daffodils, and, whilst I still haven’t got many, there are a few.  The one above, Narcissus ‘Cragford,’ is the first of the new bulbs purchased for the new beds.  This one, with its orangey trumpet, is in the Bronze Bed.

In addition there’s a multi headed one that grows in the drive bed and always flops as it is too top heavy, but it’s looking pretty and fresh in today’s sunshine (at last!)

and a few cheery Tete a tete in a pot by the front door.

Plenty of hellebores still

including a new one,  Helleborus ‘Anja Oudolf’, that I treated myself to this weekend.  I was looking for speckles,  but settled for stripes!

Some of you many know that Anja is the wife of New Perennial garden designer Piet Oudolf, and, on a Valentine’s theme, I have to say I don’t think there are many things as romantic as having a flower (particularly such a beauty) named after you.

As well as my Cornus mas, flowering since December by the front steps,

my two Hamamelis are also flowering now, H. ‘Arnold’s Promise’

and H. ‘Aphrodite’.  Aphrodite was in full flower this time last year when I bought her, but currently only has a couple of blooms.  Hopefully there are plenty more to come – she’s certainly in a much better spot than Arnold, but he’s not complaining.

My little self seeded primula is also flowering again.   I do love this colour and tried to grow more from collected seed, but they didn’t germinate.  Any tips?  I suppose they may well not have come true anyway.

I nearly finished with yet another photo of my Leptospermum, still going strong, but instead have plumped for the Rosa Flower Carpet Pink in front of the fresh limey heads of Euphorbia characias ‘Wulfenii’.  Roll on spring!

With thanks as ever to Carol at May Dreams Gardens who hosts the GBBD.

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – March 2015

A late foray into the garden and the combination of low light, macro lens and windy conditions have made for rather fuzzy photos, so apologies!

The view above shows the bed running by the kitchen wondow which contains the pink Rose Flower carpet,  However, as you can see, both the Leucojum aestivum and the Narcissus Tete a tete seem to have proliferated since last year, and the rose is hardly to be seen.  The Phormium to the right of the photo is the one I’d like to get rid of and replace with something for winter interest, but annoyingly, it looks quite good in this grouping.  Hmmm.

After my Lonely and Blue Wordless Wednesday post, I’ve now had many more Irises come into flower in the big copper pot.  What I can’t quite believe is that I planted such a mix.  I haven’t had time to look back at my order, but there appear to be three different blue/purples and a solitary yellow one.  Bizarre.

The hellebores are now at their best, unlike the photos

and here is a shot of the Hebe I arranged with some of them in Monday’s vase.

There are also a number of Euphorbias in zingy green bloom,

as well as a few Forget me nots just started to flower.  I like this slightly darker one.

The self sown primula I mentioned last month is still flowering well

and has been joined by a new one I couldn’t resist, for sale at Osborne House,  (post to follow).

And to finish, a little grouping of bulbs by the door, Narcissus Tete a tete, Narcissus Elka and Muscari Armeniacum Big Smile.

The Narcissus Elka,  (close up below), is the one I’m growing for the wedding.  This is a ‘trial’ pot I left in the cold frame when all its peers got moved to the fridge two weeks ago.  I’m delighted with the colouring and the size and shape of the blooms.

So what of the others?  Well, contra to the majority of advice received, I’ve left them in the fridge!  They were allowed out for good behaviour last Monday, and I think I’ll do the same tomorrow, but they’re looking fine and have definitely been stopped in their tracks by the combination of cold and dark.

The Muscari for the wedding are Muscari Latifolium, not the one above.  You may recall these were looking a little behind and so spent the week before last in the greenhouse.  They put on rapid growth and so were moved out to the garden, but I’m thinking they might need to come back into the greenhouse as, not surprisingly, they’ve slowed right down again.

Thankfully, there aren’t too many pots, and so all this moving around and in and out is more entertaining than challenging.  My fingers are still firmly crossed, but I’m feeling a little more confident than previously.  Watch this space…

With thanks as ever to Carol at May Dreams Gardens who hosts the GBBD.

Wordless Wednesday – Saturday lunch view