Suddenly I have that feeling that I won’t get it all done in time. But roses have been fed. Seeds have finally been sown: Tithonia and nasturtium, carrots and leeks this week. More annuals will be sown next week and those potatoes will be planted. Here’s what’s in my garden today.
One
A border was extended in November and I dug up a batch of bulbs to make way for the roses that will be the star attraction. Impatiently I threw all in the bulbs in a corner of the border and forgot about them. Of course with no care to the planting they have emerged as a perfect clump of colour.
Two
Continuing the yellow theme, the cowslips planted in a damp corner last year have spread themselves out and look very settled.
Three
More spring colour on a subtler note comes from these Thalia narcissi. I love the multi-stem format. I’m mentally planning for next year and more of these are on the list. I also want to plant some Paperwhite and White Lady narcissi together with a couple of clumps of Leucojum – now that I’ve perfected the planting in clumps technique.
Four
I thought that I had lost these fritillaries when all the work on the path was done. But the new path is slightly narrower and these were just outside the trample zone. The slightly wider border is going to allow me to plant more of these too.
Five
The garden is full of birds and bird song at the moment. I was planning to cut back the Verbena bonariensis but a charm of goldfinches were breakfasting on the seed heads this morning so I have been persuaded to leave that for another time. Sadly the free version of wordpress doesn’t allow video content so I can’t share the bird song, including the resident woodpecker, with you. I’ll see if I can post to twitter (lol).
Six
Back down to earth: the inside of my shed! The blackcurrants and gooseberries are all in leaf and I need to start thinking about how I protect them from those wonderful birds. My favourite netting is the twisted coil of soft net but my local nursery has stopped stocking this one. Last year I bought lengths of semi rigid plastic net which was easy to cut and fix to bamboo canes to make something resembling a fruit cage. What do you use? Do you have a favourite?
It is so amazing that so many are sharing their garden news under the Six on Saturday meme. Go along to The Propagator and feast your eyes. And keep gardening!
n20gardener 
Lots of my favourite plants all in one post. In my Six, nearly included a cowslip which has wandered onto my path and away from the bed where I would like it. Clumps of it would be perfect. My protection for gooseberries and blackcurrants on the allotment is a horrible mixture of sticks and tangled netting. Yours looks much more sensible and robust.
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I usually have a tangles and canes but that semi rigid netting gave a bit more strength.
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I use a soft plastic net for my strawberries, peas and red currants. Fortunately, the birds don’t touch blackcurrants, gooseberries and raspberries here … I tried to install a very large rigid net around my fig tree (because the birds love the fruits) but it didn’t work. These villains have managed to pass under!
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You are so lucky they don’t go for your fruits, here they eat the flowers before the fruit even arrives.
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I had my panic last night that I wouldn’t be able to handle the assembly line of summer gardening. Like yourself, I took a breath & regained my senses. Your careless clump method of planting bulbs is inspirational. Think I’ll try it w/my summer bulbs. As to netting, the only thing I’ve had to protect is strawberries, & the blackbirds’ve figured out how to get under the netting tunnels, no matter how many stakes I put into them. I don’t mind sharing, though.
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Last year I had at least three blackbirds caught inside my netting. I’m moving some more daffodils and I’m going to do the same again.
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There is a sneaky way to include video content on the free version of WordPress. If you create yourself a free channel on Youtube and upload your video there you can then embed the link to that video in your WordPress post. Here is an example of where I have done this.
https://honeypotflowers.wordpress.com/2018/02/07/garden-ecology-great-spotted-woodpecker/
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That is brilliant. One day I will try that out…! It was the drumming noise of a greater spotted woodpecker that I wanted to share. That’s a great post and lovely that your woodpecker visits the bird feeder.
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I’m now wondering what happened to the cowslips I planted last autumn. I’ve seen leaves but no flowers yet. Another stern talking-to is on the cards. It’s good to know that I’m not the only one who totally ignores planting distances when putting bulbs in the ground. I often plant a couple of layers . the bottom of almost touching bulbs and then the next layer with the bulbs over the centre of four in the layer below (like the 5 on a dice). Seems to work fine as long as you feed them well.
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I didn’t have the room to space them and I thought oh well they’re only daffs, if it doesn’t work it won’t matter!
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Your cowslips are just beautiful! I tried planting cowslips in a damp bit of the garden, but they seem to have sulked and gone away. I will just have to enjoy yours.
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I hope yours come through, they are great.
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Nice to see your fritillaries. Mine are in bud and the new ones I planted last autumn are just popping up. I’m hoping they’ll spread…
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Did the bulbs thrown in a corner really put down roots and flower? I guess they did, which is heartening news and will remind me not to fuss so much when planting bulbs as to where and how. Great reminder to seek out White Lady narcissi too. Great blog, best wishes
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Thank you, the bulbs really did. I just didn’t have the room to space them out and as they were ‘only daffs’ I did just throw them in. Maybe it was beginners luck!
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Those primrose trusses are humongous! I think that you have different varieties than those we get here as annuals.
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I think they truly like their spot, they have self seeded all around.
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What a wonderful blast of colour from your “forgotten” bulbs! We’re seeing a lot of birds in the garden, too – wish I could hear your birdsong.
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