Ignoring the awfulness of Thursday when, here, it rained all day with a real insistence there are reasons to be cheerful. I feel there is a sense of spring in the air. The garden is giving me strong signs that it is time to emerge from hibernation, open up the seed packets and get growing. This week I’ve sowed lupins, dahlias, a first batch of tomato seeds and three pots of basil seeds. I even gave the autumn sown ammi a brief outing in the sunshine. There isn’t much new on the flowering front but progress is being made.
One
The clematis amandii ‘Apple Blossom’ has broken into flower. This is it’s best side, further along there are one or two bald patches. I hope these will fill out over the year.
Two
A small group of anemone blanda have deigned to push through again. No sign yet of a new batch I planted in the north border. I’m hoping a little more warmth will persuade them to show up.
Three
The fritillaries are dangling their lanterns again and reminding me that I must invest in a few more of these to make the impact stronger.
Four
The tulips leaves are marching on. I particularly like these striped ones from ‘China Town’
Five
There is a rose to be seen! Battered by wind and rain but managing to look pretty even so.
Six
I was very happy to see some new growth on the alpine alchemilla. I thought I’d lost this after the squirrels made short shrift of it when they planted a few acorns in the same spot. Shame on me for being so despondent.
The ground is still very wet, the weeds, particularly the bittercress, are enjoying the damp conditions and I’ll have to get to them soon before they find the energy to flower. That means I’ll be in the garden which can’t be a bad thing. And would you believe it, I’ve just had a delivery of 300 in-the-green snowdrops! They are so late coming due to the poor conditions for lifting them from the fields. That sorts out my morning. Mr P has all the updates from other SOSers. Plenty to admire and inspire! Cheerfulness all round I think.
n20gardener 
Reasons to be cheerful indeed! Your amandii is looking so lovely, I am still upset that mine failed to grow. I planted some fritillaries in a patch of lawn last autumn and noticed that a few show signs of flowers, I do hope they like where they are and if I can stop people walking on that bit of lawn, maybe spread to give me a very mini, mini meadow!
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Lovely Six this week. That is a very beautiful Clematis. I’ve never been able to keep a Montana or Armandii. Time to try again.
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I didn’t realise they were so troublesome, but several people have reported losing them. It’s only in it’s second year so I will have to take good care of it this summer. The profusion of flowers definitely makes it worth giving it another go.
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I think they’re hardy once established. I’ve never reached that stage with mine. One more try this year….
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What a beauty this clematis! I regret that mine didn’t survive the winter 2017-2018.
As for fritillaries, mine only came out of the ground … I will have to wait to see the first flowers.
300 snowdrops !… good luck
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Snowdrops done – in a very haphazard fashion. I’m feeling impatient now. It’s a long time to wait to see if the effect has worked!
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It will be wonderful I’m sure!
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I find it hard to resist anything called ‘Apple Blossom’ but if I saw that in a garden centre, I know I’d come out with it in the trolley. It’s stunning. I absolutely love it. Can I find a space for it? Oh dear, here is the moment I almost wish I hadn’t seen it. No, not true, I’ve seen it and it’s lovely. 😁
And a rose too! It’s early March – I have almost-bare twigs! Battered by the elements it might be – it’s still gorgeous.
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They are both in the same corner,fighting over the same trellis. The face south west and have a wall and a shed for protection. I think my main challenge is keeping them well watered during the hot spells. Fred put me onto the clematis and then his died in a cold winter!
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I think I sensed spring in the garden today. The light seemed different somehow and the birds are singing at dusk. That clematis amandii ‘Apple Blossom’ is lovely. I must persevere with clematis. Other than a montana they don’t seem to survive in my garden for some reason.
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How funny. We both had rain all day on Thursday, except that I was delighted to see it. There seems to me that there’s quite a lot happening in your garden. That clematis amandii is a picture and I’m ever so slightly envious of anyone who can grow fritillaries in their garden. I love the description of them as ‘hanging their lanterns’.
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The fritillaries do cone under attack from Lilly Beetle – I must keep my eye on that! Glad you are enjoying the rain. I hope it is bringing new life after the fires.
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Ha! I just mentioned ‘Apple Blossom’ Clematis armandii this morning, but only because it is not what we have. I don’t know what ours it, but it blooms with white spidery flowers with narrow petals. It is pretty, but not my favorite. Anemone blanda is rad. I keep seeing it, but have not tried it yet. I want it for spots where it is likely to get overwhelmed by too much fine redwood debris from above. I know it is tolerant of such debris, but the volume from such big trees is the concern.
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I loved your white clematis – we need Jim to give it a name and then I would be off trying to buy one.I have the anemone blanda under the apple tree – not to much debris from that!
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Oh that Clematis is lovely. This is the second SOS that has featured it this week. I better whisper it but I could do with a days rain up here. Just to water my many pots.
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whisper it very quietly!!!
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You have a lovely selection of plants in your Six this week.
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Thank you!
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