Cheerfully bright and looking very yellow in the sunshine, my first tulip of the year has arrived. It is the aptly named ‘World Friendship’. A virtual high five to that! I’ve spent the week being very virtual – virtual meetings, virtual events, virtual exercise and virtual language classes but I have also spent more time in the garden. Here are six things that caught my eye.
One
The aforementioned World Friendship. New to the garden last year and standing strong again this year. Long may it last
Two
Narcissus ‘Bridal Crown’. A few years back, when I was new to this garden, I squeezed a few of these into the border. No real idea why and no particular plan. They deserve to have had more consideration, either more of them or some other plants to work with. On the ‘to do’ list.
Three
The first of the plum blossom is opening out. This tree was in a bad way three years ago. Oozing from a large split in the trunk. The split is gradually healing and the oozing has stopped but last year the leaves withered, you can just make them out in the background. I’m giving it one more season to see if it can pull through. I’ve lovingly fed it with bonemeal once a quarter and my fingers are crossed. While it flowers like this there is hope.
Four
The tomato plants have been potted on. I keep meaning to sow a few more seeds – some cherry tomatoes and some yellow ones. That’s a job for the weekend then.
Five
During my morning fast walk round the garden I spotted a drop of pink under the rose bush. Closer inspection revealed the first flower of geranium sanguineum var. striatum. This seems very early and it is a little darker than usual, but hey, who’s complaining.
Six
The online gardening community is doing a great job of keeping us all going. Thanks to Mr P for hosting the links to all the SOS posts. I’d also like to give a thumbs up to twitter gardener @GardeningGent who is organising a Sow a Sunflower event. I was very pleased to finally locate some seeds so that I can take part. Sow seeds on April 1st – no joke- and post a weekly photo of progress. I’ll be there.
Here’s hoping your gardening activities are helping you to spread seeds of happiness. Cold weather forecast but I think it may be time to take the plunge and prune the hydrangeas.
n20gardener 
Lovely to see the tulips. Mine aren’t out yet. I’m with the Sow a Sunflower thing too – if I can find some seeds in the shed. I know I’ve got some, somewhere…..
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It took me a while to find a packet – from last year. It will give us a sense of community!
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I see that you still have plenty of seeds to sow which will keep you busy during the lockdown?!…
Very beautiful yellow tulip (a colour of tulip absent in my garden)
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Just about enough to keep me going. So cold here today, a very brief flurry of snow! My autumn sown sweet peas are staying inside for a little longer!
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Same for me … A weekend indoors and seed sowing started warm inside too.
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Still awaiting my tulips to bloom but, in the current situation, I am trying to be more mindful. The narcissus Bridal Crown is very pretty and aptly named.
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My tulips in the colder parts of the garden look like a couple of weeks off flowering – more to enjoy later.
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World Friendship – horrah for that! What a good sunflowery idea by Gardening Gent, I think I might have some sunflowers in my box, I might well join in. Or I might forget completely! Lovely blossom, and well done for tending to your poorly plum. Enjoy your week, stay safe and well x
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Yes I have a note on the computer to remind me to join in! Stay safe and well to you both too.
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Interesting mixture of flowers. I mean, some I have blooming, and some that are nowhere near blooming! Nice little tomatoes!
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Timings of flowering changes every season, it’s hard to keep up!
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I had not thought about a yellow tulip. I reserve that colour for daffodils. But I bet it would look very nice with some pink ones nearby. My tulips are on their way, a tad early I think. At this rate I’ll have nothing in flower come the end of April. Looks like I’ll be tomato-less this year. I usually buy seedlings in April as I am hopeless with seeds, and I only want three, but if the garden centres aren’t open I guess I’ll have to go without. C’est la vie!
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I sowed seed left from last year and they pretty much all came good – if you have any odd packets lying around. Gardener’s world magazine seemed to be sold out at supermarket – suspect it had seeds in it!!
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Haha… Everyone is going to be growing their own this year.
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Your plum blossom is very pretty. I hope you manage to save the tree.
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While I was still pruning fruit trees, phytophthora (spp.) was the worst diseases among the stone fruit trees. It was saddening to see such a nasty disease damaging so many fruit trees in home gardens where vast orchards used to grow. I explained to clients that infected trees typically succumbed within only a few years, and that the worst did not last more than two years. However, Some trees continued as if there was no problem.
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It is so difficult to know what is affecting the tree. It looked as though it had been damaged by a lawn mower – the grass was growing around the tree, so I thought it might be gummosis. We gave it a grass free section and over three years the split to the trunk has nearly healed over. I don’t know if the leaf withering is something else or if it is related. Let’s see what this year brings.
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Narcissus bridal crown is lovely. I’ll put it on my wish list (which I will go and write now before I forget!)
…I’m back. I potted on my tomato seedlings too but they all went flop so I was too embarrassed to show them on Six on Saturday. They’ve perked up now thankfully.
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Do you know what happened to the plum tree last year – was it old or did something damage it? I do so hope it returns to full health again. The blooms on it (& all the others you’ve included) are looking great.
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