I don’t know why it took me so long to discover the first plant in my six for today. I saw it an NGS garden visit and serendipitously spotted two small pots of it for sale at the Finchley Horticultural Plant sale last year. It has come on in leaps and bounds so without further ado here it is:
One
Tellima grandilfora aka fringe cups. It is an absolute winner for the dry shade in my garden. This version has pinkish flowers that fade to greeny white. How clever is that? There is another version, tellima grandiflora odorata, that is scented but I didn’t stumble across that one. I could easily be tempted to track one down for another shady corner though.
Two
I’m also enjoying geranium macrorrhizum in the very dry shade in the front garden. The bluebells there are just going over but that blue and the magenta of the geranium has looked good over the last few weeks. This is a space where only the strong survive, and this geranium just gets on with it.
Three
In the sunnier long border the ‘Mount Everest’ alliums have appeared. These were much complained about for putting on a poor show and last year I decided to add in some allium nigrum. It seems the threat of being usurped has spurred ‘Mount Everest’ on and they are making a go of it this year. The nigrums are some weeks behind and are much shorter at the moment.
Four
I had to feature the sun loving osteospermums this week because I had never noticed their blue centres. Shame on me and thanks to Off the Edge Gardening for pointing this out. Apparently this is a sign of a hardier osteo.
It’s May, the roses are popping out everywhere and filling the air with beautiful scent. So the last two spaces go to them.
Five
An unknown red climber that I inherited. It was a weak and straggly specimen that I cut completely to the ground three years ago. It put on the growth again quite quickly but this is its most floriferous year so far. It does battle with the alkanet – which I am going to try to dig out very soon. Again, that is. Last year’s half-hearted attempt just didn’t do it.
Six
Madame Alfred Carriere. Another climbing rose that is making good progress over the back fence. It is in shade for the most of the day but catches the late afternoon/evening sun from the west. This is it’s second year and it is beginning to live up to its nickname of ‘Mad Alf’. I am very happy for it to go as mad as it likes. There is plenty of fence to cover.
There is some wonderful weather for today and perhaps early tomorrow but cold air is coming. There may be a need to fleece some things and it is definitely not time for the pellies to leave the greenhouse but I think another week might bring us into more consistent temperatures. Wishing you all perfect gardening weekends. I am late posting today but I see I am in good company. Mr P was distracted by having Friday off but he managed to get a post in on time and will be marshalling all the links to other SOSs.
n20gardener 
‘Mad Alf’ rose is so pretty… !
I ‘m still waiting for my first rose…not that long to wait though
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After tulips, roses are my next favourites. I enjoy the garden so much at this time of the year.
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Tellima grandiflora is a new one for me. I’m off to do a google search now.
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I hope you are tempted!
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So lovely to see the roses, our are some way behind, but I did prune them quite late. Thanks for the shout out, this is a great way to share knowledge and ideas, I’m always googling as I read. Have a lovely weekend. 🙂
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I really liked the fringe cups! Will have to look for them here ,because I have just the spot for them!
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So glad to have been of help. 🙂
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The geranium is so pretty. The leaves are such a lovely shape too. I have one, but it isn’t anywhere near that nice. I had another, but after the flowers faded it was an ugly plant and I tore it out!
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The Mount Everest’ alliums look beautiful in photo three. ‘Mad Alf’ is a great name for a rose.
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Yes, it is good to see it, since it is the allium I would like to try, along with some of the larger sorts. I suspect that any would do well here, but because I have not seen any in other gardens, I am hesitant to try them.
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You could be the trendsetter 🙂 😉
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Oh, I avoid trends! I would not try them if I thought they were a trend here. I certainly would not start a trend.
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I haven’t heard of Tellima Grandiflora (or fringe cups) but it looks a rather gorgeous plant. The ‘Mount Everest’ alliums look great in the border.
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Cold air came last night up here. However I have not pot anything under fleece because I don’t think it will be that bad. So weird to have cold weather after 7 weeks of warm air. Thanks so much for featuring the fringe cups. I have an identified plant I had planted in the shed and that is definitely if. Don’t be surprised if you see them featured in my 6 tomorrow.
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Next week even!
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Love the hairy little heads of your allium. Glad they were scared into fruition. Does the osteospermum died completely back over winter or stay – i.e. could it be planted over low lying spring bulbs? My climbing rose is only in bud so an earlier bloomer is warranted. Perhaps there’s a Mad Alf in my future. Will she bloom all summer or be quickly over?
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I’m hoping MA will bloom all summer but she is in the shade for a good part of they day. So far there are plenty of blooms coming through. My osteos stays green all winter, they are in sunny corners around the garden. It does spread/sprawl over its neighbours so I think low lying spring bulbs would be smothered but maybe something that could grow through it would work??? I’m really enjoying the alliums too 🙂
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All looks lovely and I so wish I had more roses now. I have one languishing in a pot not doing much. I plan to branch out and maybe try your climbers. And that wonderful macrorrhizum, I can smell it from here. Best wishes, Julie
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The scent of a good rose is so fabulous. Gertrude Jekyll is wonderful at the moment. Yes, squeeze that rose into a spare piece of ground somewhere 🙂 I like a climber but I fear I have lost control of them this year, they are rampant! Best wishes to you too.
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Lovely roses and a great example of T. grandiflora, puts mine to shame!
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The T.grandiflora might look good because there are two plants together! I really love it. 🙂
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lovely roses, i am impatient for my Mad Alf to go mad. she is still very small and spindly, but only recently planted so i forgive her. interestingly generous gardener is going absolute gangbusters in comparison. it’ll be a race to cover the front of the house.
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I think it took MA a year to get going, the flowers are on long thin stems. I think that’s where the madness lies!
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