It’s a little bit more of a joy to hunt for six things from the garden this week. The primroses are really look great at the moment and, without jinxing it it I hope, the slugs do not seem quite so active. Here’s my choice for this week.
One
The fritillaries are in full bloom now. The dusky colouring looks so wonderful and they are beginning to self seed in the garden.
Two
The clematis armandii ‘Apple Blossom’ is fully open and is clothing the fence with flowers which are giving off their glorious scent.
Three
The Thalia narcissus have appeared and the slugs haven’t found them just yet.
Four
In the front garden an unknown variety of mahonia is romping away.
Five
The leucojum that I saw everywhere in Sussex last week have put on a show in this garden. I need more and more of them!
Six
Lastly the front garden Magnolia is in full flow. Glorious.
All is well in this garden but over at the daughter’s garden the warm weather has revealed bamboo running into the lawn. That is a horror story. We will be over there next week so I will report back. This weekend the lawn here will get its first cut and some more seeds will be sown. I’m also planning to plant out the second early potatoes that are well chitted now.
I’m hoping to see the partial eclipse of the sun this morning and there’s always Jim’s Garden to visit for more of the SOS posts. Have a great gardening week.
I had a few days away this week in Sussex where the primroses and daffodils were plentiful. Also in flower were the magnolias and leucojums. But I was smitten by several displays of delightful low growing tulips and daffodils. I’m forsaking my garden this week to share these dainty delights instead.
One
The first is the tulip ‘Hilde’, here in a mixed display.
Two
Next, in a pot of its own tulip turkistanica.
Three
Onto the narcissi. This one is ‘Snipe’, quite a familiar one, but not I think to be confused with ‘Jack Snipe’ which seems altogether different.
Four
This is one of the hoop narcissi, ‘White Petticoat’.
Five
Here’s a mixed display with ‘Toto’ at the front and the yellow on the left is narcissus cordubensis, not one I’m familiar with at all but it is truly delightful.
Six
Lastly, ‘April Tears’ which is the narcissus to the right of the pot in photo five.
I’ve made a shopping list and I will be planting out the purchases out in pots to be stylishly dotted around for next Spring’s display. I’m a itching with impatience!
I hope you’ve enjoyed the deviation from the rules. I’ll be back to my garden next week. In the meantime, visit the other SOS gardens via the links at Jim’s Garden Ruminations. Happy gardening.
It’s been a cold week but night time temperatures look to be on the rise for next week. I may try to sow a few seeds. I’ve been cutting back the brown stuff, admiring the ability of weeds to keep on coming at me and the patch on the lawn for a new flower bed has had the turf stripped. It is very dense with the old fig tree roots but I’m hoping a few annuals will find a home there. There’s much on the way in the garden but not much in flower, but six must be offered each week and here they are.
One
There’s always a cry to sow a few early carrots and over the years I have tried: buying early varieties, warming up the soil by covering it with cloches, waiting until the weeds start growing before sowing but it never comes to anything. Last year I didn’t sow until the end of May. This year I have been tempted to sow a few seeds in a deep pot in the unheated greenhouse. I have germination so I am intrigued to see how they will progress. I will update regularly.
Two
So very nearly, almost there. The first flowers on the clematis armandii ‘Apple Blossom’ have been spotted. This is mine but it sprawls wonderfully over to my neighbour’s side where it is much appreciated. I think it does better there!
Three
I have climbing hydrangeas growing up a fence on the North side of the garden. A few weeks ago the soil here was frozen but the hydrangea buds are now opening. They have taken a few years to establish but I think it is looking good for this year.
Four
An East facing corner of the garden is home to tulips, aquilegia, phlox, geums and hardy geraniums. They are all putting on good growth and although it will be a while before the flower explosion takes place it is very encouraging to see everything reappear.
Five
I’ve been to the garden centre for compost and of course their tempting displays of spring bulbs in pots called to me. I bought a trio of pots of snakeshead fritillaries to plant along side the hellebores. I couldn’t bring myself to plant them out last weekend as there was evidence of slugs and snails. That hasn’t changed but the plants are a little taller now and the flowers have formed. It’s time to be brave.
Six
Lastly, three pots of hydrangea macrophylla ‘Little White’ that I’ve had since Autumn. These are destined for the North facing border. It’s a dwarf variety that grows to approx 60cms. They are replacing the pittosporum that were lost over the winter of 2023. This whole border needs an edit so they’ll be in their pots for a few weeks more.
The compost heap was filling up with the March cut back material and so some turning was required. Gently does it as the toads over-winter there and I was pleased to spot one very fat one. There were plenty of worms too. No doubt there will also be a crop of interesting seeds which will reveal themselves once the finished compost in the last bin is used. There were no visits to the Daughter’s New Garden this week. I don’t think I’ll be back there until April by which there could be much more in evidence. Hopefully it will include a new lawnmower! Recommendations for small lithium battery lawn mowers gratefully received.
Wishing you a happy gardening week and hoping that a visit to Jim’s Garden can be fitted in as well.
I was unexpectedly absent from last week’s SOS gathering. The non-gardener became fixated on problem solving and it was a problem that needed to be solved. It was. The non-gardener has also been helping out at our daughter’s new garden. Which is much appreciated by everyone. In the meantime what has been happening in this garden? Here’s six from the garden this week.
One
First the problem that had to be fixed. The new water butt had filled up very nicely but it was not willing to let go of its contents. A blockage in the tap was suggested with the helpful advice to stick a skewer up it and wiggle it around. Of course this was not the solution. The non-gardener decided that the butt had to be emptied. In the absence of a long enough extension lead to enable use of the pump a syphon was set up and the water drained off into watering cans and onwards to a water storage tank. As you can imagine this took some time and last week’s SOS faded out of sight. Once the butt was emptied it became clear that the hole for the exit point to the tap had not been drilled. We have now drilled it ourselves and there is an offer of some form of compensation coming from the supplier.
Two
Even though there has been a welcome increase in sunshine hours and warmth the garden hasn’t moved on much in two weeks. These ‘Tête-à-tête’ daffodils in the border have opened up though, and the slimy ones are out in force to feast on the flowers. Groundhog day, I think.
Three
The winter pots filled with violas have continued to be cheerful, this pot has done incredibly well.
Four
New growth is appearing and it is always lovely see the new leaves of aquilegia.
Five
I was also struck by the freshness of the leaves on hardy geraniums which are filling out nicely
Six
The primroses are having a great time self-seeding around the garden and I am very happy to see them here in a very shallow soil topped with gravel that runs along side a raised bed. I have sprinkled seeds of many an annual here but the primroses arrived under their own steam. The best way!
I am thinking that this weekly post may become a tale of two gardens. We have now made three visits to The New Garden. Brambles and ivy still abound, what a job that is. This week the non-gardener strimmed the lawn and I managed to plant some hardy geraniums in a small part of the border that had been reclaimed. One of the dead climbers has sprung into life but there isn’t a suitable place to plant it yet. The New Garden is in need of some proper garden clearance, watch this space and I will include a picture. In this garden I have been racing to complete the rose pruning and I have actually sown a few seeds. Coriander inside on a window sill which has germinated and in the new greenhouse, a small tray of half hardy annual phlox seeds that came free with a well known magazine!
I have some replies and some reading to catch up with and some weeding to do. The forecast is good and I will be grateful for my relatively sane and sensible life! Jim’s blog must be visited and good wishes are sent to all gardeners wherever they are.
n20gardener 