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.
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The first is the tulip ‘Hilde’, here in a mixed display.
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Next, in a pot of its own tulip turkistanica.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The winter pots filled with violas have continued to be cheerful, this pot has done incredibly well.
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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.
There’s a certain energy beginning to build. Goldfinches have started to come to the bird feeder and this morning a Great Tit was singing it’s heart out in the nearby hornbeam tree. A little warmth towards the end of the week encouraged a few more spring flowers. It’s all very inspiring. Here’s six from the garden this week.
One
I have a habit of buying a bag of bulbs from market stalls. The bulbs are always named varieties and I fully intend to remember which ones I have planted where. Last year I bought a bag of Jeanne d’Arc crocuses and planted them here. Perhaps I didn’t, perhaps I planted them somewhere else, perhaps they were not Jeanne d’Arc at all. But this is what has grown. Lovely but clearly not Jeanne d’Arc.
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I’m pretty sure these are Ruby Giant, a tommasinianus variety. Quite happy with these.
Three
I love these dark purple ones. I have no idea what they are!
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That little bit of extra warmth persuaded the ‘Tête-à-tête’ daffodils in pots to open. These are going to be dropped into the borders when I see where the gaps are.
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I love the white primroses that sometimes pop up in the garden. This delight has been battered by life but still looks lovely.
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Lastly an evergreen filler from the front garden. The silver edge to leaves looked particularly wonderful today. Its a brachyglottis, could it be Silver Wave?
I’ve had my first gardening visit to my daughter’s new garden. Priority number one was to start on the brambles that are invading it from a neighbouring garden. Of course, a thankless task. But a start had to be made. I discovered four pots of climbing plants that looked newly bought. I think the previous owner’s health took a turn for the worse and a new project couldn’t be completed. Sadly I think they are all dead. But maybe they are just dormant. I will update as the seasons progress. Jim as ever, hosts the SOS meme at Garden Ruminations and all the other SOSers gather there for a weekly catch-up. Stop by, join in, all welcome.
There have been no frosts in this last week but the wind has kept the temperatures down. It is time to do some seasonal gardening jobs. The grasses and the clematis were cut down last weekend. It always feels mean to take down last year’s clematis growth when it is already shooting for this year, but down it came. There is much to be cut back and as I see new shoots from hardy perennials I am persuaded to choose a few candidates and get on with job. Here’s this week’s six.
One
A pink primrose is just about surviving the slugs which are clearly enjoying this year as much as they enjoyed last year.
Two
I’m being a bit of a hellebore bore! But they never fail to cheer me up when I am looking for something to share. Pretty Ellen White is on display again.
Three
The flower heads on euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii are forming. This is another garden marker for me, lovely when fully open and a reminder to get the border cut back started.
Four
The tiny flowers of sarcococca confusa are easy to overlook. This was added to the garden last year to replace some euphorbia mellifera that were lost to frost. I’m just hoping the sweet box doesn’t go the way of my other box shrubs. In the meantime the euphorbia has self seeded in two other places and so far is surviving the winter.
Five
More mundane gardening jobs include recovering the veg plot paths from the moss that colonises them over the winter. That’s a job that will keep me warm.
Six
Lastly, my local allotment shop has its stock of seed potatoes and onion sets in stock. These are second early Charlotte, sitting in egg boxes to chit. I was also tempted by some Red Baron Onions which I will start off in modules in the greenhouse in March. My veg patch is slow to warm up and I have finally realised that starting things too early is a waste of time.
I’m encouraged to see buds on Thalia and more and more tulips pushing through. I also spotted the first shoots of the camassia ‘Alba’ that were newly planted last autumn. I’m hoping these will be in flower with the tulips. I’ve put down the markers for stealing some of the lawn for a new flower bed. Eventually the space will be shaded out by the new Rowan but in the meantime I’m going to sow a few annuals where the old fig tree grew. Jim, hosts the Six On Saturday blogs at Garden Ruminations. Always worth a visit to see what everyone is up to and what a stunning header shot Jim has this week! Happy gardening to everyone of you.
My great plans for last weekend were foiled by a heavy frost on Sunday so any garden work was limited to what could be done from the path. This led me to cutting out last year’s blackberry stems. It was a good job done. The weather improved a little for Monday which was installation day for the new greenhouse. All went smoothly and for the first time in years I have a leak free greenhouse. It’s yet another grim day here today and finding six delights is a challenge so here’s my scrappy six.
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The new greenhouse of course. It’s first inhabitants are two pots of scented leaf pellies and a couple of trays of overwinter seedlings and some tiarella cuttings – or were they divisions?
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A little while back I reported that one of last summer’s Romanesco plants had decided to grow. This week it has been reduced to shreds. I don’t think it is going to make it to the dinner table. My first instinct was to blame the slugs but now I think it is probably the wood pigeons.
Three
My planting prowess has failed me once again. Here I seem to have replanted iris divisions on top of Thalia bulbs. This will be interesting.
Four
Last week I was bemoaning my lack of crocuses to The Quilting Gardener. This week I have spotted a few.
Five
The Siberian dogwood looked amazingly red today so although it is still a young plant it gets a look in.
Six
Lastly the viburnum flowers are opening up a little more.
There’s no frost forecast for tomorrow so I plan to start the cut back of the grasses. I’ve also marked out part of the lawn to become a flower bed. If I can fit it in I will lift the turf, all part of preparation for the planting of the recently purchased rowan tree.
I know Jim will have more to share so do drop by Garden Ruminations to his garden and all the other sixers. Happy gardening.
February is the time I start to cut things back and if it stopped raining I would make a start. It seems that the sunny days fall when I need to be elsewhere. Even if I’m elsewhere the garden moves on. In one part of the garden I have had camassias bulbs pushing through the soil for weeks now. Elsewhere a planting of 30 new bulbs has yet to break the soil. That old gardening trait of impatience is creeping back. Here’s six signs of garden growth for this week.
One
The new tree has arrived. I was very willing to spend a little more to purchase a taller tree but the variety I chose was only available as a 1.5 – 2metre specimen. It is sorbus sargentiana, chosen because it has a slightly narrower growth shape. I fully intended to buy a native sorbus, but this one hails from W. Szechwan, China. It seems to have made it’s way to the UK around 1910 which sits happily with the age of this garden.
Two
The clematis armandii buds are a bit of a garden marker. When the first fat ones appear I know the garden is getting going and so must I.
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The other clematis plants are also shooting, this one is ‘Madame Julia Correvon’, a viticella variety that was raised in France in 1900.
Four
These are the glossy leaves of the cherry laurel seedling that appeared mysteriously in the garden last year. I let in stay and it is doing very well. This may eventually move to my daughter’s new garden, once we see what is growing there.
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The new rosettes of buds on the hylotelephium. I have several of these in a holding bed. Also waiting to see if they are needed for the new garden.
Six
Lastly, the flowers on the iberis sempervirens are just beginning to open up. An easy doer and reliably hardy. I might be persuaded to share a little of this too.
It’s a sunny day tomorrow so I plan to start some cutting back. Sunny days at this time of year often mean cold overnight temperatures but I for one will be happy to see a blue sky. Jim at Garden Ruminations hosts as usual, stop by and take a look at everything that is going on and happy gardening to you all.
We have blue skies here. A beautiful sight. This means low temperatures tonight, minus two is forecast, but I’m going to enjoy the sunshine. January is coming to an end and the garden is beginning to take shape again. Here’s six things I found this week.
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The hellebores are popping up, these are unknowns that self seed very happily and I let them do their thing freely.
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This is hellebore ‘Pretty Ellen Red’ that was in bud a few weeks back.
Three
I planted euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald Gaiety’ around the hellebores but hardly ever share a photo of it. It does a good enough job of covering the ground so I shouldn’t be so mean.
Four
Speaking of ground cover, I also planted some pachysandra terminalis. Various people frowned and looked concerned, but I did it. It can spread to 1.5 metres but so far it’s been a little slow to get going. It has lovely glossy leaves and looks very fresh at the moment
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These are absolutely tiny but they are the first snowdrops in flower. Already nibbled of course.
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The asplenium scolopendrium, or hart’s tongue fern has also done well over this winter. These splashes of green keep the spirits going.
There are plenty of bulbs nosing through now. I’ve spotted the first shoots of tulips and muscari and the ipheion uniflorum has put up grassy leaves. All very encouraging. I’ve also spotted green shoots among some of the grasses which means I must get out there and cut the old stems down. Thanks to Jim, our host and his garden can be admired at Garden Ruminations where you can find the links to other SOS posts. Happy gardening.
I have the mid-winter feeling. The frost of last week took out the bergenia flowers and the salvia ‘Amistad’ is a brown stem. But I can see the days lengthening, the bulbs are beginning to nose through the earth and the garden is gently flexing its muscles. Mid-winter feels like a quiet time but there are seeds to be chosen, potatoes to be selected and jobs to done.
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A friend was sharing out some low growing campanula, I guess it is carpatica. It’s a spreader of course. That is why there is plenty to share around. I’ve taken a pot full to add to my border with a wall. Hopefully it will drape itself elegantly downwards.
Two
I always have pots of verbena bonariensis to share around. This tatty collection is destined for my daughter’s new garden. We are waiting to see what comes up first before any planting can take place.
Three
I flexed a few muscles this week. On the right is the hole left by the fig tree. The stump has been ground out – not by me. On the left is the space for the new tree. It is positioned to be equidistant between the persimmon tree and the first apple tree. Thus giving them all a chance to breathe. I’ve only taken off the turf to mark the position. Now I’m wondering if I can make a semi-circular flower bed. My only problem might be the remains of the spreading roots of the fig tree.
Four
The fig tree may be gone but there are plenty of fallen figs still be collected. With each one I pick up I say to myself ‘You won’t have to do this next year.’
Five
The hellebores are coming into their time. Helleborus argutifolius or the Corsican hellebore is really beginning to shine but something is being brave enough to eat the prickly leaves.
Six
Here’s my ‘Pretty Ellen’ white, I’m developing a clump of these around the oak leaf hydrangeas in a newly planted border. It’s early days yet but this area is beginning to fill out. The green shoots of Tulip ‘Maureen’ have just appeared, ready to take over in May.
I have news of the greenhouse. It should be delivered by the end of January with installation probably taking place first week of February. That should set me up nicely for some seed sowing in March. Oh yes, things are coming along nicely. I hope all goes well in your gardening spaces and over at Jim’s place. He’s the host of the SOS meme so stop by at Garden Ruminations and catch up with the news.
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