The last couple of weeks have given us the occasional bright sunny days with temperatures just nudging 20C. It seems like the garden has had its touch-paper lit and the plants are rushing forward. Every day there seems to be something new opening or germinating. Today’s thrill is the first Anemone pavonina opening its flower. I bought three plants last year from Stocktonbury Gardens, taking great care where I planted them and carefully not removing the seed heads so they might self-seed. They can be hard to establish so I was grateful for the mild winter and the fact that all three have reappeared and have flower buds.
Narcissus Angels Tears
Narcissus Sophies Choice
There is still quite a variety of narcissus large and small flowering in the garden but my two favourites are Angels Tears and Sophies Choice, both quite elegant and pale.
Tulips are rare in my garden as over recent hard winters they have been dug up by the badger so I no longer plant them in the borders. However, there are one or two which the badger didn’t get and which flower year on year. Tulip ‘Jan Reus’ is one of the few flowering in my garden at the moment.
Iris bucharica is another new delight. It’s a Juno Iris which aren’t generally easy to grow in the garden, prefering pot culture, but Iris bucharica is the exception and will grow in the border so here’s hoping that they will reappear next year.
I had forgotten I had Leucojum vernum in the woodland border so it was a delight to see it reappear. Hopefully one day it will start to bulk up.
Epimedium Black Sea
Epimedium Rose Queen
Epimedium x warleyense ‘Orangekonigin’
I have a growing passion for Epimediums and the first are flowering with more to follow. I love their dainty flowers and the way they waft above the foliage.
Another new tiny delight is Dicentra cucullaria which I have started in a pot but I think will be fine in the border once I have looked up the right conditions for it.
The honesty has started to flower. I think this one is Lunaria ‘Corfu Blue'; I remember sowing seeds for it but I don’t remember it germinating well but maybe I was too hasty in throwing the seed tray on to the border.
I do though remember sowing Lunaria annua ‘Chedglow’. I bought the seeds last year from Avon Bulbs at Malvern show, sowing them that weekend and I am very pleased with the plants. I really like the dark foliage with the purple flowers.
Primulas and polyanthus are flowering away with new ones putting in an appearance on a regular basis. It seems that the polyanthus start flowering later than the primulas. I am particularly fond of the (Drumstick Primula)
There are lots of other small floral delights in the borders and I have included a few of my real favourites.
Omphalodes cherry ingram
Anemone nemorosa ‘Westwell Pink’
Anemone Lipsiensis
Bergenia ‘Bressingham White
Sweet Cicely
For more Garden Blogger Bloom Day posts visit Carol over at May Dreams