I Didn’t Show You …

… the alliums in flower.

The long borders in June

After last year’s disappointment (when they were mostly reduced to sludge by heavy rain) they were a fine sight.

I originally planted one hundred A. aflatunense, twenty A. rosenbachianum and ten A. globemaster. They have increased dramatically in number and bulbs have mounded up to the surface. I won’t need to buy any more.

Dotted about the place (but not in the long borders) are a personal favourite: A. Christophii. But then you all know and grow this one. Don’t you?

I didn’t show you the aquilegia fest this year either. I prefer darker colours like A. vulgaris ‘William Guiness’ but

surprisingly I’ve softened on my former disdain for the self-sown pinks and

even the yellow and pink. Who’d have thought?

From a single plant bought at Great Dixter, I now have plenty of A. chrysantha ‘Yellow Queen’ – it flowers for longer than the others but is an equally prolific self-seeder. I’ve rather let it run riot.

I only recently learnt that columbine (one of aquilegia’s common names) is derived from columbus – Latin for dove. I’d never noticed them before, but now I find the five, fine-necked and intimate doves blatantly obvious. I can’t say that I see eagles though; aquilegia comes from aquila meaning – you’ve guessed it – eagle. Does anyone see eagles here? Very long-necked eagles maybe.

Photo taken in 2011

Sadly, I no longer have my favourite – A. canadensis. We used to sell these little darlings at the wholesale alpine nursery (they are only a few inches tall) and trays of 30 in flower would be snatched up eagerly by customers. But strangely I can’t recall ever seeing them in a garden centre. If I had I would have grabbed a couple or ten.

Another plant that is over now and I don’t see for sale is pretty Silene fimbriata. (Well, I saw it for sale once at an open private garden and bought a small pot). It spreads by rhizome and I now have two large clumps (it doesn’t self-seed in my experience). I shall dig them up and divide as I can certainly use more of it. It is happy in dry conditions – I grow mine under

a Viburnum opulus ‘Roseum’ in the rock border.

Did I show you my rhodohypoxis collection in flower,

my self-perpetuating nigella patch

or the peonies up against the house? I think not.

And my pride and joy – Viburnum plicatum ‘Mariesii’ – flowered and faded without a murmur from me. I planted this out fours years ago from a five litre pot and it has grown faster than I hoped.