New Arrivals

Returned from shopping this morning to find a huge, heavy parcel waiting for me and a quizzical stare from my husband.  Inside the large box lay carrier bags of dahlia bulbs, bulging paper sacks of gladioli, plastic plant carriers of baby Christmas Box (Sarcococca humilis) and white Veronica Spicata 'Icicle'.
I had to buy the Sarcococca  having walked past a large planting of them near Windsor Castle in early January and being completely bowled over by their fantastic scent.  I have one in my garden already but it has been a sickly specimen from the day it arrived, both in drab leaf color and vigour, and the perfume has never been much to speak of.  So, having witnessed this shrub in its full glory, I thought it was time to invest in fresh stock and to reap the perfumed reward. As I have five baby ones to find homes for, I plan to put a group in the narrow border near the back door so that I can enjoy their scent when I go out in winters to come.
As for my 30 dahlia tubers, I plan to home them in some well-enriched soil this year and to pinch them out regularly to emulate the super flowery specimens I see at the allotment and in the Sarah Raven catalog - they promise so much for the cutting garden,  I hope that this will be the year that they flourish.
Can't wait til I have photos to link to future posts like this - in my head I can see my an abundance on my market stall so will have to keep you updated!