March and April are peculiar, unreliable months when it comes to the weather. Warm sunny days tempt us to start planting out into our gardens and allotments – the busy garden centres are proof of this. Then we get chilly, windy and wet days when everything goes into shock, including me. My sofa and gardening books and websites are more comfortable than being outside. This last week has been a mixture of both.
Without a garden at home, I have a lovely patio choc-a-block with pots bursting at the moment with spring bulbs. The narcissi are in bloom and the tulips are just peeping through so, if all goes to plan (ha ha!) they will bring a riot of color after the yellow and creams of the narcissi fade.
My six today are just a few spring flowers from the patio pots.
1. Pushkinia
This year was the first time I planted this pretty delicate bulb. I have made a note to buy more next year and plant them closer together. These are getting lost within the other bulbs and deserve the opportunity to put on a good show.
2. Chinodoxia
Another delicate spring flower that needs a bit more thought as to what to plant it with. They are a bit choked out by large, fleshy tulip leaves.
3. Hyacinth ‘Woodstock’
My ultimate favorite hyacinth with the most amazing perfume. They are becoming a little top heavy now and require a spot of staking. Whilst I have found in the past when planted out into the garden after their first spring flowering, lots of hyacinths tend to revert to a pale pink. ‘Woodstock’ keep their color and the ones replanted last summer make a wonderful contrast against pale narcissi and primulas.
4. Hyacinth’Fondant’
Another top heavy hyacinth, this one is staked. I planned to have a pink pot starting off with ‘Fondant’ but only one appeared so now I have to wait for the pink tulips.
5. Tulip Praestans ‘Fusilier’
‘Fusilier’ is a bright scarlet early flowering tulip. It doesn’t grow very tall – about 10″. The biggest bonus is that this variety of tulip, with its multiple stems, will flower again the following year, so ideal for planting out into the garden. When not gardening, I enjoy rock painting and the little white rock with Peace written is one of many dotted around the pots.
6. My Patio pots
Here are my various pots of spring plants. I don’t remember the tulips producing such big leaves in past year, but then maybe it’s the varieties I have chosen. To me some of the containers look a bit untidy but once the tulips flower I am sure they will all look spectacular. The eagle-eyed of you will see one of many clear plastic boxes I use as mini greenhouses. This one has my tomatoes and peppers, brought in at night of course. The yellow compost bags to the right of the bottom picture are the marvelous Dalefoot Lakeland Gold, delivered on Thursday and waiting for me to take them up to the allotment.
As always a big thank you to The Propagator who hosts this weekly meme. Don’t forget to visit his blog and read all the other Six on Saturday contributions.
