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Queen of Night

Pulmonaria

Osteospermum

Anthemis cupaniana (white Sicilian chamomile )

Wallflower

Well it is my two year anniversary as part of the Prop’s merry band. How different things are today than there were then. Plans and plants put on hold for now, but nature continues to do her thing. Ironically my first post was about a rainbow and a garden I cannot visit at this time. So many tulips are flowering in my garden now and I am enjoying each and every one of them. At the end of the season I may do a run down on the bulbs I bought and how they performed so watch out for that.  Meanwhile here six things in the garden today.

(1)  I’ll start with tulips, but only the one as I am doing other posts specifically on tulips this month. This is T. Queen of Night  one that is very popular and one I have grown before in a container, but not since moving here. I hadn’t realised just how tall she is! I do like the deep velvety maroon flowers with a silky sheen which makes her look almost black and she looks divine with contrasting coppery shades. Here she towers above T. Green Star, T. Red Shine and N. Thalia. The nice thing about planting tulips in pots is that you can move them around. These are on the Zen patio.

(2) Last year I mentioned the renovation of my Cornish hedge which is in my ‘Wild Garden’. I removed as many weeds as possible and my son helped to build up the wall where it had come loose. Some cuttings of plants I already have were planted and so I thought it was time to let you see how it has progressed. One of the things I have done is to cut down the huge wild clematis that was really totally out of control. There are new shoots appearing so I shall try and train those on the fence as much as possible.

Some weeds have re-appeared and I have noticed the Bindweed popping up again. But I am happy to see the Anthemis has taken hold as have several Osteospermum cuttings and I do have several more that can go in here. Also the old wallflower plants that were used as toppers for last year’s bulbs are flowering and the bees love them. And at the base of the hedge are self-seeded forget me nots and the three corned leeks, which look like white bluebells! The lanes are full of them so it is virtually impossible to get rid of them, especially in gravel!

Osteospermum

Wallflower and Bee

Wallflower

Self-seeded forget me nots and onion weed

Anthemis cupaniana (white Sicilian chamomile )

(3) More Anthemis cupaniana (white Sicilian chamomile ) is found in the Gravel Garden (sunny wall) and looking lovely at the moment. I must take some more cuttings as this is so easy to propagate and the flowers last for ages.

(4) Turning attention to the Woodland Border where lots of plants are coming up and some are flowering now too including this pretty Bleeding Heart ( Dicentra / Lamprocapnos spectabilis)

(5) Another plant that lives in this walled border is this Pulmonaria / Lungwort. Name unknown as it was inherited, but it has very spotty leaves and very pale blue flowers. It also usually gets very mildewed so I have to cut it back severely each year.

(6) And the stars of this wall at this time of year are the ferns. In particular the Hart’s Tongue fern / Asplenium scolopendrium which always looks lovely when backlit by the sunlight as the new leaves unfurl.

So another three weeks in our temporary retreat from society before we know how or when things will change, I sincerely hope that everyone is keeping safe and well. It’s a heart-sickening situation and we are the lucky ones to have our gardens to tend and share.

As always, if you want a peek over other people’s garden walls then please pop over to our host, the lovely Jon, AKA ‘The Propagator’ where you find links to many more wonderful garden enthusiasts from all over the world.

Take care out there!

See here for the participant’s guide.

Six on Saturday