(Please check your Spam folders as I still seem to be disappearing down a rabbit hole on some blogs that I regularly comment on)
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!
(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.
Cornwall in Colours 
I found you finally. I do love the mossy wall.
Thanks Carol!
Love those Queen of the Night, Jude!
They are rather striking aren’t they? Very tall though. I usually avoid tall plants because of the wind. Just had to bring inside a couple of Narcissi that had been knocked over – probably rain more than wind.
Very striking
Lovely colour combinations with the Queen of the night tulips with the white daffs and red behind. Very striking. My queens seem earlier this year. They’ve normally flowered after many of the other tulips.
I quite fancy a pulmonaria but will probably need to wait until next year now seeing how much the bees love the couple around.
Asplenium scolopendrium is possibly one of my favourites ferns and got plenty at different stages of development. A couple of big beasts now and tiny ones in pots. I keep hoping it will send its spores into the wall but no luck so far even though it should suit the conditions. I might try stuffing some of the leaves into cracks.
I keep moving my tulips around! I think that I have got a nice combination now, though the rain has made the yellow and red ones droop, they have been flowering for a while though. The fern spreads everywhere here, I have to keep pulling babies out of cracks!
No rain for me, though badly in need of it. Alice has been helping on the watering front though.
My more established ferns are spreading through rhizomes now so be able to divide some off. Happy to see my expensive Sarah Raven ostrich ferns are spreading. Could do with a few more for the front garden so if I can nurse these on they’ll do perfectly.
love your beautiful flowers! thanks for sharing them! 🙂
My pleasure!
You’ve really made the most of that beautiful wall. The flowers cascading down it make a lovely display.
More weeds than flowers! I need to plant some aubrieta on there. But the erigeron should also get established this year. I’ll show another photo in a few weeks time.
Wonderful selection and colour. I don’t think I could grow those tall tulips here. The wind would knock them over. The colour is gorgeous though.
I don’t pick tall plants because of the wind here, I was surprised by the height of these. So far so good though 🤞
Queen of Night is a very imposing tulip – so full of drama.
Wow! The planting on your wall is fabulous – I love the planting!
The Anthemis and Dicentra are delightful. Overall your choice of plants for this week are joyful to look at.
Thanks Catherine, the wall should look better when the campanula come into flower. It’s a battle with the brambles from over the fence.
Your tulips look so velvety and gorgeous and the bleeding heart is lovely. I am such a sucker for pink/red plants.
I have loved my choice of spring bulbs this year. Certainly makes all the expenditure last autumn worthwhile.
The variety of tulips you’ve been sharing is wonderful and these dark beauties are no exception. Yes, we are lucky to have gardens to potter in and to be able to breathe safe, fresh air. My rose garden isn’t nearly as spectacular as your garden but it’s starting to come along with the extra TLC it’s been getting.
Reminder to myself: Foliar spray the roses tomorrow!
👍😊🌹
It is amazing how much growth there has been in a year on your wild wall Jude. And that dark velvet tulip is gorgeous. Gardening is so satisfying when you can look back on previous posts and see the changes and growth, yes we are lucky to have our gardens to lose ourselves in. Major pruning going on in my patch of the world.