Thought I would have a quick walk around the garden this week just to check on how things were going after the horrible storm on Monday. The wind kept up on Tuesday too, followed by rain on Wednesday and Thursday morning. But at least it meant I didn’t have to water the garden. The golden elder tree seems to have suffered the most – blackened new leaves – and pretty much all the tulips have been blown away / broken. I really should have picked the last of them for indoors. I know it’s not quite time for Wimbledon, but here are a few whites to get us all in the mood.

1) First is this clematis, name unknown as it was a cheap Montana variety from Asda. Growing well on a fence at the bottom of the garden by the raised beds (see map) it receives the best of the sun and is smothered in buds this year.

2) In one of the raised beds are two white Aquilegia / Granny’s Bonnets AQUILEGIA caerulea ‘Spring Magic White’ which are also covered in flowers this year. They seem to be quite short, but maybe that’s their characteristic?

3) Grown for the first time this year is a delicate miniature Allium called Allium trifoliatum ‘Caméléon’ which I am sure I found on another Sixer’s blog. In a container this year, I shall find a place in my new gravel area once I get to work on it. They should return each year and need to be in full sun. The flowers start off dusky rose pink, then turn to pure white with a pinky-purple veining. I want them to be scented, but they aren’t.

4) Another newby to the garden is a herb – Sweet Cicely / Myrrhis odorata – I finely got to visit the Bodmin Nursery last month which specialises in herbs (and lots of other naughty things) and this is one of five herbs I purchased.  It likes full sun or dappled shade and is now in my herb bed. It is a pretty plant with white umbels of white flowers and self-seeds freely. Bees and other pollinators are supposed to like the flowers. The bright green lacy foliage of this herb has a rich aniseed flavour that is used both to sweeten fruit dishes (rhubarb is a good one) as well as adding an unusual flavour to some savoury recipes.

5) Iberis sempervirens / Candytuft has a new home too. It has been around the garden looking for the perfect place. You all know that famous saying of Beth Chatto “the right plant in the right place” but how many of you struggle to achieve that before the darn plant dies? Well now its home is in the Butler sink where I should be able to admire its pretty white flowers for several weeks and hopefully it will spread around here. It is drought tolerant and I have to say has been very tolerant since coming to my garden, as it has been submerged by other plants twice now!

6) The final white offering this week is an absolute show-off. Some of you may remember my attempt to jazz up the Cornish hedge in my ‘Wild Garden’ aka car park last year. I planted cuttings of Anthemis punctata cupaniana / Sicilian chamomile and also last autumn I planted some in the opposite (much lower) wall which was bereft of flowers other than weeds. Well this week they have all jumped into action and looking marvellous with the chalk white daisies and finely cut grey-green foliage. Such an easy plant to propagate, I just pull bits off and stick them into some compost.

I am also happy to see signs of life in my summer bulb containers (a Mother’s Day gift from my son) – Freesia and Ixia are showing so far and there are Sparaxis in another container. I will move my other summer flowering bulbs, which have been sheltering in the conservatory over winter,  outdoors as soon as these cold temperatures end.

We were going to go searching for bluebells today, but it has turned out wet and very blustery again so definitely a day for some online autumn bulb planning. I know, it’s like running a fashion house, you always have to be planning a year ahead!

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.

See here for the participant’s guide.

Six on Saturday