I adore tulips. I have no idea why these flowers excite me so much – perhaps because there are so many varieties, so many colours, so many shapes, but I love having these in my garden (or on my balcony) during early spring. Sadly even the so-called late flowering types seem to arrive in April, but let’s enjoy them while they are here. As well as tulips though, there are other spring delights coming up this week, and there will be a round-up of all this years bulbs on Wednesday including the tulips…
(Please click on any image to scroll through the gallery)
My Kilmarnock Willow tree always fascinates me at this time of the year as the new leaves appear from the tips of the weeping branches, creating a kind of nature’s tutu. Sparrows love to congregate among the muddle of branches and this year a blackbird has taken to sitting on top singing its sweet song as the sun sets.
The Honeywort or Cerinthe major ‘Purpurascens’ has popped up in the raised bed, though I do have new seeds to sow. And the Scabiosa ‘Butterfly Blue’ (Pincushion Flower), which seems far too pink to me is looking good this year, so far. The unknown ASDA clematis is a mass of white flowers and buds along the fence at the back of the garden and in the woodland border my Bleeding Heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis; formerly Dicentra spectabilis) has risen from the ground. Tulipa ‘Purple Ladies’ are still hanging on in the verdigris container giving me a good four weeks of flowers.
So what is your favourite spring flower?
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.
Cornwall in Colours 
Lovely colours, Jude. We had some sunshine at long last, and it got to 16C by 4pm. Hoping for a good May!
Best wishes, Pete. x
It’s been rather lovely here all week, hardly any wind, though a couple of chilly evenings (woodburner lit). A bit cloudy today but the sun broke through eventually and it is a lovely evening. I suspect our temperatures are only as high as 13 degrees though. So unusually dry I am having to water the garden every few days, especially all the containers!
A nice splash of colour, Jude.
Indeed. All go at the moment, but the tulips are sadly on their way out. Still others will take their place.
I mis-read scroll through the gallery, for stroll through my garden. I think I’d like to come and have a mooch round your delightful patch.
It wouldn’t take you long Rosie as it isn’t very big, but there are a lot of plants! I’m amazed at how long I can spend out there.
Your garden is looking amazing. I love the ‘purple’ tulips
I’m rather fond of them too, they have flowered for ages, even in the north facing courtyard. I must buy them again.
That last photo shows a glorious array of colour
The FMNs seem to go with everything at this time of year. Soon they will have to be pulled out though.
The flowers are all beautiful but the tree is a real point of interest. 🙂 My favorite spring flower? Whichever one is blooming and I’m currently seeing. 🙂
Haha… I can go along with that!
It would be too hard to pick a favourite flower in spring – I love them all as they appear. I was delighted to find some honeywort plants that have seeded around and are now flowering – a bonus! 🙂
Always a bonus when flowers self-seed. I have calendula that have flowered all through the winter and still coming!
Brave flowers – I love it when you see something flowering in winter that you really don’t expect…an absolute delight!
Oh my Jude, so much gorgeous spring colour. This has to be the best time of the year. I even love the sprinkling of daisies in the lawn. I love the tulips, I wish I could grow them here.
I love tulips too.
Yes, there’s something about tulips…….not that I would sell my house and pay thousands of pound for them as they did in the 1700s, I believe. The willow looks lovely against those fields.