After a rather chilly weekend this week has been fairly sunny and even pleasantly warm in the sunshine. I took advantage of the fine and sunny weather to pop down to my closest National Trust garden near Penzance to have a slow and gentle wander through the grounds, it is definitely rhododendron season. Wednesday saw the car in for a service and MOT (passed thank goodness) and a day out in St Ives. The sun shone and the sea sparkled and I had a good time wandering the back streets and a visit to the Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden which is always a treat.
The garden moves onwards and upwards. So many things coming into flower and the main colours seem to be purple and pink (with interjections of yellow, orange and white plus loads of greens!). I went out in the early evening to capture these photos, I always love to see the light through the leaves and petals.
These are all variations of the same flower – Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Lime Sorbet’ grown from seed a couple of years ago it’s only now that the plants are tall enough to see and I love how some of them are tinted with pink or lilac as well as the limey green.
Monkshood (Aconitum) also known as wolfsbane and common aconite looks similar to delphinium, to which it’s related. The S&S would decimate delphiniums, but know better than to touch this highly poisonous plant. Since I cut it down and thought I had pulled it out a couple of years ago it has flowered better than ever! Fortunately it is at the back of a border so I can admire it without any harm. All parts of the monkshood plant, especially the roots, are poisonous.
Hard to get a good photo of the Geums. ‘Red Wings’ is tall and floaty and looks great among the grasses, but the golden-yellow ‘Emory Quinn’ stubbornly grows close to the ground. It should grown to 35cm H, so I am hoping it makes a bit more effort over the summer.
The Common Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris) probably came from the packet of wildflower seeds I scattered two years ago. They are looking rather good at the moment, but I shall reduce their numbers once they have stopped flowering.
My deciduous Agapanthus are growing again, nice fresh greens leaves emerging from the pots, but the big question is whether there will be flowers. Last year I think only three out of the six or so pots did so time will tell. As for the silver and green one which is in the ground I am crossing my fingers for. This one flowers very erratically. Called ‘Silver Moon’ it appears to flower once in a blue moon.
Today is World Bee Day. The theme for World Bee Day 2023 is Bee engaged in pollinator-friendly agricultural production. A call for global action to support pollinator-friendly agricultural production and the importance of protecting bees and other pollinators, particularly through evidence-based agricultural production practices. I try to do my bit by growing wildflowers as well as plants for pollinators and allowing my lawn to be daisy, buttercup and dandelion friendly. Many flowers are attractive to bees, with different types of bee varying in their particular preferences. In particular, long-tongued bumblebees such as Bombus hortorum tend to favour deep flowers, and of course short-tongued bumblebees such as Bombus terrestris/lucorum prefer shallow flowers. The more you study bees, the more fascinating they are.
Jim of Garden Ruminations is now our host and as a former nurseryman has a lot more than the SOS happening over on his blog so well worth following. As always, if you want a peek over other people’s garden walls then please pop over to his site 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 
Always a joy to see your blooming beauties Jude – and kudos for the ode to the bees! That image with the threesome is amazing!
Thanks Tina, haven’t seen many bees so far this year and even fewer butterflies. I’m hoping this warm spell will encourage them.
💖💖💖💖💖💖