In January and February all the shady areas of the garden were white with snowdrops, then came the yellow daffodils of March, now in April it changes again as Mother Nature washes everywhere white once more with later narcissus and other white flowers. This is just in time for Easter when the vestments at church and the beautiful flower arrangements are all white.
Shown below are some of the Wood Anemones in the shady areas, they take over from the snowdrops.
The tiny flowers of Prunus Kojo-no-mai are so beautiful and look far more delicate than they are.
Prunus Kojo-no-mai is a beautiful shrub and looks just like a fall of snow! Such a useful shrub, it doesn’t grow too big and should fit in any garden.
Narcissus Thalia are taking over everywhere from Tete a tete which have now faded.
Thalia are such lovely flowers, quite often with 2 flower heads like Tete a tete, and being white, they go with any other flowers that are out at the moment.
Here Thalia are joined by Prunus Kojo-no-mai.
Narcissus Geranium are putting on a good display and what a super perfume they have, when the wind comes from the south west, the perfume travels over the garden to wherever we are – lovely!
The cherry tree at the entrance is in full bloom and the bees are thoroughly enjoying it, or they were before the weather changed! Not sure of it’s name as the previous people planted it, sorry!
The blossom is at the mercy of the weather, the tree is in a fairly sheltered corner so hopefully it will last for a while, but the wind is supposed to come from the north tomorrow which could send it all fluttering to the ground like confetti!
When I approached the tree to photograph it, bees were buzzing everywhere, but I wasn’t quick enough to catch them, they went further away to blossoms round the back. These 3 photos were taken a few days ago, can’t believe how blue the sky was then.
Damsons in the fruit and veg area are now flowering nicely but each night when frost is forecast has me zooming! up the garden with fleece and old net curtains to protect the blossom – no blossom, no lovely fruit in the autumn!
Just think, each of these lovely flowers will hopefully make a lovely, beautiful, juicy Damson that we can have in either a crumble or make into jam!!
Bergenia Beethoven is by the front door and has taken over from the snowdrops that I have there. The leaves are so useful for flower arranging.
I have a horrible feeling that these are a hybrid between our english bluebells and the spanish one that is trying to take over in this country, even so , very pretty.
Pachyphragma macrophyllum is forming groundcover in the woodland, spreading slowly, think it might like a bit more moisture than it has at present.
Lovely little Iris japonica, such a beautiful flower, but so much smaller than you would expect from photographs of it. What on earth has been eating the leaf by the flower, wish I had removed it before photographing it!
The woodland is home to a few different varieties of Erythronium, this one is White Beauty, and it certainly is. It’s such a pretty flower, but so fleeting, don’t go away on holiday or you will miss it flowering!
Just starting to open its blossom is my favourite tree, Amelanchier lamarckii, the blossom is so beautiful, that is when we see it! Quite often we have hardly any flowers because the bullfinches come and eat all the flower buds!! Last year it was fantastic and this year looks as though it will be almost the same, thank goodness!
Flowering between the pond area and the pergola through to the veggie garden is Exochorda macrantha The Bride. A very pretty bush that is easily kept to the size you want it by pruning as soon as it has flowered.
This is the wild Hawthorn which is everywhere along the lanes of Devon, we are always having seedlings growing in the garden, the seed dropped by birds. This small tree has put itself just behind the pond, I still have to decide whether it is to stay, be pruned or to go permanently. I think it might stay with a bit of pruning!
A new little plant of Chaenomeles Apple Blossom planted with the fruit and veg, hoping that the bees will come to it and then pollinate everything else, it has a bit of growing to do first!
Conference pear blossom, if each one forms a little pear, then I will have quite a bit of thinning to do! Hope this year is as good as last year, we had a good number for the fruit bowl!
This Spirea was flowering in January so I was very surprised to see it flowering again. It is always the first shrub to flower with us, makes the far corner by the school look very pretty indeed.
On the archway into the woodland we have Clematis alpina White Moth with the rose, Snow goose. This is the first of my Clematis to flower although the macropetalas are not far behind.
Obviously we have other coloured flowers out at the moment, but the overall impression this year is that the garden is celebrating Easter by being dressed in white, couldn’t be nicer! Of course this all depends on the weather, and we have had some very strange weather so far this year, and also whether Easter falls in March or April. Is your garden celebrating at the moment too? A very Happy Easter to you all.
Hi Pauline,
Lots of lovely whites in your garden 🙂
Indeed I think your white Bluebell is also a hybrid – true Hyacinthoides non scripta come only in blue; there are also other indicators I won’t bore you with now but that’s one of the main cues.
I really want a white Clematis too, but I also seem to end up going for colours instead! I’ve been trying to slowly but surely add more white into the garden – I do love it as a colour but always seem to end up going for pinks or blues/purples!
I hadn’t realised Liz, that I had got so many white plants until they all flowered together, don’t think this has happened before! The white bluebell is in the woodland where there are also pink and blue spanish varieties, I have my english bluebells, Hyacinthoides non scripta, in a different area, hopefully far enough away to prevent any cross fertilisation. Gradually I am getting rid of the spanish ones, I presume they were planted by the previous people, can’t imagine they arrived naturally.
The photo of the thalia with the prunus in the background is a vision; your garden is so lovely! I admire all of your white blooms that speak of Easter.
Thanks Deb, I thought they all looked very suitable for Easter weekend, I think it just happened that the weather and Easter came together at the right time this year!
Wow! So much pretty white. I have N.Thalia blooming right now too. I really like Clematis apina White Moth… will have to look into it.
I love the sixth photo of your garden… I can’t wait to see it later this year!
Happy Easter!
Julie
Having so much shade in the garden Julie, means that all the white flowers show up so well, we have N. Thalia everywhere! Clematis alpina White Moth shows up at the entrance of the woodland where it is quite shady, I seem to have other colours in the sunny parts of the garden at the moment.
I had just noticed how my own garden had taken on a white hue. You have such a great variety of plants in your garden, stunning. I have a few Thalia but have made a note to get more in the Autumn, they are so delicate and are filling the gap now the earlier daffs have gone over.
Everything white seems to have come together at the same time WW, they all look so lovely together. I really do like N. Thalia, have earmarked a few more places for it in the autumn.
what a lovely collection of whites. Vita S-W would approve, and so do I. Happy Easter to you too Pauline.
Thank you Catmint, although mine are scattered all over the garden, not in one area like Vita’s!
I just love white flowers and you have quite a l0t in bloom there! I am very interested on the exochorda, I’ve been keeping an eye on that plant for a while now, I might buy it sooner or later. I am keeping some hawthorn too in the garden, at the far end, near the willows. The plant needs to be pruned like a shrub and kept under strictly surveillance…
I’ve read your post on dormice with interest but I didn’t make to leave a comment the other day. I am very sorry for what’s happening there, it seems clear that somebody wants the planning done more than your bats and dormice there… I hope it’s making a good change.
I think you’re right Alberto, I will have to watch the hawthorn doesn’t grow too large, but it looks very pretty at the top of the garden at the moment.
It is sad that planning gets priority over dormice and bats, we might have lost this battle, but the war is far from over!!
Love, love all the white. I will be very interested to see what stage my garden is in when I arrive this year, white or yellow. And I planted that very erythronium last autumn, hope I didn’t miss it.
Deborah, it will be wonderful for you seeing your garden again, I’m sure you won’t mind what colour it is!! Hope you get back before your erythronium has finished!
Hi Pauline, Gosh, where do I start with a comment. All your whites are just lovely! I have the Wood Anemones as well, although mine are barely up. Narcissus Thalia is on my wish list as is the white Erythronium (I have mostly seem the yellow and pink ones in the past). I didn’t even know there was a white Bergenia! I have only seen the pink. The cherry blossoms are beautiful and the Iris japonica is very exotic. Really nice post Pauline!
Thanks Jennifer for your lovely comments, so glad that N. Thalia and E. White Beauty will soon be decorating your garden. There are quite a few different white Bergenias, most plants seem to produce a white version of themselves at some time, which is always nice for us gardeners!
Thanks to you I have now fallen in love with the “Thalia” daffodil and I’m off to see if I can order some. Luckily it’s autumn here so I can have some ready for next Spring if I’m quick. Easter here is a combination of autumn leaves and late perennials, mostly mauve and pink, so it’s quite bright.
So glad I was just in time Lyn and that Thalia will be in your garden for next year, it really is a lovely daffodil, one of my favourites! It would be rather difficult for you to have a white Easter wouldn’t it, with autumn tints everywhere!!