I thought I would catch up with the garden before showing the photos of the wild flowers in the Scillies. When we got back, the difference in the garden was amazing, blossom and an explosion of flowers everywhere. New growth on bushes and trees show that spring has certainly arrived, and the birdsong is almost deafening – lovely!
The woodland is looking very lush with more and more flowers opening every day.
The first that I noticed, just by the bridge over the ditch, are some Tulipa sylvestris, which are quite different from the usual tulips. They have rather thin leaves and the flower head starts bent over then gradually straightens with the outer petals curled back. These seem to be increasing, so they must be happy.
Erythroniums or Dog’s Tooth Violets are so fleeting when in flower, usually only about a week or so. I always say, don’t go on holiday when they are due to flower, and what did I do- just that!
I just made it back in time, a week later and the flowers are over.
Who needs flowers when foliage looks as good as this. New growth on Pieris Forest Flame looks just like flowers from the house, such a lovely colour.
The woodland is full of Bowles golden grass, Milium effusum Aureum, and at this time of year when the forget me nots open, they go well together.
Wood anemones are everywhere too and spreading nicely in the leaf mould mulch, this one is Anemone nemorosa Robinsoniana with a hint of blue to the petals.
Cowslips or Primula veris enjoying the sunshine in the woodland.
Euphorbia Blackbird in full glory now with the lime green flowers that go so well with the dark foliage.
The summer snowflakes, Leucojum aestivum has flowered non stop, after starting in February, I was so surprised to find them still flowering away when we got home.
Euphorbia mellifera, flowering in the back garden. We saw hedges of this when we were away, super specimens. This is a seedling of a large one which died a couple of winters ago, in a couple of years time it should be a decent size, the perfume is delicious, honey wafts across the garden.
In the veggie garden, the fruit trees are starting to flower, will we have bees to pollinate them or do I do it, buzzing as I go?!
The next area to wake up is the pond and bog garden, here we have a large marsh marigold and Lysichiton. The marsh marigold seems to have swum into the pond from the bog garden and the Lysichiton has slid off its shelf somehow, it will have to be a bit warmer before I get into the pond to sort them out!
Safely planted at the edge of the pond is the white version, Lysichiton americanus.
The pond area is looking a bit messy, must tidy it soon. The variegated iris seem to have slipped off their shelf as well, have to sort them out too.
To the right hand side of the pond is the bog garden where we have my favourite fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris, the shuttlecock fern. Each day more and more fronds unfurl making such lovely shapes.
At the end of the bog garden where there is a pathway through a woodland edge border, the cowslips are out in force once more. For anyone new to reading my blog, 3 plants were given to me by a dear friend who died a few years ago from cancer and these plants are the offspring from the originals, she always imagined me having a drift of them, I think she would be pleased at how they have multiplied.
A new purchase from a garden we visited a few weeks ago, Zantedeschia aethiopica which should be happy in the bog garden as it is usually found in ditches in South Africa!
I have spent quite some time since getting back, transplanting seedlings of meconopsis and candelabra primulas into the bog, hoping for more drifts in a couple of months time, that is if they flower this year!
I was amazed to find Hosta June fully out in leaf, all the others are just spiking through the soil, with no sign of them opening up yet.
In the border round the dead oak, Erysimum Bowles’s Mauve has flowered non stop all winter in spite of being cut back quite a few times, It is getting rather woody now so I’m thinking that cuttings must be taken soon to keep it going.
Narcissus Thalia is everywhere but there is still room for more! Such a lovely flower bringing patches of white to the garden.
Narcissus Pipit really is an amazing daffodil with the most gorgeous perfume, a pity they can’t bottle it! I love the centre which fades to white and the yellow is a soft buttery yellow not bright like Tete a Tete.
Over the last week, epimediums have started to flower, this one is Epimedium Pixie with lovely pink and yellow flowers, the new leaves emerge bronze but soon change to green.
This old Epimedium is as tough as old boots and gets cut down in February if I remember because the foliage otherwise would hide the dainty flowers.
Camellias are all flowering beautifully with loads of buds thanks to all the rain last year.
The front garden is starting to wake up with Peony mlokosewitschii, thank goodness she didn’t decide to flower while we were away. Last year we had 7 flowers on here, this year we have 10 buds, so getting better each year!
By the front door is Bergenia Beethoven which is spreading quite a bit now so some can be taken off and put into the woodland, I think it would like it there.
Forget me nots are spreading everywhere in the Bee and Butterfly border in the front garden.
To the left of the front gate is a large bush of the double Kerrya japonica pleniflora, a real splash of yellow as you come through the gate.
To the right of the front gate is the cherry tree that was planted before we came here, it was absolutely covered in blossom when we arrived home. Even though the flowers are double, bees are always buzzing round here, hope its not in vain.
Opposite the front entrance, by the garage is a large Berberis darwinii bush, literally covered in flowers, happy bees buzzing each time I go to get my car out.
This turned into a bit of a marathon, thank you if you are still with me, there were so many flowers showing in the garden, I just wanted to share them all with you.
I viewed your post at 150% magnification to get more of an eyeful of your lovely blooms, Pauline 😉 The difference from day to day never ceases to astonish me so you must have been in your element when you came back and viewed all this abundance at once! Those Robinsoniana wood anemones are such a lovely shade, aren’t they? I am planning on trimming my epimediums after having read one of your earlier posts as I realised how right you were about the flowers being easily overlooked – I have recently refound a lovely red flowered variety! And it seems as if people are right about last year’s rain and this years’s rhodendrons and camellias – your camellias are fantastic! Thanks for sharing all these delights, Pauline
It was wonderful Cathy to come back to so many flowers in the garden, such a change from when we went away. Each day now there are more and more, such a wonderful time of year, I just need it all to slow down so that I can catch up! I remember Carol Klein telling us one year to trim our epimedium, so each year have done them and the flowers are so much easier to see, its only the old leaves that are coming off, they are soon replaced. Yes, the rain last year did have a plus side after all, usually I’m flinging buckets of water onto the rhodos and camellias in August as that is when they abort their buds if they are stressed, no need to last year!!
Lovely photographs of some beautiful flowers. I can imagine you were delighted to return home to so much colour. Great to read you have some bees enjoying the Berberis darwinii bush. Hopefully the bees will find the blossom on your fruit trees soon!
It was lovely Wendy, to find so much colour waiting for me, even more flowers are out today so more photos taken. Most of the bees so far have been bumbles, can’t say I’ve seen many honey bees yet unfortunately. Such a lovely time of year, nature seems to be rushing to catch up with everything flowering at once.
Fascinating stuff! Thanks for sharing your marathon of flowers, Pauline. I’m so glad you didn’t leave any of them out as I’ve really enjoyed seeing all of them – what a gorgeous display you have! There have been one or two that I’ll try and look out for to plant in the gardens here as they’ve really caught my imagination- your Narcissus Pipit and Euphorbia Blackbird are just two. There’s a Camellia two floors down in a border under my window which is a joy to behold at the moment with its abundant flowers; I didn’t know that about watering in August! Spring has definitely sprung; let’s keep our fingers crossed for pollinated fruit tree blossom!
Narcissus Pipit is such a lovely one Caro, you will love the perfume! Euphorbia Blackbird has such attractive foliage from quite early on in the year, I have mine in dappled shade, but don’t think it really needs it. We only water new plantings here as we are on a water meter and all waterings have to be done from our water butts but when we see camellias and rhodos suffering in any dry weather, then we have to take action. We have noticed that even though the bushes start off with plenty of flower buds, they do drop them if they are stressed about August time. As we all know, there was plenty of rain last year and this time the number of flowers is quite amazing on all the bushes. Spring has certainly sprung, I just have to catch up with it all!
Isn’t this time of year just wonderful, Pauline? You must have rushed around your garden when you returned from your holiday just shrieking with pleasure at all the lovelies now flowering. I was away 3 days and the garden had completely changed when I got back. you are still in daffodil time and here my roses are beginning to be in full swing as are the irises. It all rushes by so quickly. Christina
It is wonderful Christina, the way the garden has just exploded, unbelievable! Daffodil time will continue for a while yet, there are still Narcissus Actea to flower, still in tight bud. The few tulips that I have in pots are now opening with lots of other flowers just waiting in the wings, such a colourful time. Our roses and iris are nowhere near ready to flower yet but it won’t be long before the peonies start.
Such lovely plants, and you are way ahead of me. I love your hosta June, and the Dog´s Tooth. The narcissus Pipit I´ve never heard of, but I will look it up. Wonderful to come back to a garden with so many plants on the way. Every day I see something new here, and some of the seeds I just sprinkled on the ground in the autumn has begun to show.
I was so surprised Gitte, to see hosta June fully out as non of the others are, maybe it’s because she is in a bit more sun than the others. I really love all the Dog’s tooth violet, they have such beautiful flowers, I found a white one today,”White Beauty” which I had missed under a rhododendron bush, that one seems to be increasing well so it must be happy where it is. It is such a wonderful time of year isn’t it Gitte, our gardens are full of promise.
The walk through your garden was so enjoyable, so full of life. Walking through someone else’s garden is always so amazing, thank you for taking time to share yours.
Thank you Charlie for your kind comments, there was such a difference in the garden in just the week we were away, I had to share it.
Wow, you have an enormous array of flowers, your garden must look spectacular. Those meconopsis you planted out, are they this year’s seedlings? Mine still haven’t produced any true leaves, they still only have the very first pair. It’s quite a challenge this growing meconopsis from seed 🙂
Helen, don’t worry, the meconopsis were from seed that I sowed last year, the ones from this years sowing are still tiny but with their second leaf now and are in a plug tray of 84. This sounds a lot, but by the time they have overwintered in a nursery bed, I will be lucky to have 30 to move to their permanent position. I agree, it is a lot of effort but I think so worth it when you see that fabulous blue!
Wow, you really do have an abundance of blooms! I can imagine your woodland with its many flowers, the sweet smells, the birdsong; it is all quite wonderful. My hosta ‘June’ was the first to push up in my garden, too. Your Tulipa sylvestris is a bit quirky; I love it!
You and I are so lucky Debs, having our own bit of woodland, that was one of the main reasons we bought this house when my husband got moved here! I love wandering through each day and by the bog garden which is beginning to stir, to see what has opened up overnight, there is always something new at this time of year. I’ve just been reading about Tulipa sylvestris and it spreads by stolons, which I find amazing and will watch for it spreading each year, the more the merrier!
What riches to return home to Pauline. If you are anything like me checking the garden out is the priority when we get back from any holiday. We sat out this morning for a cup of coffee and noticed how loud the birdsong was 🙂
You’re right Anna, even before putting the kettle on, it was check the greenhouse for my meconopsis seedlings, then check the woodland to see if I had any fritillaries left and then the rest of the garden, by the time I came in it was almost dark! The birdsong is wonderful at this time of year isn’t it, I think they too are making up for the cold start to spring.
Lovely, Lovely Pauline. You must be thrilled to find these garden wonders. Everything looks so lush. The little Forget me nots are charming.
I am thrilled Susie, each day brings new delights and I love wandering round the garden at this time of year, then I remember, there is work to do! As well as all the plants growing like mad, the weeds are doing the same, ah well, they bring me down to earth again!
Hi Pauline, Sometimes I feel one of the best things about going away is coming back and seeing what has happened in the garden. I’m always astounded at the number of plants you have, and your woodland garden is particularly divine. I would expect to meet Puck there some time.
Too true, Catmint, it’s wonderful seeing what has popped up while you’ve been away, certainly an explosion this time. The woodland is my favourite part of the garden, we were so lucky to have all the ancient trees to start with that form the backbone to it. Maybe Puck is there already in the form of a white pheasant, he was supposed to mischievous wasn’t he, I think he would like nipping off the fritillary flowers!!
What a wonderful sight to return to, your garden is looking just gorgeous, Pauline! So many beautiful spring plants blossoming.
Thank you Paula. it does all look very pretty at the moment, so many flowers everywhere. Spring was late coming but I think everything is trying to catch up now!
Pauline, I don’t know where to start! Your garden is really exploding with flowers! I am not a big fan of piers but yours look fantastic, and I’m not a big fan of bergenia either but your white one looks amazing! I shall plant some in my garden too, they’re such tough plants they deserve a place.
The best pictures and features (to me) are FMNs with millium aureum, those white and yellow unpronounceable flowers by the pond and I love your berberis!
I’m glad you could have a break without missing anything in your garden.
Spring seems to have been a long time coming Alberto, and now everything is trying to catch up! It was fantastic to come home and see such a difference in the garden, even now I’m finding new treasures each day when I have a wander round.
The pond, with the two varieties of Lysichiton is getting better each year, but some plants are taking over and will have to be restrained!
Thanks for your lovely comments, it makes it all worth while!
I love the sound of tulipa sylvestris. I struggle with a lot of tulips with my soils and weather conditions but some of the species tulips seem to be doing well so I might try a few more of those. Your garden is so packed with colour. The weather this year seems to have concentrated a lot of flowers into a short time frame making my garden feel completely different to most years. Thanks for sharing your stunning garden. WW x
I’m thrilled to find that tulipa sylvestris is doing so well in the woodland, I’ve since read that they don’t need dappled shade but as they seem happy, I think I’ll leave them there. I think all the plants are trying to catch up after such a cold start, so lots are flowering together that wouldn’t normally, I’m not complaining, just enjoying them all!