First of all I must explain my absence for the last week or so, courtesy yet again of Talk Talk, don’t they realise how much bad publicity I give them?! We have not been able to access e.mails or any blogs, all I have been able to do is download my photographs. We have been told such blatent lies by Talk Talk, one person telling us that all customers in our phone area have been having problems, it would all be fixed by the next day. When speaking to them the next day, we were told that there were not any problems in our phone area, it just went from bad to worse. However, all clouds have a silver lining, the house is squeaky clean and the garden has had such a lot done to it, it makes me realise that I spend too long sitting at my lap top! Please bear with me, it will take me quite a while to read all 130+ e.mails and leave comments.
The wild snowdrops planted in the rhododendron bed opposite the back door are looking as if they are ready for splitting again, it only seems a couple of years since I did them last.
In the woodland, there are lots of Galanthus nivalis now flowering with the specials, making a white carpet in places.
Snowdrop Hill at the end of the woodland with specials mixed in with the wild snowdrops.
A close up of G. Wendy’s Gold showing two flower stems coming from the same bulb. A few are doing this at the moment, making lots of lovely flowers.
From one bulb about four years ago, it now has 15 flowers, not bad Wendy! Expensive to begin with, but well worth it now.
Iris reticulata is spreading nicely on the alpine scree, such a lovely shade of blue.
As soon as the sun comes out, Crocus tommasinianus opens up its petals and looks so pretty.
The Chaenomeles by the back door has just carried on flowering in spite of the hard frosts that we have had recently.
Still filling the woodland with its lovely perfume is Daphne bholua Jaqueline Postill. There is quite a breeze today, so the perfume is being carried along for quite a distance.
Another early Narcissus, soon they will all be joining in and turning the woodland from white to yellow.
I moved little Leucojum vernum last year, I think that is maybe why it only has one flower this year, hopefully it will have settled in properly by next year and resume its normal flowering.
Cardamine pratensis has been flowering for quite some time now, this is right under the Daphne so when trying to photograph the Cardamine, I was nearly swooning, the perfume from the Daphne is so strong!
The sunshine makes such a difference in the woodland, I like to see the crocus seeding among the snowdrops and when the flowers are all open it all looks so pretty. With the sunshine, the perfume from the Daphne and all the birds singing, I can’t think of anywhere that I would rather be !
Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Garden for hosting GBBD each month, do pay her a visit to see flowers from all over the world.
Your garden is having the perfect February Pauline. Everything looks ever so fresh and raring to go. Love it all!
Sorry to read about yet more bother with talk talk and yet these companies wonder why we complain about their customer service!! Can you change providers? Some times of course that is not possible or causes more bother than it’s worth. I think these companies know that too! Hopefully you are back for good now.
It’s good to be back Angie, I hope that we will change providers when our contract is up, but that isn’t until December unfortunately.
More flowers are opening in the woodland each day, the last couple of days have been really sunny and it does make such a difference.
I was just thinking how lovely the light looked, and then you mentioned it! It does make so much difference to the garden. I love how your snowdrops are all clumping up so well, I really am not very fond of just one or two however special they might be. Your Iris reticulata are lovely too, do they reproduce much in your woodland, I think they have increased a bit in my garden but I’m happy as long as they come back each year. As you so rightly say ” where else would we rather be than in the garden when its spring and the sun is shining”.
Sunlight does make such a difference Christina, you can almost feel that winter is nearly over. I only buy snowdrops if they increase well, I can’t be doing with just an odd one here and there, it will take me quite some time to split all the clumps that need it.
I haven’t tried Iris reticulata in the woodland yet, I think they might like the little snowdrop hill at the end as they should have good drainage there, I must remember next autumn when ordering my bulbs.
I am so sorry Talk Talk have continued to prove they are a nightmare for you – have they actually said what the issue was now that it has been ‘fixed’? Or does it ‘just happen’ to be working again? Are you going to take your case to the appropriate Ombudsman? I found this a worthwhile exercise when we had problems with Tiscali many years ago.
It’s lovely to see your carpets of snowdrops – and you have the ideal situation in your garden for them. Your Chaenomeles has been flowering for ages -it’s gorgeous and I keep inspecting my C Madame Butterfly which was moved from a pot to the shrub border and now has a speck or two of colour.
Cathy, it just started working again just before the deadline, most strange?!
The Chaenomeles has been fantastic this year, non of the frosts have bothered it, it just keeps on flowering. I have another, Apple Blossom, in the fruit and veggie garden, but that only ever flowers in the spring.
The snowdrops do look perfect in a woodland setting. I would forget which one is which, labels don’t seem to stay put!
The large labels that I bought last year seem to be up to the job, Jessica, the small ones all seemed to disappear, probably pulled out by the blackbirds, strange that I never find them though!
I must get Cardamine, every year at this time I think I must get some and then forget, same with the snowflakes. Must go find my notebook
I think some of my Cardamine Helen, has been pulled up by someone else who has helped with the weeding, he shall be nameless. There wasn’t much left to photograph!
What a pain the lack of the internet must have been, gosh 130 posts and emails!!! Yikes!
Lovely to see your carpet of snowdrops and crocus, it’s all going on there isn’t it?
You and Chloris have me rather obsessed with snowdrops this year, so I went onto a site to look at some and was shocked at the price of them, Wendy’s gold seems to cost £15 per bulb…..WOW! I was left speechless…..some seem to cost £150 per bulb….gulp!xxx
It will take me a good week to catch up Snowbird.
The price of some snowdrops is ridiculous, one sold for £750 the other year! Yes, Wendy’s Gold is expensive, I just had to hope the pheasant didn’t dig it up and eat it for his breakfast! There are lots of specials though which are much cheaper, but I still only buy one bulb, then hope that they increase.
The woodland looks great and what a nice cultivar of Chaenomeles.
Glad you are back on line.
I have never known the Chaenomeles to be so good Alain, it just doesn’t seem to want to stop flowering. I’m glad to be back, I’ve missed you all !
Your snowdrops are looking very pretty in this part of your garden – Wendy is realy a nice girl, I would like to have one. In some weeks I will splitt my nivalis again.
Sigrun
As the snowdrops increase Sigrun, the woodland looks better each year at this time. I have lots of clumps that need splitting, it’s going to take me some time!
I am glad you are back on line, how frustrating for you. Meanwhile though you have been able to enjoy the garden, and how wonderful it has been for the last few days.
You are getting lovely carpets of Nivalis in your woodland garden. I see you have got your specials well marked which is a good idea. I am envious of Wendy’ s Gold, I think it is the best yellow. Isn’ Jacqueline Postill just the best? It has been flowering and pumping out its glorious fragrance for ages now.
It’s good to be back Chloris, but there is so much catching up to do! The weather has been perfect for gardening with lots of lovely warm sunshine as long as you are out of the wind!
I need to mark the special snowdrops so that I don’t go and plant something in what I think is an empty space later in the year, it’s been done in the past! I am so pleased at how Wendy’s Gold is increasing so well, she has done far better than expected.
Yes, Jaqueline Postill is amazing, I’m so glad that I planted her in the woodland where her perfume seems to hang around and doesn’t get blown away on the wind.
It’s lovely to see your woodland waking up to spring again Pauline!
Thanks Cathy, I make sure I visit it at least once a day at the moment!
Three cheers for the wildies Pauline – they are fabulous! ‘Wendy’s Gold’ does seem to be quite vigorous which is good news. I like her foliage too. Sorry to hear about your continued internet access problems. We are with Talk Talk too but fortunately were met with a quick and positive response the one time we did have have major problems. Possibly just the luck of the draw! Hope that the hitches are all behind you soon.
The wild ones are just as pretty as the specials Anna, and they multiply so fast too! I am so impressed with Wendy’s Gold, she was certainly worth the cost of my original bulb.
Hopefully our problems with Talk Talk are behind us, for now anyway, but I think we will change when the contract runs out, there have been too many times when things have gone wrong since last May.
can almost smell that Daphne …
I wish I could bottle it for you Catmint!
I am so jealous of your lovely snowdrops, but not of your Talk Talk problems. I do hope it is better in the future. I have ordered some bulbs in the green as I really need some more of these lovely plants.
Hopefully Talk Talk is behaving itself for now Annette- just hope it continues!
I’m glad to hear that you have taken the plunge into snowdrops, they are such lovely little flowers when not much else is flowering, they certainly brighten up a dull February day!
Oh by the way – what are those lovely snowdrops in your header?
The snowdrops in my header Annette are G. Robin Hood, another that increases very well.
Pauline, I can only imagine the beauty in your garden with all those snowdrops in bloom! I prefer the ones with large thick ribbon-like leaves, make me feel like eating them, like alliums… 🙂
Best not to eat them Alberto, they might be poisonous like narcissus bulbs! Glad you like the snowdrops, they certainly make me very happy!
With the sunshine, the perfume from the Daphne, all the birds singing AND all the snowdrops blooming, I wish I were there, too! My woodland is still mostly asleep under a layer of leaves; I am waiting the spring awakening! Today is very cold outside, so I did manage to get some housekeeping done, with intermittent long pauses in front of the fireplace.
The woodland is such a lovely place at the moment Deb, worthy of a daily visit because of all the tiny flowers that are emerging. It is very sheltered there and when the sun comes through the bare branches, it can get quite warm, even in February! It won’t be long before you are able to enjoy all your little bulbs too.
I guess I didn’t post the first time I looked at this!
I just wanted to say how nice your woodland looks, it’s so good to know that in spite of the thermometer in my own yard, spring is in fact on its way!
Last year I was thinking I didn’t need any unanimous nivalis, now I know better. I’ve begged for and will be getting some from a friend this spring!
Your quince is really a workhorse isn’t it.
The wild snowdrops increase so well, in only a few years you can have a carpet Frank, covering the soil. They are ideal for carpeting under deciduous shrubs and at the back of borders where you wouldn’t want to put your “specials”. I’m so glad a friend is going to give you some, I’m always getting asked for a clump of mine, gardeners are such a generous lot!
The quince is certainly doing itself proud this year, non stop flowering since November – not bad!
I’m amazed at how much is flowering considering you have had much frost. We are still having frosts every night, so not much is flowering at all. But I am looking forward to my Crocus tommasianus. Sorry to hear it’s not getting much better with your less than impressive provider. But your comment about spending too much time in front of computers and clean houses rang a bell here, so I’d better get cleaning!! 🙂
Yes Helle, my house is lovely and clean, but I don’t know how long it will last, maybe Talk Talk were doing me a favour!
The frosts that we have had haven’t been very severe, just -1 or-2C, no more. I think snowdrops flower no matter how cold it is, its just that they lie down if it’s very cold then straighten up when the temperature rises once more.
And here I find what I have been missing! I have been rather sick this winter, but I think seeing your flowers makes up for it 🙂 I have enjoyed a nice long scroll down your lovely flowers. Thank you for sharing them! I have thoroughly enjoyed my visit, once again.
~Julie
So sorry to hear that you haven’t been well Julie, I hope that you will be soon. Spring flowers take a lot of beating, yours will soon be up and making you smile once more!