This last week seems to have rushed by and thank goodness I did manage to get some gardening done. I have been working hard in the woodland trying to get it ready for the snowdrop climax which I think will happen in a weeks time. I have just one more area to tidy and weed so , with a bit of luck, I might just do it in time. The weather this week has been lovely, sunshine warm enough to leave the coat indoors, my constant companion, the robin, singing to me and darting round my feet and so many different varieties of bees buzzing everywhere, I have really enjoyed it.
More new flowers are opening all the time, my six are as follows…..
No1 Eranthis hyemalis
Winter aconite can’t really decide if it likes my woodland or not. This tiny clump has been here for about 20 odd years, it doesn’t seed around and others that I have planted in different parts of the woodland have never been seen again. I treasure this one!
No 2. Rhododendron praecox
Rhododendron praecox has just started to open its flowers, I was worried about it last night as we had a frost but it seems to have escaped any damage, thank goodness.
No 3 Iris reticulata Sheila Ann
I have just had to look this iris up as I can’t remember planting it in a dark corner of the back garden which only gets sun for about an hour! Why on earth did I plant it there! I should have planted it on the scree and will do so after it has finished flowering. I remembered that I had bought it in 2016 at Dunham Massey after a trip to the North West and planted it when I got home, but that was the last time I saw it until now. It has taken it six years to decide that it wants to flower again so I hope that it doesn’t take it another six before flowering again when I move it!
No 4 Narcissus
Another early flowering Narcissus whose name has gone in the mists of time.
No 5 Crocus tommasinianus
Crocus tommasinianus opens up as soon as the sunshine hits the woodland floor. They are seeding about beautifully and now jumping over the path to form more colonies, even into soil that I think is too wet, beside the snakeshead fritillaries.
No 6 Leucojum aestivum
The summer snowflake is starting to flower, it never waits for summer! This is in the sunnier, drier end of the woodland, other clumps in the shadier, wetter end aren’t quite flowering yet but will grow to twice the height.
Well, those are my six for this week and not a snowdrop in sight, I’m sure I will make up for that next week! Thanks once more to Jon The Propagator for hosting, do pay him a visit to see what’s happening in gardens around the world.
I enjoyed your six Pauline, all so different and so lovely. Finding the Iris reticulata in a dark corner did make me smile. I have similar things so many times lol. I hope the Eranthis decided it likes your woodland!
Thank you Denise, its lovely finding something new each day, such a wonderful time of year. I have since read that the iris doesn’t have to be in sunshine, it can cope in light shade but where it is now is soooo dark, it will have to be moved!
Enjoying your Spring blooms! I used to have some double bloodroot that I miss to this day. They would not like it in Georgia. The other early Spring blooms are so sweet!
I did try bloodroot once Jayne, thinking that it would like the woodland, but never saw it again! The bees are enjoying all the flowers that are out at the moment, when the sun shines there is lots of buzzing!
Gorgeous, all of them. My favourite has to be that sweet rhodo!xxx
Thank you Dina, I’m always anazed at how many flowers are willing to flower in February, I always worry about the rhodo, will it get frosted or not, so far its ok, thank goodness.x
Lovely spring six. I am pretty sure your early daffodil is Narcissus ‘ Spring Dawn’. Winter aconite is quite choosy. In some gardens like mine, it seeds around everwhere. But I have given it away to lots of friends where it refused to flourish. It either loves you or hates you, there are no half measures
Thanks for the name of my Narcissus Liz, I don’t ever remember buying bulbs with that neame, but who knows, I’m always having senior moments! I’ve decided that the winter aconites don’t like me or maybe my garden, but I don’t understand why this one is still here after all these years and not the others.
Isn’t it lovely to see some early bees Pauline? Makes me even happier to have plants that bloom at this time of year 👍
The bees were amazing Cathy, I hadn’t realised that I had so many varieties visiting! I’m so glad that I have plenty of flowers open for them to enjoy.