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Mid April in my garden

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It’s almost mid April and by comparison what a difference between last year and this! The garden was only just coming to life last April. This year it’s coming on leaps and bounds. There’s just no stopping it!

We are still lacking in the rain department. Not that I’m complaining but I do feel that the garden could do with good soak. Please beware though – the last time I said that it rained for almost the whole summer in 2012.

I’m on the home stretch in so far as winter/spring makeover(s) are concerned. Just a few more plants to get in the ground – tomorrow all things going well and seed the part of the garden that is being turned back into lawn. It’s been a long couple of months – one step forward, two or three back at times. Trying to get it all done in between the spring clean up and everything else life throws at me has made the first quarter of the year fly by.

Most of the shrubs are now putting on leaf and those that have been moved this last month or so all seem to have taken it in their stride. Even the mature Clematis I moved is romping away – I’m glad I took the risk now.

Most of the flowers are still at ground level so please join me as I crawl around the garden on my hands and knees! Once I’m down there, there is no getting me back up – so please be patient with me :)

Let’s start off with bulbs that are flowering now

It’s Fritillaria time! They like the moist conditions in my garden and are slowly spreading themselves around.

Most of the yellow dwarf daffs have gone over, or should that be blown over? They haven’t coped well with the strong winds. N. minnow is still to flower and should be out over the next day or two.

Narcissus triandrus Thalia – my favourite daffodil has started blooming. These are the first flowers to open – under Magnolia stellata. Scented too – what’s not to love?

I gave up trying to grow Tulips in the garden a few years ago – if, and that’s a big IF, they do come back they are a mere shadow of their former self! There are a few individual bulbs lurking around the garden but they just get left to their own devices. My conditions are just not suitable for them. Back in 2012 I discovered species Tulips here on GOY. I planted a few bulbs back in autumn 2012 – they flowered beautifully last year and right on cue – back for 2014!

In fact, so pleased, I added more this Spring and shall be on the lookout for more to plant in the Autumn.

Another plant I’ve struggled to get going in my garden has been Anemone blanda, they never come back a 2nd year but this year they have. I’ll let you into a secret – last year I inadvertently dumped a large stone directly on top of where I had planted them – a couple of weeks back I noticed a bit of foliage trying to poke itself out from underneath. Then I remembered – DOH! The Anemone and a wee group of the aforementioned failed tulips (which are well mangled from being under the rock) with a couple of buds. You can just make them out in the background both have picked up since they ‘saw the light’!

Another failure to success story – this time Leucojum aestivum. Planted in Autumn 2011 I forgot to mark where I planted them and this resulted in me unwittingly moving them around the garden. Last year, I managed to identify some foliage that I thought/hoped belonged to them, I dug out the 3 bulbs I found and put them in a pot. This year they have grown foliage and 1 flower but I also found this growing in one of the borders – I shall pop the others beside this one and hopefully next year shall have myself a little clump of Snowflakes.

I thought Corydalis malkensis had gone over – in fact lots of seed heads forming and was taken by surprise to find more flowers appear.

An ever so pretty Anemonella thalictroides flowers beneath the Physocarpus. This is described as a dark pink form and whilst the flowers open dark they do fade to the palest of pink as they mature.

Snowbells, Soldanella hungarica, have flowered for such a long time this spring the others I grow are way behind and no sign of flowers yet.

In my miniature garden – a pretty pink flowering Saxifraga is putting on a show.


I planted this trough up last spring and it’s done reasonably well. The Globularia and Alpine Aster are struggling and will need replacing. Other than that I’m happy with how things are growing. Miniature daffs (N. canalaticus) wait to take over when the Saxifrage is finished.

A spring flower for any position in the garden – Pulmonaria are flowering. Loved by the bees, so well worth growing.

Any blog from my garden would be incomplete without the obligatory Primula. I lost P. maximowiczii to the dreaded Vine Weevil larvae, I haven’t noticed of the others suffering, yet! My beady eye is on them!

There are one or two plants flowering that doesn’t require me on all fours but please excuse me whilst I hoist myself up and straighten up those stiff knees……ah, that’s better!

The next Camellia to flower in the garden is one you may have seen on an earlier picture – my attempts at growing an Espalier Camellia.

This Skimmia was rescued from a waterlogged section of the garden following the flooding in 2012. It’s come on leaps and bounds but refuses to darken it’s foliage. I’ve tried feeding with an appropriate feed and even Epsom salts, to no avail. Any suggestions as to what I can try next? I should add that it’s in Ericaceous compost too.

A new Clematis planted as part of Project Privacy. It’s still small but I’ve high hopes for it.

Euphorbia characias Silver Swan – looked really good until recently. I hate those awful bare stems. There is new growth further down and perhaps it will grow on me again once the old stems are cut back.

A Lemon cypress grows in a pot outside the back door – currently under planted with some blue pansies and Muscaria latifolium.

The blue pansies planted under the standard Euonymus have taken a bit of a beating. There is a Blue Tit that visits the garden that as taken a dislike to them. I’m not sure how much longer those that are left will last. Paired with a little pot of purple violas.

As you can see, the trellising is finished – I’m just waiting on a few of the Hostas to appear above the surface to lift them and create a new home for Lamium orvala – which will be better suited round there as it’s out growing it’s allotted spot in the side garden.

I hope you’ve all had a great weekend – an update on the weather here today (I started writing this blog last night) – it was rotten! I was full of high hopes for getting most things finished today but it was way too windy and at times wet to spend any decent length of time outdoors. However, it wasn’t such a wasted day – I had an afternoon at Binny Plants to cheer me up!!

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Comments

 

Looking wonderful Angie.

13 Apr, 2014

 

You have a great display there. I hope we get the weather so you can get out and enjoy it. This has been great growing weather Scottish. My magnolia is flowering beautifully and the scent is to die for. We did not get away and I had to miss the show yesterday. I have managed to get the photos downloaded and added my Iris retic. stream to the old blog.

13 Apr, 2014

 

So beautiful....my favourite has got to be the 'Tulipa humilis 'Persian Pearl'.

13 Apr, 2014

 

You have a lovely variety of plants in your garden.
It really looks good.
Yesterday we were in Edinburgh for about three hours and the weather was very variable but we love your city.
The reason we were there was because we were on a train trip - Edinburgh The Settle Carlisle. We left Lincolnshire at 7.15 and arrived home at 11.00 pm. It was long day but worth it to see the wonderful scenery.
Marjorie
Hope your knees have recovered!
P.S what font have used on your photos?

13 Apr, 2014

 

Thanks Kath.
Sorry to hear you didn't get away and missed the show yesterday Scotsgran. Was thinking about you being there too and what I had missed! I'll bet the Magnolia is devine - of course I told mum of your bargain and guess what she said....why didn't I get one? Glad to see you've managed the photos. I'll go have a look at the blog when I've finished uploading some pictures.
Michaella - aren't they lovely. They remind me of those traffic light lollipops we used to get as kids.
We live in a gorgeous city Marjories - pity you were a few weeks early to have a go on the trams. Yes, weather wasn't consistent, mind you at least it wasn't pouring of rain for hours on end! That was a long day. I hope you've recovered. The font is Black Jack and is available on Picmonkey - an online editing site I found recently.

13 Apr, 2014

 

I'm so glad you discovered the lovely 'Persian Pearl' Angie...isn't it just fab? That's one I will definitely be getting this autumn! :))

13 Apr, 2014

 

Fabulous collection, thanks for showing them.
I'd never seen Soldanella before - isn't it pretty, like little fairy hats!

13 Apr, 2014

bjs
Bjs
 

A beautiful blog Is the soldanella in the open ground.
Do you spend all the housekeeping at Binnys.lol
B

13 Apr, 2014

 

lol Brian....'housekeeping'...you're showing your age! ;)

14 Apr, 2014

 

Scottish - this should be an award winning blog - a BAFTA for gardeners!
It is beautifully done and the labelling of each plant is so helpful.
Lovely plants , so much to enjoy after such a miserable winter!
x

14 Apr, 2014

 

Am going to add to faves as I love everything in your garden! Never seen Soldanella before but aren't they lovely? N. Thalia is a newcomer to my garden this year and I've fallen for her too. The Parisian Pearl tulip is a delight and not one I've seen before - will look out for it now. Thanks for the lovely blog, Angie.

14 Apr, 2014

 

Lovely plant blog and the labelling is particularly helpful.
Thanks for downloading.

14 Apr, 2014

 

Lovely spring plants collection Scottish. I specifically like your primroses.

15 Apr, 2014

 

Excellent blog - really enjoyed viewing your colourful Spring plants :o)

17 Apr, 2014

 

It was your blog that brought me to Goy. I had Googled the snakeshead plant (Fritillaria) and your blog came up on the search. I just loved your photos here and LOVED the white daffs so started to look around the place...and here I have my own blog now, so thank you!

I really like those Elizabeth Killelay primulas too and will definitely be trying some of those. They're just amazing.

Anyhoo, my Fritillaria. I bought a pot with four flowers a few weeks ago and they lasted about a week in my garden. Not sure if it was too wet for them or I just caught them at a bad time. I'm just left with four stalks now. Will they come back again next year?

28 May, 2014

 

I believe they grow in damp meadows, so they should be ok in your garden and come back next year.

28 May, 2014

 

That's great, thanks. They weren't cheap and look so unusual I'd hate to only have had a week out of them.

28 May, 2014

 

Tuesdaybear has already answered your question Fife, find a spot in the ground and leave them to die back naturally. They will produce seed heads too, so just leave those to ripen and fall themselves. They grow in both sun and shade here but flower later in the shade.
Remember to mark them, don't do what I did with the Leucojum. If you want more the time to buy and plant the bulbs is Autumn. It's a cheaper way to do it. Most GCs, nurseries and DIY stores start selling them around September.

28 May, 2014

 

Thanks for the info. I don't think mine will have seeds, the heads just sort of wilted rather than ripened and went all droopy and limp like a deflated balloon. I'll find a spot for them though and if they don't come back next year I'll know it was a bust and try with new bulbs instead.

29 May, 2014

 

Scottish, as the skimmia is a white one perhaps the leaves are meant to be paler than most?

29 May, 2014

 

You could be right Stera. Although it was very dark when I bought it. It's in the ground in a very shady spot now so we shall see what happens.

29 May, 2014

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