So excited today!

Great when you see some thing's growing well and doing its thing :-)

That's what gardening is all about Sue . . . I'm happy for you!

Oh happy day
Isn't mother nature wonderful ?

Lovely to know that the plant likes your garden enough spread. I like plants that do that. Ah, I should re-phrase that! I like plants to spread but not take over. For that reason there are many I refuse to have. My neighbour (no gardener) has a clump of crocosmia right next to the boundary fence. They are desperate to get a toehold in my garden and I'm trying to stop them but they do, of course, need digging out. That's difficult since they are creeping under the fence. I've tried spraying but they're hardy little blighters and aren't giving in without a fight.

Glad you're happy with your Nemorosa. Send some pix when they flower, will you?

A happy moment for you Stera,on seeing those for the first time..exciting isn't it,when it's not expected..:o) I hope you are feeling better now..x

Its always exciting to discover nature has gifted you a present that you want....

that is the fun of gardening Stera.

Well done Stera - I am sure they are beautiful - I had a white double -but I have not seen anything yet - we had snow here this morning so that will have slowed things down - enjoy your weekend - Jane

Jane, I saw a picture of a white double a few years ago - it was lovely. I hope it appears soon - very wise of it to wait until the snow has gone. We haven't had any snow at all this year.

Thank you everyone for sharing my pleasure! I saw three flowers today but they were closing so no point in taking a photo. May get a chance tomorrow.

Arbuthnot are the crocosmias the old ones we used to call Montbretia? You're right, digging out seems to be the only answer unless you could put some sort of barrier membrane under the fence.

This is the best time of year for that border with the magnolia, red tulips, anemone blanda (and the little Nemorosas!) and the hellebores still going strong, though rather past their best now. Will try to add a photo if I can download it -having problems doing that lately.

Lovely, Stera. No wonder you're delighted. Every year I am surprised by my couple of snakeshead fritillaries. They haven't spread yet, but if they do I'll be thrilled to bits.

I have a constant battle with montbretia (I still call it that, it's just the common one). Pulling doesn't work - the strings of bulbs just stay in the ground, so digging's the only way ?!

Yep, that's what I've found, Ohmel. You have to dig the darned stuff out and when it's growing under the fence it isn't an easy task. It's a really pretty plant - just not in my garden, thank you.

They are great spreaders and lovely,cheerful little plants!

I too still call them Montbretia and have been trying to get rid of a few for years. They grow tight to a wall and at the side of Crinum Powelli which are also tightly packed in. The other side is Rose Mme.Isaac Pereire climbing up wall so the Montbretia is pulled out constantly as the orange looks awful with the other plants.
The little Nemorosas are lovely Stera.
I'm pleased to see lots of yellow tulips.

I think they are cheerful plants too Paul, probably because my Mother always had them - plants evoke such memories don't they?
As for getting rid of them - difficult, but one you don't feel guilty about digging up and slinging away if you have to.
Congratulations on the happy Anemone (it must be happy to spread), soon you will have a lovely display of them.

I have to say that if I pull up the montbretia as it appears, that's usually it until the following year. There are places where I don't want to dig because of what's already there.

I'm the same. Yesterday I spotted one, about 10", in amongst the geums. Fortunately I could pull most of it out with the minimum amount of digging but there's sure to be some left. I also managed to spray another which was rooted beneath the fence.

As I said before, they are very colourful but they do need a large space in which to spread. I only have a small garden and definitely don't want it taken over by Montbretia.

Brilliant, it's so nice when you plant in hope and it becomes reality, isn't it?

You've it the nail on the head there Gee!

Lovely to read this.

It is too easy to dwell on our garden failures rather than to celebrate our successes!

Especially when you have so many of the first...but its impossible not to get excited by the spring flowers anyway isn't it?

i was just saying to Scott yesterday that its inevitable that every winter you will lose one or two things and that's always sad and frustrating. But one of the true joys of being a gardener is that most things just come back better and better every year and you can't beat that feeling!

True - I thought I had lost the Athyrium metallicum that a very kind Goyer sent me, but yesterday there it was just beginning to peep up under the Kojo no mai - hurray!

:) brilliant!