After a dry winter, the wind and cold temperatures of late, the rains have been really welcome. It's not often we can say we had a dry winter here in Scotland. The garden this last couple of days really seems to be coming through the other end of what seems like an eternity!
I commented the other day that whilst the temperatures are rising and the rain falls - it really does seem as if you can hear the garden grow. Around the garden, the usual suspects are gearing up. The Camellias buds are almost burst, the Magnolia stellata has the teensiest glimmer of white showing beneath those furry grey buds. Most of the trees and shrubs have only just started breaking bud, with the usual slow coaches waiting their turn.
The soil now is reasonably moist and as most of the plants that thrive here are reliant on such conditions, they have began romping away over the last few day.
Buds, berries and a bit of colour by way of the new foliage on Berberis thunbergii Pink Glow.
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| Berberis thunbergii Pink Glow |
It was a bit of a hit or miss as I popped out between showers to capture a few shots and almost missed this. Leucothoe fontanesiana Whitewater, more commonly grown as a low spreading shrub. Growing on the fence round the back of the kitchen extention as a climber - bursting with buds all over.
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| Leucothoe fontanesiana Whitewater |
Look what else I spotted, this honeysuckle, Lonicera periclymenum Scentsation, is a beauty and generally blooms early in the year but given the recent conditions I'm surprised to see it budding up quite so soon.
I finally finished edging the last border with stone this winter - I opted to grow G. nivalis around the entire edge, the border having been widened in some spots, leaves me room for one or two newbies at some point. Hostas, which have not been marked, will determine how much room I have once they are up and about but I need to wait for them to appear first. I also need to find a replacement for Tiarella Spring Symphony - devoured by vine weevil larvae, it's gone! I no longer have the appetite to save plants that are attacked. Most of the Heuchera have gone over the last couple of weeks. Only a few remain.
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| Primula denticulata Alba |
The fresh green foliage of Aconitum Gletscheris is paired with a good sized clump of Primula denticulata Alba and will be joined with white narcissus - I can't remember if these are Thalia or Tresambles. Either way, this area will be very pretty just as soon as those daffs are out. Leafing out on the trellising are Actinidia kolomikta and Lonicera periclymenum Sweet Sue - the Enkianthus to the right is also just coming into leaf. The Ligularia will come away and hide the gargantuan Primula foliage for the remainder of the year. It's the only thing I dislike about these plants.
In the opposite corner, the red stemmed Cornus is only just beginning to break it's buds, I will cut this back at some point during the week. Meanwhile another Aconitum, A Stainless Steel and the bronzed tinged foliage of Aquilegia vulgaris Purple Emperor are looking great. Some Fritillaria meleagris will bloom first and Primula vulgaris to the left are also just about to bloom.
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| Foliage - Aconitum and Aquilegia |
Nearby, fresh sumptuous foliage of Dicentra spectabalis - yes I know it's new name but other than remembering it is Lamp, something or other, Dicentra will do for now. The swords from Iris pseudacorus variegata, new last year and never flowered are just beginning to take off. I'm not entirely sure if the Iris like this spot or not, they seem to spread outwards rather than upwards, leaving bare spots in the centre. I'll give them this year to redeem themselves.
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| Dicentra Spectablis |
Another pretty little corner right now, planted up last autumn when I extended the Mahonia bed. I saw the combination of Blue pulmonaria and yellow daffs on someone's blog but can't remember who's. If it was yours please let me know, I'd love to give you credit and a thank you for the inspiration. The Tete a Tete were added a few weeks back. It's quite a windy spot and Hellebore, Lady something or other (I have lost the label) has not been happy. It seems to be picking up now and a few blooms have appeared. My ceramic toadstools have been brought out from storage too.
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| Pulmonaria Blue Ensign and Narcissus Tete a Tete |
Both Heuchera to the left, Marmalade and Binoche have not yet been checked to see if they have suffered the same fate as the others, they certainly don't look like they have.....so far!
Under the Acer, Narcissus Jet Fire, cope remarkably well receiving very little light. The Acers are really quite late into leaf this year. I hadn't intended including any blooms this post, but those I have included are more than likely to be gone by the time bloom day comes along on the 15th.
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| Narcissus Jet Fire |
Rosettes of foliage from the Candelabra Primula in crisp, health and getting bigger by the day. These are last years seedlings filling one of the voids created by the widening of the bed.
Appearing only in the last day or two, the bronzed new foliage of Viburnum sargentii Onondaga is a welcome sight. I moved this shrub when it was dormant and glad to see it paid no heed.
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| Virburnum sargentii Onondaga |
The grey, almost purple hints in the foliage of Polemonium yezoense Purple Rain has just reminded me that I must remember to look out for the Japanese painted ferns, I want to move them, once I can find them that is! I have a rough idea of where they are but don't want to go digging around for them.
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| Polemonium yezoense Purple Rain and Narcissus Tete a Tete |
How's this for paeony foliage? Comparing to all the others, this one is well on and is already growing up through it's supports. Paeonies are one of my all time favourite blooms and I could not imagine having a garden without them.
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It's not often I get the pleasure of such perfect Lupin foliage at this time of the year. Where are the slugs and snails? A sign of the prolonged cold weather? Touch wood, as I tap on the side of my head, I haven't spoke too soon.
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| Fresh Lupin foliage |
The golden foliage of Corydalis Berry Exciting is just amazing right now. If only I had bought more than one pot of it. This would have been useful in other spots around the garden. On checking with the GC where I purchased it, they are not sure if it will be back in stock anytime soon.
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| Corydalis Berry Exciting |
I moved the Pagoda dogwood, Cornus alternifolia Argentea, in Autumn and I had hoped that I managed to bring some of the Corydalis along with it. Mission accomplished! I can also see in the picture, what looks like a Primula seedling. This Cornus is always the last shrub to come into leaf, therefore important to have some interest round about to draw the eye from those bare stems. The extended cold snap, I think has allowed them to hang around just a bit longer than they normally would.
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| Corydalis malkensis and C. solida Beth Evans |
New last spring. a pretty looking Corydalis I feared had disappeared. I planted them in the ground and they promptly died back almost immediately, they hadn't even bothered to bloom. It's been a long wait to see if they survived.
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| Corydalis solida First Kiss |
The rather alien looking Euphorbia griffithii Fireglow, bought new for the front garden last autumn. I look forward to seeing this grow after seeing it in so many of your gardens.
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| Euphorbia griffithii Fireglow |
As I toddle around the garden this afternoon, prioritizing jobs for the remainder of the holiday weekend and note that the only two areas left to weed and tidy are the most awkward in the garden. Why oh why did I leave them til last?
Finally, a great big thank you to
Helene (Graphicality-UK) down there in London, who very kindly sent me up some of her beloved Trillium babies last year. Amongst other things, these beauties were the ones I longed to see come up this spring. Having previously failed with a rather expensive Trillium before, I was truly apprehensive about how they would do. I followed her instructions to the letter. Sadly though the Arisaema doesn't appear to have faired so well!
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| Trillium cuneatum babies |
Thanks for reading and wishing you all a Happy Easter whether it's out in the garden or not.
