Plantpassion

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day April 2013

I reckon my garden is about 2-3 weeks behind this time last year, - but with the sun over the weekend, there are at least now flowers showing, and there is scent from lots of Hyacinths, that i've been adding.

The Euphorbia Robbaie and Hyacinth combination is shamelessly plagerised from a suggestion in Sarah Raven's Bold and brilliant Book, - Excellent for in the dry shade of my Evergreen Magnolia.

The Primulas are doing brilliantly, and are now spreading them selves round my garden, - including in the lawn, which hasn't yet been mowed this season (to be added to the list for an evening this week), the blue behind it is Brunnera Jack frost, which I love as an early flower, and a summer foliage.

The Hyacinth and Daffodil combo i'm not sure about, but they do add a splash of colour to the kitchen. This Purple Hyacinth is Woodstock.

- Additional, - i've now tried it with White Leucojum and Scented narssisus, and I much prefer it.

 

 

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day February 2013

Everything that is flowering in my garden this Mid February morning is represented in this border.

The Snowdrops, Cyclamen Coum and the Hellebores are all looking lovely, but we could do with some warmer drier weather to enable me to pause for slightly longer when I get out of the car to look at them.

All round the Northern Hemisphere, there are lot of others having the same issues, - pop on over to May Dream Gardens to see the links to other GBBD posts.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day January 2013

It's freezing this morning. But so far this January, it's been mostly mild in Surrey. Which is why i'm rather ashamed at how little is flowering in my garden this month, and i've put a "must do better" note for next year.

There is also one lonely flower on my Kerria, - but my Sarcococca's have failed me this year.

so having read through some of the lovely blogs that have linked to May Dream Gardens who hosts this Garden Bloggers Bloom day each month, - i'm now longing for

Hammaemelis, More early primroses, Chanomeles (I took one out from this garden when I arrived), Viburnum and a Daphne, - i'm particularly envious of what Rosie in Scotland has in Bloom. My soil won't take Camellias, - but maybe for a pot?

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day August 2012

While those in the US have been having major drought problems this year, here in Surrey, we've been having the opposite problem, with sooo much rain that the gardens, - even where they are on free draining chalk, are what you can describe as Lush.

We have now had some sunshine though, and August is great for bright colours

The pink Phlox and the sunny Helianthus came with the garden, and have been divided and multiplied to many places over the last 4 years. The Gladioli is the stand out bloom of the garden today, and the crocosmia that is behind it has never flowered as strongly before. The Dahlia is from a clients garden, and she lost hers when we had a severe winter a couple of year ago. - Looks like mine is now big enough to give some back.

 

That doesn't mean I havn't got any pale flowers blooming though.

The Hydrangea Annabelle is doing really well,  -So well it may have to be moved as it's now threatening to swamp an Acer.

The Eringium has seeded itself at the front of the border, - somthing that is going to have to be moved for next year, despite it looking fantastic, - oh well it will produce lots of seeds to start again with.

The Anemone, again from a client, is flowering earlier than normal, but holding up strongly next to the house, where more of the pink phlox, are already fading, although those in the back garden are just coming out.

I've also got Solidago (self seeded) Hostas, Penstemon Garnet, Geranium Rozane, Calendulas, Anthemis and Gaura in flower,  -plus Tomatos in the greenhouse.

Thanks as ever to Carol from May Dream Gardens, for getting together garden bloggers from all over the world to show off their blooms.

 

Blooming in my Garden Mid June 2012

This isn't quite a Garden Bloggers Bloom day post, as I missed that by 3 full days, - it was probably raining anyway on the 15th, - we've had a lot of rain here in Surrey the last few weeks. - We're still in drought according to our water company. - Most other hosepipe bans have been lifted, but here, it's a good job i've got plenty of water butt's.

The extra rain has meant lots of growth, and the borders are pretty full at the moment. - Lots of weeds, but plenty of flowers

The sweet williams were planted from the horticultural society show rejects last year, - very beautiful and sweetly scented.

Also scented are these lovely roses. Labels long lost, but a very welcome addition to my June borders

and i'm hoping at least one of these will win me some of the classes, at Next Saturday Horticultural Society show.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day April 2012

ok, - so I missed the 15th, - but the sun is shining this morning, so i've been out in my garden where there is loads flowering.

This Kerria is usually only just coming into bud at this time, - but this year, it's been flowering its socks off for weeks. I'm often asked to design borders without the colour yellow, - but I love this splash of spring cheer.

i've got loads of Tulips in flower, - but they're in their 3rd year, so not as good as they have been in the past

The primroses though have increased in size, and this one looked great with the morning sun on it. (next to a Heuchera)

A lot of my daffodils are already over, - but these Thalia, look great paired with the blue flowers and silver variagated foliage of the Brunnera Jack frost

The white and pink Dicentras (bleeding hearts) are doing well, - although they'd have benefitted from a bit more rain over the winter

The only flower i'm slightly worried about is my Pot grown Minarette Apple Tree, - which is looking wonderful in bud, but is way ahead of the other apple trees in mine and my neighbours gardens, so I may have to do a bee impression again.

Thanks as always to Carol at May dream gardens for hosting this tour of what's blooming in different places in the world.- Here's to more April flowers.

 

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day February 2012

There's not much out in my garden this month, - 2 doses of snow since the beginning of the month should have meant that there is nothing, - but these Snowdrops go on and on

They were completely flattened last week, and looking very floppy, but have stood back up in defiance at the February cold. I think that they are probably Galanthus Elwesii.

Also still going strong are the Cyclamen coum

I've got several patches of these, and i'm hoping that they'll spread themselves.

There are some Hellebores coming out into flower, but they are very disappointing at the moment, unlike the beauties at the RHS plant and design show in London today, so i'm hoping that they will be looking better by next month.

If you want to see what's flowering all over the UK and the world in other garden bloggers gardens, - pop over to May Dream Gardens, - with thanks as always to Carol for rounding them all up.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day January 2012

Unlike last year, when there was nothing flowering in my garden in the middle of January, this year the mild weather over Christmas has meant that Spring has come early.

my snowdrops are now all fully out. - I love this combination with the ophiopogon, which are berrying nicely.

The cyclamen coum are clumping up nicely. I'll leave the leaf mulch around these while they're flowering as raking it out would destroy the flowers, but when they have finished, i'll clear the soil, so that they can seed.

My Sarcococca confusa which is one of the nearest groups of shrubs to the front door, is now in full bloom, and emitting potent fragrance as you walk across the garden.

And there is a touch of colour on the Hellebores, which i've taken all the tatty leaves off to encourage them to flower.

Amazingly there are also some other odd specks of colour in the garden

plus some tatty calendula and a couple of blooms of oesteospermum hanging on.

Looking through the other GBBD posts at the May Dream Gardens i'm not the only one with flowers further ahead than normal, so pop over to Carol's site to see what's blooming around the world

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day September 2011

The mornings are getting cooler, the trees are starting to loose their leaves, but I love the colours of autumn, so i'm enjoying what's flowering in my garden this month.

This Sedum Autumn Joy obviously loves it's spot, and the Aster behind it (variety unknown, donated from a client garden) is just starting to pop into flower.

This Aster - Frikatii Monch has been flowering since July, but still appears to have plenty of buds left on it.

I'm a bit of a Dahlia novice, but i'm rather pleased with these two.

This one was also liberated from a client garden. This was part of a Huge clump that we dug up 4 years ago when a landscaping project was happening. The client had been told it was Bishop of Llanduff, but that usually has dark foliage, whereas this is green. Unfortunately the tubers we replanted in the clients garden didn't come through the winter 2 years ago, but this one is going from strength to strength, so I need to learn how to propagate it to give some back.

(any lessons, or thoughts on if the foliage could change over the years appreciated)

Now for years i've looked through Sarah Raven's catalogue and been amazed at the range of Dahlias. Last year we planted several borders that included them, and this one - Karma choc was left over, so I had to have it, and I think this colour is stunning.

I've also got

Sunflowers

Rudbeckia and another Aster

and the cyclamen hederifolium are still brightening up my shady border, along with some Colchicum Water lily.

Thanks as ever to Carol at May Dream Gardens for hosting this monthly whizz round the world into blooming gardens

 

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day August 2011

Wow, where did the last month go?

For me mid August is harvest time, as my garden is at it's most productive. That also means flowers now as well as vegetables, as i've planted more annuals and cutting perennials this year.

First though these are just about the only perennials that I inherited from the previous owner of this house.

I thought that Phlox always got mildew, but these seem to get very little, and they have a lovely scent. The Helianthus behind are a lovely bright colour for very little work.

I'm really pleased about the Sweet pea Matucana, Calendula and Sunflowers, as they are all grown from seeds collected from plants in the garden last year.

In the front garden, i've got Anthemis reflowering, with Campanula Glomerata, and the Aster Frikatii Monch is doing well even in partial shade.

The Star of the show tho' has to be my Geranium Rozanne. - This is just one plant, planted 2 years ago.

Thanks as ever to Carol at May Dream Gardens for hosting this monthly look at what's flowering around the world.