Six on Saturday: 2 May 2020

Tags

Allium Purple Sensation, asiatic lilies, buxus, Cercis canadensis, Foeniculum vulgare purpureum, Forest pansy, forget me nots, Hebe hulkeana, May, myosotis sylvatica, New Zealand lilac, Purple fennel, Sambucus Nigra, six on saturday, Sweet cicely, Thalictrum Elin

Forget me not

Do you feel a little bit like I am feeling? I feel as though we didn’t really ‘have’ an April. The days and weeks of lockdown are merging and although we did have some standout weather, we strangely haven’t been anywhere or seen anyone. It might be that May is going to be the same. Weird.

That said, the garden is making rapid progress now. The warm weather, the rain and longer daylight hours are creating a massive growth spurt. If we were going places and seeing people we might have missed the detail of this happening. My six today reflect the changes.

Above is a carpet of forget me nots, drifting across the ground, encircling the box ball ( loosely ball shape). By next week they will need ripping out as they begin to set seed. The space they leave behind will be perfect for annuals.

New Zealand Lilac and fennel

The fennel has doubled in size since last week and the NZ Lilac which is not a lilac at all is starting to open. It has no scent to enjoy which is disappointing but it’s flowers are very pretty.

Sweet cicely, purple cow parsley, flowering Thalictrum and Sambucus

The froth from umbellifers has filled out more. The Thalictrum has opened its pinky flowers and the sweet cicely has opened more flowers. The dark divided foliage of the Sambucus is contrasting in a pleasing fashion with the divided foliage of the the green and white sweet cicely.

Emerging lilies

I really like the dark pointy leaves on the spines of lilies. These flower well each year and are a very very dark maroon lily. On the lookout for the orange lily beetle so far so good.

Alliums are opening offering purple clusters of star shaped flowers to make a globe. They are a splash of interest, a layer of colour after the tulips and before the Hydrangeas flower.

Looking through to the seating area

Looking through the emerging red heart shaped foliage of the Forest Pansy. My favourite shrub/tree. It’s petals dropped in the rain but still the beautiful foliage is emerging.

These are my six for this Saturday joining our host The Propagator and other bloggers from around the globe.

Have a good week wherever you are. Stay safe and thanks for reading. D.

Six on Saturday: 18 April

Tags

Anthriscus sylvestris, apple blossom, carpinus betula, cow parsley, Hornbeam, hostas, six on saturday, Sweet cicely, Veratrum, violas

Avoiding any references to that virus or lockdown., my six to share with you are nothing but pure garden escapism.

Veratrum and Violas

Pot grown and displayed with my hostas the emerging foliage is always pleated and pleasing. Not dissimilar to hostas, in that the foliage is irresistible to slugs and snails and so the battle to keep the molluscs off and the plant looking ‘pleats please’ is tricky. This is arguably Veratrum at its best.

Next is apple blossom, it is blossom time.

Emerging Apple blossom on the old tree.

Hopefully we will not get a hard frost. Last year I got 44 bottles of apple juice and the previous year 72! Hoping for a good crop.

More pleats, this time from the new leaves of the Hornbeam hedge.

This is not Cow parsley but Sweet cicely. It is much lower growing than Anthriscus and it’s deeply divided foliage tastes slightly of aniseed and is sweet. It is good cooked with rhubarb.

Anthriscus sylvestris or Cow parsley is taking over rather.

Here with Euphorbia amygdaloides and against my WillowFencing. Tall, billowy, romantic, it is running amok and will need deheading to stop it self seeding everywhere.

Finally my pots of hostas are beginning to emerge. More about who, what, where, when, another time.

Wishing you, Master Dorris and our host The Propagator a good weekend wherever you are. Stay home, stay safe, save lives. D.

In a vase on Monday: hedgerows and bonnets

Tags

Allium Purple Sensation, Anthriscus sylvestris, Anthriscus sylvestris ravenswing, Aquilegia, Borago officinalis, cerinthe major purpurascens, Hebe hulkeanea, hedgerows and bonnets, in a vase on Monday, New Zealand lilac, persicaria bistorta, Sweet cicely, Thalictrum Elin

From the title, some of you may immediately know what I am going to have in today’s vase: Cow Parsley and Aquilegia. You are not wrong.

A froth of cow parsley in its own cream pot.

Shades of purple bonnets from Aquilegia in the tiny cream pot sharing space with Cerinthe.

In a separate old syrup of fig bottle is stand alone Allium Purple Sensation. Too stylised a form to share space with the froth.

In the fourth vessel, another old cream pot is a mix of blue starred Borage, Anthriscus sylvestris Ravenswing which is, most certainly, a refined form of cow parsley blessed with burgundy stems.

There is yet more Cerinthe which is having a bumper bloom. There are candy floss pink sticks of Persicaria bisorta. The taller purple flowers are from Thalictrum Elin and the whiter froth is from Sweet cicely.

If you look carefully, there is also the just about to open, lilac coloured sprig of Hebe hulkeana or New Zealand lilac. This is the first time it has flowered.

A complete contrast to my green and white effort Last week.

Please now take a look at Our host Cathy to see her vase and those from other bloggers all over the garden world.

Have a great week and thanks for reading. D.

Saturday smile: mingling

Tags

cytisus battandieri, David Austin Roses, Rose "Lark Ascending", Sambucus Nigra, Saturday smile, Sweet cicely, Thalictrum Elin

All together, mingling.

Thalictrum, pineapple broom, black leaf elder, Roses, sweet cicely.

In a Vase on Monday: the latest arrivals

Tags

anthriscus Ravenswing, Astrantia 'Roma', Geum Totally Tangerine, in a vase on Monday, May, persicaria affinis, Sweet cicely, trollius cheddar

I am feeling that spring is passing by far too quickly as lots of the early flowers are finished. Now the first of the Astrantia and Geum Totally Tangerine have appeared.

There are Persicaria affinis and bisorta. I love the little sprays of Trillium and the umbellifers Anthriscus Ravenswing and Sweet Cicely.

The latest addition is the pale yellow flower Trollius Cheddar a favourite of mine from Chelsea last year. Sorry but the colours in the pictures are not quite right as they are under electric light.

If you haven’t done so already please pop over to Cathy to see the vases today.

In a vase on Monday: rain forecast

Tags

Alchemilla mollis, anthriscus Ravenswing, Astrantia 'Roma', bank holiday monday, in a vase on Monday, Sweet cicely

This time of year the garden is galloping along, yes galloping.  I took a couple of days away last week to see the Flower Show and then a couple of days in Bath to visit family and walking around the garden today so much has happened. Alchemilla mollis has begun to open its frothy lime flowers, edging the driveway they will soften the hard lines and give me arms full of flowers to add to roses once they begin to open.  (The roses are in bud and beginning to open but I am saving them for June.)

The other froth is from the Anthriscus Ravenswing and Sweet Cicely.  Ravenswing has deeply divided leaves in a dark, or raven colour whilst its soft flowers are white tinged very slightly with a hint of raven; possibly this could make a good name for those rather wonderful colours made by Farrow and Ball. Sweet Cicely also offers a froth of flowers above deeply divided leaves but these are a purer white with green leaves.

alchemilla and sweet cicely

Last time I looked, the Astrantias were forming mounds of green foliage, now they are full of pin cushion flowers which will bloom all Summer long. I have picked Roma and Shaggy for this posy.

Astrantia Roma and Anthriscus Ravenswing, left, Sweet Cicely, right.

I have some daisy looking chrysanthemums and strawberry flowers which are actually a perennial called ho hum, I cannot remember.  Must be that Bank Holiday brain.  Anyway it likes heavier soil, flowers from late Spring to early Summer before disappearing.  It is fresh as a daisy and I do like its tiny flowers.  

When I recall the name I shall update this post.  In the meantime I need to wish you all a good day and encourage you to take a look at other vases hosted by Cathy. Do take a look.

 

In a vase on Monday: darker

Tags

Allium Purple Sensation, amandes ameres, Anthriscus sylvestris ravenswing, apothecary bottle, Aquilegia vulgaris, Astrantia 'Roma', Bistort officinalis, bitter almond, Geum "Mrs Bradshaw", in a vase on Monday, Meadow rue, Myrrhis odorata, Persicaria bistort, Sweet cicely, Thalictrum Elin

Early Summer blooms

Oh my it is Monday and I very nearly missed joining Cathy at https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com

Cathy’s meme to collect flowers from the garden to display in the house is a delight.  If you feel you might like to join in then be sure to post a link to her blog with your pictures.

flowers in an old apothcary jar

The dark astrantia is ‘Roma’ with ‘Black barlow’ aquilegia.  There is one Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ mixed amongst Geum ‘Mrs Bradshaw’ and Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Ravenswing’  Ravenswing is a must have in the garden for me as its foliage is dark browny black and deeply divided  with umbels of frothy cow parsley like flowers.  It is beginning to seed around and I am delighted.

Anthriscus Ravenswing

The other umbelifiyer I am enjoying at the moment is Myrrhis odorata or Sweet Cicely. Also resembling Cow Parsley, Cicely has fern like leaves and white flowers scented rather like aniseed.

Anthriscus sylvestris Ravenswing with backgound colour of astrantia Roma and Sparaxis elegans

There are pink fingers of Bisorta officinalis, rather like a persicaria and often referred to as Persicaria bisorta, this is an early flowering persicaria type in marshmallow pink.  There is also a sprig of Thalictrum Elin.  This is the sprig of tiny dark purple bobbles in the first picture.  The bobbles will and are about to open to a colour not unlike the Purple Sensation, and have leaves like an aquilegia.

A snap shot of the flowers in my garden

One final note the jar was for bitter almonds which I understand are the non cyanide containing almonds used for flavouring foods.  That’s good then.

Have a good week.

ps. I garden on heavy clay soil which is water logged in areas over Winter ( for those who are interested in such things, like me!)