EARLY SPRING BULBS
We have been very lucky that Storm Eunice seems to have left us relatively unscathed. I hope it hasn't caused damage to you or your gardens.
I took the photographs for this week's Six on Saturday before the bad weather hit, but it was already getting rather windy even then. These Iris reticulata were planted last autumn in a pot so that I could move it next to the house door and admire them in flower. The flowers appeared all of a sudden on Thursday, and I decided to keep them safe in the greenhouse for now.
They will join these cyclamen and primulas who are hiding from the storm in this sheltered spot.
Meanwhile the snowdrops are gradually pushing up and look just about ready to open.
I was looking for the crocus I planted last year to see whether they are in flower yet. The answer was no, but then I spotted this patch of bright purple ones in a little clump near the bush on the left of the picture above. Who knows who planted them or when.
The border at the back of that photo contains various spring bulbs some planted by me and some inherited. Tulip 'the First' is a truly early flowerer. It gets nibbled by the slugs each year which rather spoils them though. Behind the border stands the Oak tree, whose scattered leaves you will spot in (nearly) every photo of the garden as they evade my attempts to clear them away to the leaf pile.
Round the corner is this Mahonia aquifolium with its sweet scented flowers. Scent in the garden is such a difficult thing to convey but its charms are great.
That's all from my garden for this week. Thanks, as always, to the Propagator for hosting Six on Saturday.
N20 here, love the mahonia, so good to see it having space to do its thing. My snowdrops are nearly over here, they are just looking raggedy so it was interesting to hear your are just opening!
ReplyDeleteThe snowdrops are taking their time this year, but I think it is a cold spot generally and they are often behind those in other gardens nearby.
DeleteThose swathes of snowdrops look lovely and I can just imagine the fragrance of the Mahonia. The cyclamen and primulas look nice and snug, protected from the worst of the elements.
ReplyDeleteThey were still there this morning when I went to check, thankfully.
DeleteYou were lucky that the storm avoided your corner because your beautiful garden with its tall trees could have suffered. Pretty purple irises and crocuses!
ReplyDeleteNo trees down thankfully. I have found that the old wooden greenhouse has lost some large panes of glass and the roof is leaning at an odd angle. It was getting quite rotten already though.
DeleteThank you for the Tulips, they made me smile.
ReplyDeleteSuch a shame that the slugs are nibbling those pretty tulips, they have taken a fancy to my dwarf irises this year, I guess the mild winter hasn't killed many off. Those cyclamen have beautiful leaves - what kind are they?
ReplyDeleteThe are Cyclamen coum Silver leaf, but they seemed to particularly nice ones. I got them from Waitrose last Autumn.
DeleteThat little cyclamen has some nicely patterned leaves. Nice contrast with the other plants.
ReplyDeleteI remember being amazed around this time last year that you had tulips already, same ones I think. Well you already know I love the early irises, are yours Harmony too? There's a Mahonia growing down the road from here but I've never really caught its scent, I will make a point of having a sniff next time I walk past.
ReplyDeleteThe iris weren't named but they look very similar.
DeleteSo many Snowdrops. I hope that the weather improves so that they can open now. I should have moved my pans of small bulbs into the glasshouse as the wind has damaged a lot of the flowers, sadly.
ReplyDelete