Six on Saturday - Six things in the garden at the start of February 2024

The garden plants has more or less been standing still during the last week, but I have been doing a little repotting, and moving around of plants.  For further interesting reading on matters garden or gardening, Six on Saturday anchor blog is the place to go to.

As I looked back over previous years, I realise that each year I had been attracted to 'yellow' in the garden.  Last autumn I bought some Crocus chrysanthus 'Dorothy' from the Potterton's stall at the Bishop's Palace in Wells. Jewelled with moisture on this grey and gloomy day, they draw me to the sitting circle table on which some of the smaller pots of early flowers have been placed. The dark purple streak on the outside of the petals particularly appeals to me. The crocus in the ground have been slow to emerge this year, with one or two are valiantly showing promise.

2. Other spring  beauties that I am trying to establish in the conservatory bed are Eranthis.  In February 2024's edition of Garden Illustrated, there are several pages dedicated to what we call 'Winter Aconites'. 

I mentioned last week  that I had planted a new one: Eranthis hyemalis 'Winterzaube' 'Winter Magic', and ones planted in 2020 are just at the stage of their showing their position.  A little further away is a plant which has been moved several times, but I think this came in soil in a pot brought from my last garden.  It forms a neat clump of several blooms.

I even had a few moments wondering if I was 'imagining plants' since they are neither up now, nor did I mention this last on blog.  This is where I search for what I have done in the garden.  I remembered that I had bought three eranthis last year which I identified as Eranthis cilicica when I looked carefully at them.  The article explained that it appreciates a sunny spot that becomes dry in the in summer.  I have already earmarked spots, and should they come up, they will be moved. 

They are not yet up, but I did find a picture in my files, but I had not named it.  From now on I shall be naming the pictures I choose to keep each month, all the others are useless really when it comes to searching.  However I found it based on looking through pictures taken in February 2023.  

3. On the couple of decent days this week, a got down to a couple of plants which needed moving.  

When I turned out the Fatsia Japonica Spider's Web, I realised it either had to be moved to a larger pot or out into the garden to take its chances, so it was decanted into the shady border.  It seems to be going by a different name these days: Fatsia japonica 'Tsumugi-shibori'. Here it will fend for itself, and won't need watering.

4. Some of the seedlings from seed received in December 2022, have already grown corms large enough to take their chance in the open garden.  Of the seedlings labelled 'Fairy Rings' there were just a few whose leaves more or less conformed to that type, and again, they are going to take their chances in the open garden. It will be probably 2025 before they start to flower, but as I like the leaves, I will be happy to enjoy those.

Cyclamen hederifolium Fairy rings type

5. I tend to go for the distinctive or larger snowdrops.  I do have two small but perfectly formed snowdrops which I was delighted to see up again this year: their first year since being planted last year.

I love this diminutive single nivalis. 

Galanthus nivalis 'Charlotte' has bulked up since last year.

The other small one is Galanthus rizehensis 'Margaret Billington'. 

The taller of the two blooms, which is the older bulb has four outer petals, and the smaller one is from the bulb formed last year, and has just three outers.  Both these were bought at Elworthy Cottage Plants last year, when we visited with friends Brenda and Peter. 

6. In the same Garden Illustrated magazine (Feb 2024), currently my going to sleep read, I was amused and informed in equal measure by Alice Vincent's article 'Fond of the Frond'.  She is a self-confessed pteridomaniac. 

I probably don't have enough plants, didn't know the name until now, or don't know too much about all the wonderful ferns,  I am however 'an admirer' of the fern. And if all space which could grow ferns in the garden is full, well, there are pots to fill. Here  Fern Asplenium x ebenoides aka 'Dragon Tail Fern' and Fern Cheilanthes lanosa (grey felty) aka 'Hairy Lip Fern'.

No doubt the garden will draw me out, and I shall find time to do a gardening next week.