Six on Saturday - 12 March 2022

 

1. Last year for the first time I grew a Viola from seed. It was Viola tricolor kindly sent to me by Jim.  I liked them so much that when I was choosing send from the AGS list you won't be surprised that I selected some.  No it is not overexposed, I was sowing the seeds in the shed and the top of the table is mirrored to reflect as much light as possible.

This week I sowed five different types:

Viola cornuta - Belmont Blue also known as Broughton Blue.  This viola dies down each autumn and fresh growth appears in the spring.  This will be just the ticket to fill in gaps after the spring bulbs. 

Viola Bowles Black named for E. A . Bowles

Viola Grypoceras Exilis which is called the 'cyclamen leaved viola. This one will be a challenge, and I may keep this one in a pot.

Viola Corsica

Viola Altaica this is one of the ancestors of the garden pansy.

2. In the conservatory bed a different set of spring flowers are in their prime such as the corydalis 

Corydalis Beth Evans

Not forgetting the lovely white ones Corydalis Malkensis:

3.  Whatever lush foliage there is later, I love the stage when you are just watching the small buds on delicate shrubs opening. The Amelanchiers may well be in flower by next Saturday but I love the shape of this little very very slow growing acer. There appears to be no winter damage so it will probably be its best year:

4.  I have a little plant given to me by gardening friend Alison, that is already raring to go can you believe it? Already? It is!
Scabiosa columbaria 'Pink Mist'.  Alison did say it was hardly never not flowering!  

6. Last year I divided one of the clumps of Pulmonaria Sissinghurst white, and must have given away several good plants.  Here is one small piece at the foot of the bird table doing its thing and attracting those huge bumble bees.

Talking about bumble bees, they can't resist the large catkins on Salix Mount Aso laden with pollen. So much pollen that it masks the pink fuzziness it previously displayed.

I'm not sure if the bumblebees could fit into the tiny trumpets of the Narcissus cyclamineus, so I have had pollinated them using the flowers from the little clump growing in the garden which were dripping with pollen.  Lets hope there will soon be swelling ovaries. I'd like to have a go at growing these from seed.

Its HPS Somerset talk today, so I shall be meeting friends and enjoying a good lecture. It is going to be a fine day so my friends, many of you will be out enjoying your garden. With a little snatch devoted to checked out Jon and others from Six on Saturday.