Six on Saturday - Snowflakes and beyond

It has been an awkward week: Mr S hurt his left wrist and forearm cleaning the conservatory, a sort of sprain or wear injury, which has meant my sous-chef which in the case of having only a couple of punters for meals, mean kitchen tidy upper, washer upper, butler etc. He has needed entertaining as he was getting bored.  Therefore I have had less time or energy to do gardening.  I ought to say Mr S is no 'Snowflake' and the title chosen before I had thought to document Mr S's condition, was in respect of the weather and the first plant this week.

Yesterday however he was out for the day and bliss I was outside all day.  Of course the overt excuse was 'on guard' duty with my tin can filled with a few stones to act as a rattle should the pesky magpies attack 'my' little nest of robing hatchlings.  I got lots done in the garden: plants planted, seeds sown, geraniums tidied up, emerging shoots on one or two year old perennials counted; you all know the pleasures of Spring.  Hence apart from this fewer words and larger pictures for my Six.  As for weather, it has been cold at night with frosts an odd snow flurry even..... 

What I am pleased about is that The Beechgrove Garden has moved to a prime time slot on Friday nights.  I prefer this programme to the one that now follows it, even though being set in Scotland they are a couple of weeks or more behind me season wise. Mr S too can sit there more quietly rather pass his not always flattering remarks regarding Monty's gardening.  He watches it for a look at Nigel and Nell, and sadly misses Nigel. He has not taken to 'the rat'! We still watch it...

To know what the rest of the gang are up I've linked in to The Propagator, as I do every Saturday to mention Six things in the garden. Spoilers alert just look at the Narcissi 'Baby Boomer' and Tulip Trick not just great names but gorgeous flowers in Jon's garden.

1. Snowflakes in the form of perennial candytuft Iberis sempervirens 'Snowflake' are the much more welcome sort.

Iberis sempervirens 'Snowflake'

2. Blossom on the Plum Mirabelle de Nancy are starting to open, and I am counting my plums before they form! 

 Plum Mirabelle de Nancy

3. Pear Beth is resplendent for a young tree, but I think I shall need to remove a lot of the fruit on its first year fruiting. 

 Pear Beth

The other pear tree Concorde another columnar tree appears to have just one flower truss at present.  Obviously a tree which is taking its time.  

4. Nearly white, but not quite: dwarf Iris Nick Knack is looking great.

5. White with lots of pink on Tulip Cabanna.

Now fully open they were beautiful from the start:

6. No white on this little cutting planted up last November in a pot with a few stones:

It must be amongst my favourite spring plants in the garden.  It has weathered the winter, grown a little and looking lovely on the shelf.

Phlox bifida Ralph Hayward  in a pot

Phlox bifida Ralph Hayward in the gravel garden with tortoise

The one in the gravel garden is looking equally charming, and flowering from early April too. This one is just a year older than the cutting, and is a cutting of the original plant.