If you go over to Jim's you will find several of us, and you too could join in, who mark six things from our garden on a Saturday. Let's start the the list!
1. Last autumn I bought a few bulbs from Pottertons and was going to plant the Tulipa Sylvestris out in the garden this spring when I could see where to position them, so had planted the bulbs in November in 10cm pots. However I ended up planting them a few weeks back in a pot as a table display. Nice effect wouldn't you say but at some time I shall have to release them in the garden where hopefully they will naturalise. One of these is not Tulipa Sylvestris but I think it is T. Turkestanica which I have growing in the front garden.
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| Tulipa Sylvestris |
When I have posted this I'm going out to wipe the Sahara dust off the garden furniture.
2. This year I took a chance on growing the Tropaeolum tricolor right through the winter outdoors without protection. A few years back I was lucky enough to visit the now closed nursery Avon Bulbs, they said they grew their outdoors all year round outside their polytunnels. I put all the tubers into one pot this season, but being outside as opposed to in the conservatory, they have plied themselves around the stems and have made a tangle near the top, which is impossible to untangle without breaking their brittle stems.
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| Tropaeolum tricolor |
3. Corydalis Beth Evans seems to have taken to this garden and I now have several good clumps including this one in the shady border, as well as several elsewhere including spots in the conservatory bed and other sunnier spots.
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| Corydalis Beth Evans |
4. I love violas and violets and these seed very happily and sometimes need weeding out. However wherever possible I leave them till I can appraise their flowers. More and more I am enjoying watching out for how seedlings from all the plants emerge and choose ones with good constitutions and not worrying that they are not 'named varieites'. I have Viola odorata Kim and also Viola 'Baronne Alice de Rothschild' but I am now getting seedlings even within their own patches that are somewhat different from the parent. Here in the middle of the gravel garden not far from the washing line hole, is this charming new violet seedling with flowers quite large for the size of plant and larger than others I mentioned earlier. I'll grow this on for another year to see how it performs in a more mature form. It holds its flowers nicely above the foliage but this may just be the growing conditions, the full sun and the baking conditions.
5. Primula 'Petticoat' a lovely double old variety has thankfully come through the dry summer and is starting to flower'.
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| Primula Petticoat |
6. Primula: 'Blue Horizon'' which like Primula Wanda is a juliae type is just starting to flower and in a couple of weeks will be full stride. Nearby I have the very similar Primula vulgaris 'Hall Barn Blue' which I bought and planted last year but this has yet to flower.
The Robins are nesting, I've spotted butterflies and a slowworm who was sunning itself. With lots of ladybirds stirring, I feel that the garden is awakening. After a couple of dry sunnier days todays it has reverted to being overcast with a slight mizzle.
Wow, the Tropaeolum is truly impressive! I could see trying to grow that one in my sunroom, which stays cool but doesn't freeze. And the Violas are definitely a favorite. My climate is a little more brutal in winter than yours, but spring is starting to make an appearance here, too. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThanks Beth, the Tropaeolum would be very happy in a sunroom, and remember to give it a rest and keep it dry all summer. It grows from tubers which start to sprout again late autumn. You could put up some strings going to the roof of the sunroom for them to climb right up.
DeleteLots of lovely plants and the second Tropaeolum tricolor of the day - only yours is outside. Very impressive. Funnily enough I spotted quite a few Tulipa Sylvestris in my garden this afternoon - and they haven't toppled over yet. Mine aren't quite yet ready to open. I seem to remember the flowers are slightly scented.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to seeing your Tulipa in the new weeks, and I shall be sure to check whether I can detect their scent.
DeleteI love Tulipa sylvestris, hope I still have some! I planted many in big streetside planters in a town garden I used to care for, but the new gardeners are not horticulturists at all so, while tidy, I think the planters have been stripped out of many bulbs. If I don’t have any in my garden, will have to order more this fall. I think it was close to being out on the noxious weed list here in Washington state USA, which blew my mind as I’ve never had it increase much.
ReplyDeleteI suppose that the people who pass these rules about invasive plants have an eye to protecting the local plants. They are lovely and I do hope mine will increase in time.
DeleteHow amazing to grow your Tropaeolum outside. I tried it one year without success. Lovely violet and primroses. I ordered some Tulipa syvestris this year and they all turned out to be 'Turkestanica', at least you only got one!
ReplyDeleteThanks Chloris, bad luck on the tulips. Do the Turkestanica look OK where you have placed them? I put the pot once the foliage dies down on the Tropaeolum in the shed, and they don't get a sprinkling of water until the shoots show. They store the moisture in the large tubers, but if they need repotting it is best to do that mid-summer before they start to sprout.
DeleteSorry, I just commented anonymously. Chloris here.
ReplyDeleteDespite its tangled stems, the Tropaeolum tricolor is charming. Jim was careful, and he brings his indoors to the greenhouse during the winter after a previous failure. Well done you!
ReplyDeleteThanks Fred, in fact it is summer wet that does for them. They stood through the few frosts outside all the time without protection, but I think if a hard frost came now they would be damaged.
DeleteSome lovely spring colour. I do like the species tulips, I did not know that Avon bulbs had closed they were very good
ReplyDeleteThanks Brian, yes we all miss Avon bulbs they came to local plants sales, more and more of the private growers seem to be retiring, so let us all support the ones that remain and any young people who are going into the business.
DeleteCorydalis is popular at the moment, and quite rightly so, such a lovely plant! Also like your primroses, especially the double white one and your Tropaeolum is stunning!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful white primula Noelle. I have one too but no idea as to its name. Your corydalis 'Beth Evans' looks most pretty. Does it self- seed? I planted corydalis 'Purple Bird' some three years ago and it's making a good clump now.
ReplyDeleteYes it does self seed gently, some years I gather the seed and sow it fresh, as it should not dry out, in pots and cover with gravel. I showed a couple of weeks back my pot of Corydalis malkensis which I had grown from seed. These tubers will probably be dispersed round the beds when they have died down.
DeleteI see you had your Tropaeolum outside through the winter. I think I will repot mine this summer and try it outside, with an inside plant as insurance.
ReplyDeleteBe sure to keep it really dry all through the summer and only put it outside when you see the first shoots. It took all the rain through this winter outside in its pot, but that was well drained standing on the gravel area of the garden.
Deletethe second Tropaeolum I've seen on this Saturdays rounds....such a beauty of a plant.
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