Plants etc from the garden at the end of February 2026

Another month almost gone, and this regular garden chat is being linked in with others over on Jim's blog. 

The end of February has still some lovely crocuses and the sunshine has been bringing out 'giant' bumblebees.  Watching them delve down into the crocus cups is both a delight tinged with a little suspense as I wonder whether the crocus bloom will right itself.

1. I am very fond of the colour purple...

Crocus tommasianus Ruby Giant

2.

Crocus Shockwave

There is one bulb with a much larger flower, I wonder whether I ought to 'separate' this from the clump to give it a more uniform aspect? I am sure this will be done by end of day.

3. A healthy robust crocus for me is this stripy Crocus vernus Pickwick, which I have had for many years, and is slowly increasing.  It is the last of the crocus to flower.

4. Verbascum phoeniceum violetta has been growing in its original position for over six years, and each year I've thought that it ought to be moved.  It was too far inboard for me to enjoy the lovely form of the flower spikes. I could see there were various good growing sections with roots and they were seperated to give five plants.  Hope they survive this and flower this year.

Verbascum phoeniceum violetta

5. It was only when I noticed how large the clump of  Symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'Purple Dome' was encroaching on surrounding plants that I decided it was time to do something about this and hence the 'shuffling' in the garden. With the soil a little improved its space was baken by the Verbascum.

Divisions ready to be relocated in the garden
or given away

Shuffling was a term my SOS Sis used this week when we were 'chatting' on messenger. It brought a smile to my face, and some encouragement to get out in the garden and do some more gardening. Last autumn I treated myself to a set of three useful plyable handled shallow buckets from a farm shop, I like the pop of colour and I can easily find them compared to the large black one I had.  The large black one went to a friend to use in her large garden!

6. For Gill who is not all that keen on Pulmonarias, this is a lovely one for the garden: Pulmonaria Sissinghurst White.  The bees certainly love it. This is just the first flush of blooms, when trimmed down they will spring back.  I'm going to try to show each flush just to guage it garden worthiness this year.

Bonus picture............seedheads of the Miscanthus nepalensis, which I trimmed down this week.  If any SOSers fancy trying to grow this, contact me and I shall put some in the post for you. Use facebook with my name and send me a message with your name and address. I placed a couple of strands on the soil a cm deep with gritty soil on the top, and I had seedling come up a few weeks later, and this spring have sufficient to start a clump,

It definitely feels as if winter is behind us, spring in on its way!

 

In a Vase on Monday - Soft and Rich

Cathy who hosts this meme has a very early bunch of sweet peas this week.  The colours remind me of sugared almonds and the wonderful jar I had as a birthday present from my son.  One or two a day meant I several weeks of enjoyment.  Fresh flowers may last a day or two, or maybe even longer...growing them in the garden brings many benefits!  Of course there is the benefit of sharing and also seeing what other people are contributing.

With a very early morning session in the garden on Sunday, my eye was drawn to the long rich purple flowering stems on Verbascum phoeniceum violetta.  It had been in the ground for less than two weeks, having come home with me from Malvern Spring Show.  Whether or not I was right to do so, I decided for the sake of the plant that I would cut down the flower spikes to allow the plant to develop roots and leaves instead.  Half of me thinks this was foolish as the lower flowers were fertilized and could have given ripe seeds later.  I've also read that they may not be perennial, so I may only have a few days in which to enjoy my dark beauties.

A perfect partner in this twosome are stems of Ballota pseudodictamnus.  I feel that with its grey furry leaves it is a perfect soft partner for the sumptuously coloured verbascum.

Before it unfurls its dark petals, the verbascum keeps its petals beautifully folded in tiny hexagonal cushions.

The good news is that this twosome appears not to be eliciting allergic reactions, so will be remaining in the vase for a few more days!  This morning being Monday, they have their heads up and making a fine display.

Charisma - In a Vase on Monday

 These roses in the Timeless Series called  'Timeless Charisma' are probably the most colourful and strong of the rose trees I planted just a few years ago.  They withstand rain, sun and wind very well, but just before the downpours I decided to pick for this vase all the one variety  

As I was very busy I put just the roses in this large pewter biscuit barrel, but the next morning when I looked at them, they really did look like one of the stark 1960s arrangements that housewives may have put into a cut-glass vase. I went out early and picked some white Nigella aka Love in the Mist.  Well Charisma and Love probably go together! 

Another day passes and I nipped out into the garden to do a little cutting down of spent flower stems during one the drier spells, and rather that disposing of the seed heads, I thought they could be added to the arrangement.  Charisma and Love drew in Pimpinella major 'Rosea' seedheads and stems from the purple Verbascum phoeniceum violetta...So Charisma, Love, Pimpinella and Violetta form a charming arrangement.

Yes, I was happy with that....no more need be added. I am joining in with Cathy for this week's get together. 

In a Vase on Monday - Early Summer

We can probably say that Spring is over, and we are now in Summer.  Clear deep blue sky and wall to wall sunshine today, is bringing people out into the fresh air.  I picked my flowers early, and just as I was taking the pictures, we decided to go on a cycle ride.  Both of us are feeling much better and stronger now...we achieved the longest cycle ride for ages round 18 miles.  I have never seen so many walkers and cyclists, and so few vehicles...it was like a country festival on the roads, with lots of hellos and waves. Now that we are back and have had our lunch in the garden, I can settled down to complete this post. Later I shall catch up with all the other posts on Cathy's IAVOM post which has a very similar vase filled with the sweetest of Sweet Peas.

The flowers stand in a lovely heavy Caithness glass vase.

Verbascum phoeniceum violetta, which I had bought from the Malvern Spring Show and had written about in my vase last year, has thankfully returned this year.  Kathy who hosts this weekly meme, grew hers from seed.  The very hot weather does not really suit the plants, with sun scorching the blooms, so it was worth while cutting them for this vase.

Allium cristophii here with small blooms continues the purple theme.  They had given very large blooms when the bulbs were first planted in the front garden.  When I needed to dig them up to make way for some other plants, I split the bulb and replanted it amongst the other herbaceous plants in the back garden.

Centaurea Montana Alba has been marvellous, with over fifty blooms to one plant.  It is looking a little tired now, so next week it will be chopped right down, with a good watering to set it on its way for its second flowering.

Quaking Grass: Briza Maxima gives a little pale green freshness and movement and is just the right scale for the small garden.

Yesterday the Bishop's Palace opened for the first time in weeks.  Members only for a few hours followed a well marked route.  Under the large Paulownia tomentosa Tree, also known as the Foxglove tree, my love picked up the little seed pod and gave it to me as a gift.  This man really knows what pleases me.  There are a few of these fine specimen trees dotted around Wells,  with a two youngish Paulownia tomentosa outside the entrance and one fine large Paulownia tomentosa with its blue flowers and later large leaves in the Bishop's Palace arboretum in Wells.  To look up in the springtime and see a  tree covered with large blue flowers, before any of the leaves emerge,  is indeed very exotic sight.

The pair of swans and the six cygnets, now growing fast were very much enjoyed....the seventh cygnet got separated, and not accepted back into the group, but I understand it is thriving somewhere with special care and will be reintroduced to the large flocks on the levels when the time is right.