Mother's Day

What another fantastic spring day! Here in the UK it's Mothering Sunday. A day to be spoiled.   I had a bit of a lie-in and read my book before our younger son presented me with a card, a pack of gardening gloves and some chocolates.

A morning in the garden was my only request on this special day.  

A further 5 pots of dwarf narcissus, a Weigela, 2 pots of heavily scented pinks, and clematis Alpina Constance were purchased from the garden centre we visited yesterday. 

Hemerocalis (daylilies) should be orange with a reddish-brown stripe.

A couple of large clumps of native primroses 

Some bluebells, lily of the valley and snowdrops. 

And two small clumps of pink and white flowering plants that I have yet to identify. 

TMTC dug up a large clump of astrantia in the long border. 

I split it into 4 good sized chunks. One was replanted in the same place, one in each of the borders either side of the patio arch, and the last replaced a fern at the other end of the long border that had outgrown its welcome.

The huge fern this end was also removed.  It was split into two pieces and these have been planted in the Yen Garden.

The white Colly-rose was moved to the back of the border, and the remaining yellow dwarf narcissi filled the gaps, along with clumps of snowdrops.  Although these bulbs are all past their best, they will look so pretty next spring in what was otherwise a very boring bed during the colder months. 

Did I mention my fondness for daffodils?

In the pink garden, we've planted clematis Alpina Constance with its pinky purple heads beside the mirror. 

In the beds either side of the patio arch, we've planted the pinks and clumps of the astrantia.  In the right hand one (above photo), the Hemerocalis, Weigela "wings of fire" and some lily of the valley. 

We believe this to be a red Peony.  Time will reveal.  We've planted it at the back of the terrace border. 

Iris and nerine bulbs have also been planted in the terrace border. 

In the Yen Garden, half of the fern has found a home beside the lantern and the other half beside the Buddha head. 

Buds breaking on the Acer above and cherry below.

The spicy tang of wallflowers are adding some depth to the spring scents....if only it wasn't so windy.

The final job today was cleaning the pond.  The ferns have been tidied up, dead foliage removed from the pond, and algae from the waterfall. 

The rest of the day was spent enjoying the sunshine. 

Rose on a Ramble

Be it a chilly start, a gloriously sunny Saturday was spent with good food and good company in a beautiful garden. My little place of comfort.

After lunch at the garden centre, we began lifting some plants from the railwaymen's cottage.

TMTC dug up clumps of snowdrops which had finished flowering, some bluebells yet to bloom, along with some lily of the valley and a couple of native primroses.  There was a little confusion over a clump of daylilies before lifting the chosen variety, and an emerging crown of peonies was also potted up.  Lastly a pot full of a yet unknown shade loving perennial plant was removed.

An inventory was written up of plants to be lifted during later visits, along with the ornaments and statues to make the move when HS2 hit the final nail.

Sadly this, in all probability is the last spring we shall spend here.



March winds....

...and April showers bring forth May flowers.

Of course May seems so far away when the chilly winds of March are blowing off hats and turning umbrellas inside out. 

March is known as daffodil month, but despite being my favourite flower I don't have all that many.  When I was small, my gran had a garden filled with naturalised daffodils that filled the whole area with sunshine on even the most drab days.  

It's about time I did something about increasing my own daffodils.  Of course autumn is the time to plant spring flowering bulbs, but if you're canny at this time of year you can cheat.  As the bulbs are going over the stores are discounting them.   For the price of one pot of daffodils, I managed to get 5 pots, each containing around 5 bulbs.

Other than a bowl of n. Minnow, All of these daffodils are the standard height.  I generally prefer the dwarf narcissus, but to get the pool effects I'm after, I shall need some of the taller varieties at the back of the border.  They are also paler colours with contrasting trumpets.

Above N. Rip van Winkle in the long border. 

This little pot crammed with spring colour and scent was hiding out behind the wall of the terrace.  Now it's in full fettle, I have brought it up onto the terrace to shine.

It's too windy to appreciate the scents on the terrace at the moment, but the hyacinths are opening...

...along with the clematis Armandii (which now it's flowered I realise lacks the baby pink hue of "apple blossom". Nevertheless it still smells of almonds.



The primulae are flowering their hearts out all around the garden.  We have blues in Bumblebee's pot

Lemon in the long border, 

White, pink and cream in the Pink Garden.   There are also a good few apricot shades in the front garden.   Once flowered, many of them will be divided this year.

In the Pink Garden the hellebores are still going strong and the Bergenia is also in bloom.

Today is glorious sunshine, but that wind is sharp.  Having just spent 5 or 10 minutes outside with my camera, my ears are so cold they feel brittle. 

Mother's Day weekend approaches and with it some dryer, milder conditions.  Time for another Ramble methinks!