Bargains!

Everyone loves a bargain.  Around this time last year I bought a delicious amount of dwarf narcissi from B&Q for around £1 for a pot of 3 bulbs.  Admittedly most of them were either already in flower or just going over but bulbs have this nifty little feature that once the leaves have been allowed to die back naturally in order to feed the bulb, every subsequent year they burst into flower again!

And boy have my daffs looked great so far!  I made sure to buy good amounts of a few varieties so they don't flower all at the same time, ensuring a longer display. 

Yesterday we returned to B&Q to repeat the process, this time we were aiming for crocuses.  the aim is to create pools of purple with a few white ones scattered throughout to lift it.  I've seen this effect recently on my drive home from work, beneath deciduous trees and shrubs beside the road.

At just 50p per pot of purple crocuses I snaffled all 11 pots!

There was a pack of 6 pots of white crocuses for £2, another 6 pack of yet-to-bloom snakeshead fritillary, again for £2 (these were originally £4 each).

Then, TMTC spotted these two bowls of hyacinths for just £2 each!  So all in all, that's 43 plants for £13.50!

The high temperatures of February are all but forgotten as winter has returned so today's pictures, courtesy of The Man That Can, are accompanied by a dusting of snow.

The sheer number of flowers and flower buds on the clematis Armandii is astonishing. It's a beautiful sight.

In the newly named "Mugwort's Retreat" (formerly the Pink Garden), all the bulbs are emerging.  There are narcissi and tulips all along the fence, joining the fresh red leaves of rosa Mum in a Million. 

A clump of pale blue iris has opened in the the corner of the patio border, joining the previously planted crocuses. 

All the hydrangeas are unfurling their leaves as March struggles to shake off winter's icy grasp.

Cutting corners

One of the jobs to do this weekend was to prune the dogwoods.  This will now and forever be known as "cutting corners" as I was misheard earlier in the week telling someone that I was going to be cutting my cornus.

But what a beautiful day! After a foggy start, the sun cut through to provide excellent gardening weather.  Actually, it's so warm that forget gardening, it's sit with a cuppa in the garden weather! 

Our newest acquisition, the Acer Sangokaku has been planted in the Yen Garden.  We've put the lantern behind it to show off the crimson stems.

And so to the cutting of the cornus.  I had a bash at using the flexible pruned stems to create a plant support for some emerging tulips.  It's a bit rustic, but I like it.

The snowdrops are beginning to wane.

I titivated the areas around the pond and TMTC cut back to ferns at the back that I can't reach.  I have a cane that I use to twirl pond weed around to remove it from the water.

The Pink Garden is going to be reshaped.  The new outline has been marked.  TMTC will remove the bricks, build the new outline, remove the gravel and weed membrane, then dig over the soil (no doubt removing a tonne more bricks).  We'll add some compost and manure and plant it up over the next couple of months.

Maybe it should have a new name too...

Little green shoots

All around the garden, tiny flashes of green are appearing as daffodil and tulip foliage is thrusting through the soil. 

All the snowdrops are in full fettle and look like glistening pearls amongst grey-green leaves.

I hadn't realised that this pot of vivid irises had begun flowering, so was quick to move it into a more prominent position on the terrace where it can be appreciated from inside.

Not content yet with the February display, we nipped to the garden centre to buy some potted bulbs.

Planted in the terrace seat along with r. Special Anniversary and some wallflowers, I've added some miniature narcissi, some pink hyacinths and a selection of primulas in blues and yellows. 

Pockets remain among the bedding to add some violas when I can find some suitable varieties.

At the outer edge of each bed on the patio, the crocuses have failed to materialise. Usually the striped foliage is at least visible by now.  Therefore clumps of blue irises and purple crocuses have been planted to inject some colour in what can be quite bare beds.  If the other crocuses emerge, it'll make a beautiful display. 

Pink primulas adorn the potting table. These will eventually go down into the Pink Garden when it gets replanted in the spring. 

Storm Erik passed over this week leaving our patch unscathed, thankfully.  Milder conditions continue to build for the coming week which should help to bring on further flowers from our bulbs, with narcissi looking to be next in focus. 

Happy gardening!