Wednesday 17 February 2016

Spring was in the air. (Garden bloggers bloom day February 2016)


Today sees a return of wet, wintery weather here in Worcestershire.
I took some photographs of what was flowering in the garden two days ago when the sun was shinning. 
In the Alpine boxes, by the front door, Ipheion 'Albert Castillo' was in full flower (they are lay flat today).


Alongside are pots of heathers and dwarf pines (harking back to the seventies!)


Also catching the sun is the Sarcococca, Christmas Box, which didn't start flowering here until the end of January, the scent is so powerful, you can smell it every time the front door is open.


In the main borders, Narcissus 'Tete-a-Tete' is flowering,


and the honey bees are visiting the Crocus tommasinianus, you can actually see the pollen on the bees legs.


There are a few yellow crocus in pots, these seem to be getting less each year. (mice?)


Pulmonaria 'Blue Mist' is a welcome sight along side the path. 


Underneath a dogwood there are groups of snowdrops...



...this one looks different from the others?


...They are joined by a solitary N. 'Jumblie'.


The Leucojum aestivum, is one of my favourite flowers at this time of year, I don't know why it is called the Summer Snowflake.


The dark slatey purple hellebores are usually the last to flower, these along with many of our garden plants came with us from our previous garden. They were bought from what was then a very good local nursery as H. orientalis purpurea.


Corydalis cheilanthifolia is new to the garden.  I admired it growing in the wall of a friends garden and was told to help myself, it can apparently be invasive, so I have it in a pot and
 it flowers for months with lovely fern like leaves.


The Kerria japonica 'Pleniflora'  (Batchelor's Buttons) is according to the RHS a mid spring flowering shrub, it has had flowers here for over a month.


Last night I gave a slide presentation to the Gloucestershire Organic Gardening Club, a lovely, welcoming, very active group of gardeners. What was a bonus was the plant stall selling snowdrops, I couldn't resist 'investing' some of my fee in these two beauties...


The large robust Galanthus elwesii


and the lovely dimpled petaled G. plicates 'Augustus'.


I blame Anna at Greentapestry Here for stimulating this addiction.
You have been warned if you visit by clicking the link.
I am also linking to Carol at Maydreamgardens.com for garden bloggers bloom day Here where you can see what is blooming in gardens during February around the world.

Please click on any picture to create a slide show.


34 comments:

  1. I saw that you caught a shot of a bee. I know they appreciate our few flowers this time of year. I photographed some as well.

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    1. The bees do appreciate the few flowers around this time of year, when the sun shines!

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  2. such a lovely combination of both winter and spring plants in your garden, Brian. I adore the colour of the H orientalis purpurea and how lovely to smell Sarcococca every time you open the front door - it was in flower at Anglesey Abbey at the end of December.

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    1. Thanks Ann, I am sure it was flowering earlier last year. I should look back on the blog to see.

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  3. I've just but ipheion, Wisley blue. It isn't flowering yet so I am looking forward to when it does.

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    1. The ones in flower are in the south facing alpine boxes, those in the garden are no show at the moment.

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  4. Careful Brian you'll become hooked. There is no cure :)
    There is a subtle difference between those two snowdrops. To my very untrained eye the ovary and the horseshoe mark on the inner segments are difference but other than that I can't help you much. Is the foliage different? That's often another sign. Anna may be of more help to you than I can be.
    Love the colour of your Hellebore. Good that you were able to bring some with you from the old garden. Happy Bloom Day.

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    1. Thanks Angie, I look at pictures of different snowdrops and it is difficult to tell the difference between some of them.

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  5. I'm amazed by the Kerria. We have it growing almost wild in the wood, I'm assuming our predecessor planted it. There is no sign of blooms whatsoever.

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    1. I would of thought in the balmy south you would of ahead of us here in Worcestershire!

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  6. A great feast for Bloom Day, Brian! I can see why snowdrops capture the imagination but I also love the simple cheerie crocus especially with and after bees visiting it. I've long been a fan of the dark hellebores (tulips too for that matter) and that's a beauty. Your Kerria caught my eye though - very pretty.

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    1. Thank you Shirley, As a former beekeeper I love to see the bees working in the garden.

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  7. I love seeing your crocuses -- and all the better with a bee! I had difficulty growing the tiny species varieties even in my earlier garden where bulbs in general did very well. Never knew why and still blame it on that catch-all 'soil'... Glad to see an old friend in G. elwesii, whose flowers in my garden ranged from pearl-drop to fly-away, but always welcome! I've read they can come earlier than G. nivalis and would love to know whether this is typical or not... And your heather and dwarf pines - classic ;-)

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    1. It is great to see the bees working in the garden Amy, are you able to grow bulbs in your new garden?

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    2. So far it has been a bit of a struggle. Last spring, some did not show and others came up blind, plus there were a few perfect blooms... Last autumn's plantings of narcissus are showing great promise at the moment -- a few may be in bloom within days now. So I am keeping my chin up! Bulbs are among my favorite flowers - always have been - so I am working hard to find what to plant and how to grow them...

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    3. We gardeners are an optimistic bunch!

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  8. Hi Brian, A bit of a delay in reading your post as Wordpress seem to have bumped you off their reader again. I think they do this will all competition even though they let you add blogs in the first place.
    I am wondering whether you actually have Leucojum vernum the spring snowflake, though I can't help you with the differences.
    Oh dear, you are starting with snowdrops - I did last year after reading all the posts on them and visiting a snowdrop garden up here. I bought a load of Elwesii in the green last year, but only about half of them have appeared this year which is quite disappointing. They are lovely and big though and should be great when clumped up a bit. I also bough a Magnet and a Wasp. Wasp has appeared but no sign of Magnet anywhere - even the label has gone. I think I might need another visit to that garden this weekend to buy a few more.

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    1. Wordpress and Google do not seem to what to work together at all.
      I have consulted my plant bible, L.vernum is shorter and only has a single flower. The ones in our garden are tall and have two flowers per stem, based on that I fairly sure they are L. Aestivum. The book also says they flower in the spring. Confusing or what?

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    2. We have L.aestivum Gravetyre Giant which again is supposed to be spring flowering but it is always later than the snowdrops. I need to move it as it is under a rhododendron now, but they aren't supposed to like being moved very much.

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  9. Beautiful images Brian, lovely to see the bees out and about on fines days. Your Kerria is way ahead of ours!

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  10. Yes, it seems spring has reached your garden and I am amazed that the Pulmonaria and Corydalis are already flowering for you! I have that same Corydalis and love it. It has only been in for a year though, so time will tell if it decides to spread... Lovely post, and lovely new snowdrops!

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    1. Thank you Cathy, I don't think all Corydalis are as invasive as this one!

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  11. Great photo of the bee on the crocus - well captured Brian! We saw some Kerria flowering on a walk today - perhaps not so early after all after seeing yours too

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    1. Thanks Cathy, the bee was so busy working away on the crocus I was able to take several photos.

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  12. Oh no Brian I'm not to blame for what might become a fatal addiction! :) Your new 'drops are most fine. I'm especially fond of 'Augustus'. I can hardly believe that your kerria is already in flower. My favourite photo of my now 25 year old niece is when she was about 7 years old. She was twirling round in the garden wearing a short sleeved dress and a crown of kerria flowers on her head. I wish that I had the date on the back of the photo but it certainly wasn't February.

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    1. Well I have to blame someone Anna! I was particularly taken with the dimples on Augustus

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  13. That Pulmonaria has gone straight to the top of my wish list. What a glorious colour! And how wonderful to see the bee! I keep checking the Crocus tommasinianus here for bees, and although a bumble bee buzzed by yesterday, I haven't seen any action on the Crocus, which is surprising.
    Next time, perhaps you might suggest that they pay you in snowdrops. How does that work out taxwise? Perhaps Mrs Taxwoman is a galanthophile....

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    1. I can think of another ' Mrs' who would think I shouldn't be paid in snowdrops!

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  14. A lovely collection! And all in such perfect un-battered condition.
    I once thought I would learn to identify all the snowdrop varieties, but I think life may be a little too short...
    All the best :)

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    1. I tend to agree with you, they are so difficult to tell apart.

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  15. So many lovely winter blooms, if only we could have some lovely warm weather to get out and enjoy them.

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    1. I agree Chloris, we certainly did not have any today!

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  16. Hi Brian, my Leucojum looks similar to your Leucojum aestivum, but is only about 8-11 inches tall. You have many beautiful blooms. I adore that purple hellebore.

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