Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, April 2015

The promise of blooms to come...

and to come..

and arrived.

Magnolia x soulangean

Tulips always play a part in our spring garden, usually gown in pots.

Helmar

Passionale

In the oriental garden the two young Camellias are in full bloom, the pink one is lost label and the red one, a gift, is 'Ruby Wedding'. The Magnolia 'stellata'... 

...is the star of the show...

...the Chaenomeles japonica is a colourful contrast to the black bamboo.

The Pulsatilla vulgaris and Aubrieta 'Bressingham Red' are brightening up the Alpine Boxes...

...along with Phlox 'Red Admiral'.

A late daffodil in the White and Green garden.

Blossom of the Ribes sanguineum, some people do not like the scent...

...then you should smell this!

Fritillaria 'William Rex'

Could you 'Honest(l)y' have a more attractive flower at this time of year...

...than  Lunaria annua 'Rosemary Verey' with its lovely purple leaves.

A Brassen Hussey among the primroses.

Ranunculus 'Brassen Hussey'
A Christopher Lloyd discovery.

A Hoverfly enjoying the spring sunshine on the Brunnera macrophylla.

We recently visited the Cotswold & District Alpine show and I couldn't resist...

Trillium chloropetalum

Could you?   

To visit more Garden Bloggers Bloom Day click on the link Here

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Black is Black (Almost).

Henry Ford is reputed to have said you can have it in any colour so long as it's Black.
The plant breeders have been trying to develop black plants without much success.
Here are some of the plants in Our Garden@19 from the 'Dark Side'.


The Black seeds of the Myrtus communis growing in the sunshine in the front garden are on a special plant.  I purchased it during a visit to Great Dixter and foliage from it was used by Mary in Rachel's wedding bouquet. Myrtle has long been used in wedding bouquets to symbolise love.
 Queen Victoria had some in her bouquet which was then planted and sprigs from that bush have been used in all Royal wedding bouquets since.

 Phyllostachys nigra greets you as you enter the Oriental Garden...

...with its shiny  black stems...

...under planted with Opheapogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'.

Acer palmatum 'Pixie' glows with lovely red young foliage turning almost black as it matures.

 Lunaria annua 'Rosemary Verey' leaves have now lost their spotted look and turned almost black.

A similar strain is L. annua 'Chedglow' which can be seen by visiting Anna at Greentapestry:
http://greentapestry.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/seedy-business.html

Euphorbia 'Blackbird' grows in pots along with Violas...

...and the Tulip 'Queen of the Night', something to look forward too.

Ajuga reptans 'Atropurpurea' provides dark ground cover with pretty blue flowers in the spring.

A new shrub last autumn is Hydrangea quercifolium 'Burgundy', which is certainly living up to its name.

Pittosporum 'Tom Thumb' with its 'bad-dose-of-the-measles' look was the inspiration for this post which came from Cathy at Rambling in the Garden...

 ...please click on the link for Garden Bloggers Foliage Day: A bad dose of the measles.
https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2015/01/22/garden-bloggers-foliage-day-a-bad-dose-of-the-measles/

I hope you have enjoyed reading about Our Garden@19, please leave your comments, I look forward to reading them.

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