In the shopping bag this weekend...

As regular readers will know I went to the Bosvigo Graden Hellebore Day with a shopping list, it read:

1. Double Yellow (for my new shady bed)

2. Darkest Blue/Purple (because I have always loved them)

3. Double Pink (for my Mum)

4. Anything else that takes my fancy, because you can never have too many Hellebores!

So how did I do? Well firstly and most importantly my Mum's order is in the bag!

This lovely pink double is stunning, with pagoda like layers of petals...

...beautiful fat buds...

...and stunning speckled petals. (I have to keep reminding myself that this is for Mum and that I can't have it - I must not plant it in my garden, I must not plant it in my garden)

Then for me? Well, there were no double yellows which was disappointing, but then I have to have something to go back for next year. And the really dark metallic blue Hellebores? Strangely I wasn't that taken with them. They were quite short and rather ignorable next to all the tall and graceful doubles with their sumptuous flowers, so instead I bought this:

A fantastic dark pink double, with darker veining on the petals. It's fab!

With gorgeous golden centres and tall swaying stems - there will be no ignoring that in the garden!

And that is it! How restrained was I, I hope you're impressed? 

There was a moment when I was clutching four Hellebores and looking for more, but reason kicked in before the handing over of cash (which I hadn't taken enough of anyway). Then when I got home I realised that one of the largest plants that I was lamenting that I couldn't do without was almost identical to the trusty first Hellebore I ever bought, that is looking lovely at the moment! The Hellebore goggles were definitely at play!

So a gorgeous swag I think you'll agree, now for planting, and I must remember not to plant Mums although it would just fit perfectly next to...

07 Crocus

For 'Flowering in my garden' this week my Crocus have suddenly appeared and are gorgeous in the intermitant sunshine. This jolly little bulb is easy to grow and comes in lots of variants from purple through pinks, to whites, creams and blazing yellows. They can be blotched, streaked or delicately veined, so there is a type to suit every taste and colour scheme.

The spray of leaves comes first, recognisable by their central silvery stripe...

 ...followed by the tightly furled buds...

 which burst open at the first hint of sun.

The name Crocus comes from the Greek word for saffron - krokos, and within each flower is the stunning yellow stamen which is the origin of the Crocus' culinary fame. However it is a particular type of crocus that gives us the highly prized spice and colour (strangely enough it's the Saffron Crocus which presumably in Greek would be the Krokos Crocus) so we can't all start harvesting and making our fortune!

Crocus grow best in poor-ish gritty soil in full sun. They are best planted in the early autumn with the other spring bulbs and grow about 3-4ins tall. 

 As you will notice all my Crocus are purple, and I have to admit that I don't know specifically what type they are. They were a free gift with a bulb order about 5 years ago that I just threw in the ground any-old-where, and haven't they done well (typical)! I have grown yellow in the past, but found that these were far more likely to get nibbled by squirrels or pecked by birds. 
However, now I'm inspired to try some white Crocus, like the ones I saw in Bosvigo spring garden this weekend (see previous post), they were beautiful!

One of the best days of spring!

Saturday saw the dawning of one of the best days of spring for me - the Bosvigo Hellebore Day, and it didn't disappoint! The weather was sunny and still and the gardens were alive with enthusiastic gardeners and regular Hellebore fans. The Spring gardens looked stunning. As expected the Hellebores were wonderful...

...drifts of single pink...

...underplanted with Pushkinias

Single dark red paired with delicate crocus.

Hellebores in every shade...

...pale yellow...

...double white (here with Epimediums).

Frilly doubles...

...and elegant singles...

...speckled...

...and plain...

...and the frilliest of them all!

But there were also beautiful combinations of Hamamelis (Witch Hazel), Snowdrops and Eranthus...

...and drifts of Crocus.

A dainty Primrose nestling at the base of a wall...

...a delicate Prunus hedge...

      

...and a stunning bank of blowsy white Crocus and tiny cyclamineus Daffodils.

The day was raising money for Cornwall based International Charity Shelterbox (see tent above), was covered by Radio Cornwall, opened by radio presenter Tracy Wilson and was very, very busy! We arrived at 10am, half an hour after the doors opened and the place was rammed already and the Hellebore sales area was emptying fast!

Helleboraphiles (I may have made that up but hey-ho!) with very determined looks on their faces and trays of multiple Hellebores were charging about, spying on each other and no doubt planning cunning raids on each others stashes (I know I was). The sales area struck a vivid contrast to the gardens which were calm and full of slow moving enthusiasts, all studying, photographing and discussing the lovely plants on show.

Round the back of the house the teas were going well, you need reviving after a Hellebore scramble like that, and visitors meandered around with bags bulging with Hellebores. 

As we left we passed a stream of satisfied customers trailing down into town laden with horticultural gold. Before you ask, yes we were also satisfied customers with our share of swag but our purchases will have to wait for another post, I need a lie down after all that excitement!

Spring is coming!

Well, it's half term week here so the teens are happy, and I managed to get out into the garden TWO DAYS RUNNING last weekend which means I'm happy, and some of the garden is looking half way decent now. The green bin is bulging with prunings and clearings and newly discovered green shoots are everywhere. My weekly visit to the Farmers Market was rewarded with a display of lovely spring bulbs...

...which you will be amazed to hear that I managed to resist (I don't usually!). The Polyanthus was not so difficult but the Iris reticulata, Eranthis, Crocus, Cyclamen coum and Galanthus were all calling to me and begging to be taken home and given a newly tended spot. However, I could not push the seed list that I had on the go to the back of my mind - it was long and likely to be expensive so I resisted the instant gratification of spring colour for the longer term satisfaction of the seed sower!

And today I put in that seed order (three of them actually), a mixture of flowers and veg, I've ordered enough to keep me going for quite a while. I even managed to stick to the planned list apart from a random Dahlia - I couldn't resist it and I haven't grown Dahlias before so it's almost compulsory research really! It's a Dahlia 'Rip City'- deep, dark red and shaggy, it will sit well in my hot courtyard garden (I hope). I will monitor it's progress and report back. 

I ordered my seeds from Suttons, Thompson and Morgan and Sarah Raven, all of which offer a good range of ornamentals, vegetables, and hardware. Sarah Raven offers very beautiful mixtures of colours, and specialises in flowers for cutting in particular, although I think their p+p charges are quite high. Suttons and Thompson and Morgan have enormous ranges of pretty much everything, although less of the more unusual plants, and everything is always reliable and dependable from them.

And so on to the next harbinger of Spring - this Saturday is the Bosvigo Hellebore Day. 

This is a Bosvigo Double that I bought last year

Regular readers will remember that this is a yearly event in Truro and much loved by those in the know. We all trip along to gaze at the beautiful spring woodland garden and then buy Hellebores, safe in the knowledge that it's all for charity so we are not just selfishly buying plants again (at least that's what I tell my Hubby - he seems either convinced, or too jaded to argue any more!)

Last year it was the highpoint of early spring, an inspiration in the gloom. This year I have my camera charged and my wish list written already (including an order from my Mum).

I can't wait - roll on Saturday - hope to see you there!

06 Primroses

I've been looking forward to including my lovely Primroses in my 'Flowering in my garden' strand. They've been flowering for the past month, reliable and sunny, but I've been waiting for a moment when they don't look rain spattered and a bit battered. Hmmm... I know, the phrase 'on a hiding to nothing' springs to mind, and as another storm hit this weekend I decided that the time had come!

I have Primroses in various places in the garden, sunny spots, damp gloomy spots and in between paving stones in my path. Some are intentional and nurtured and some are self sown, accidental and largely ignored. Needless to say, the ones that are flowering most prolifically are the neglected ones in the path. They are also the shortest ones and so the blooms most spattered by the rain/hail/mud!

So I apologise for the dirtiness of my Primroses, but I sing their praises for surviving and cheering me up as I slip and splosh down my path each day, with their jolly, sunny faces.

The name Primrose is from the Latin prima rosa, which means 'first rose', and although it isn't a Rose it is certainly one of the first beautiful flowers of the year. They are found in the wild in woodlands, on roadsides and in meadows and adapt to most places (i.e. my walls and paths). They also prefer damp, clay soil, and spread with enthusiasm!

And whilst researching this post I discovered something new: April 19th is dubbed Primrose Day! Apparently this is the anniversary of the death of Disraeli (British Prime Minister who died in 1891) and as they were his favourite flower, a posy is placed at his statue in Westminster Abbey on this day every year.

Primroses are one of the native wild flowers that adapt well to garden use, widely available in plant or seed form from garden centres and nurseries (never take them from the wild) and make sure you get true Primula vulgaris, there are many hybrids and endless variations of polyanthus, all lovely but none have the dainty, joyous hardiness of the original.

In the language of flowers the Primrose denotes 'I can't live without you', which seems very apt to me, my garden would be far poorer without my Primroses.

Stormy weather!

I have my first my first 'Tete a tete' daffodils of the year - hurrah! They are drenched and blown but battling on. It took me quite a while to get these shots because they were being blown around so much the camera wouldn't focus!

Wet and ragged, they are still brightening up my back door approach bravely.

As storms batter this part of the country again and the South West is allegedly cut off from the rest of the country (the roads and flights are fine by the way, it's just the trains), we remain hunkered down looking out a garden that has not seen any care and attention to speak of since Christmas.

The clearing and sorting is mounting up and the ground is sodden. Thankfully we haven't been flooded (one benefit of a house and garden on the side of a hill), but my specially planned drought resistant courtyard garden is looking confused at best! 

The wind directions so far haven't put any of our larger trees at risk either, although as the winds howl outside once more I don't want to speak too soon. So the impact has been quite moderate with us in comparison to some people.

We did have one moment of excitement last Tuesday early evening, during the first super storm (I think - or it may have been the second - I've lost track!), when a neighbours' conifer came down across the road outside. It was swiftly followed by another (whilst the teens and I were watching - according to them it almost hit them, they do love a drama!) 

Then within the hour another, larger conifer fell on the other side of us which closed the road completely. So we were marooned between fallen trees for a few hours and spent the evening listening to the whine of chainsaws. One benefit of living on the main road into Truro is that the road gets cleared pretty quickly! 

The neighbour who lost the 2 conifers has had to fell 2 more since. Now I'm not a particular fan of conifers and they weren't particularly interesting specimens, but it's never good to loose trees in town and the sound of the chipper is becoming monotonous!

The variagaries of the weather are part of makes gardening challenging and exciting, but this is becoming a bit wearing and frankly I could with a bit of a break from the excitement just so I can get some things done!

05 Euphorbia

This week 'Flowering in my garden' is concentrating on a genus of plants that can be annual, perennial, shrubby and succulent, and that has so many different varieties that I can barely scratch the surface (which ironically wouldn't be advisable as the sap is an irritant, although it doesn't seem to affect me!)

The Euphorbias, or Spurges, in my garden range from large evergreen shrubby ones to small, delicate ones that die down in the winter. The ones that are showing well at the moment are the evergreen ones.

Euphorbia wolfenii is a larger variant with tall stems, blue green leaves, and bright green tufts of bracts hiding dark red flowers. This is a fast growing and vigorous shrub which was moved last year as it had outgrown it's position. I had planted it to hide the compost bins and frankly it was doing the job so well that we were struggling to get to them! Now it is at the back of the sunny bed under the Magnolia grandiflora, it has taken a while to settle but the flowers are coming so it can't be too unhappy!

Euphorbia  characias 'Glacier blue' is one that I put in this year so at the moment it is quite small, but it will grow and is a medium sized Euphorbia. It has variegated blue green/silver leaves and yellow green bracts. I have been warned that it can be less robust than other Euphorbias so I will let you know how it does, but so far it has survived the storms and rain and is set to flower well.

Euphorbia amygaloides 'Ruby glow' is a smaller bushy Euphorbia which forms a mound of very dark green whorls of leaves, topped by new growth which is bright orange. From this new growth will come the flowers which will have bright green bracts with dark flowers.

The Euphorbia mellifera isn't flowering at the moment but still provides a great, lively backdrop, with fountains of bright green leaves. Another larger variant, it's home is at the back of the border but when it flowers it has the most amazing honey scent, which is where it gets it's common name of Honey Spurge. So don't put it too far back or you'll miss out on the best bit.

I noticed that the shoots of my Euphorbia griffithii 'Fireglow' are coming up this weekend so I have that to look forward to and some time soon the tiny but enthusiastic Euphorbia cyparissias will be up. Roll on spring!

There is a Euphorbia for pretty much every spot, from sun to deep shade and for most soil types. They are hardy and some spread madly. The only problem I have ever had with them is that they grow too well, so match your choice of Euphorbia to your spot carefully, and enjoy their year round performance!