Easter Monday was wall-to-wall sunshine, not a cloud in the sky. Winds were light, but icy cold. After lunch, the garden was warm enough to work with a lighter jacket, and ohh..that was good.
The day started off with husband and I struggling into an open area between shrubs and under the Acer at the back of the garden, a little area that I want to try to develop as a den for visiting grandchildren…when the lockdown is lifted.
We did some weeding and pruning, then left it at that to wait for inspiration to tell us what else to do with this little clearing. The rest of the week was spent potting up a few new plants, more weeding, feeding, tidying up and having Zoom meetings with family and friends. What a strange life we’re all leading right now. Mid-week I was able to start potting up some of my seedlings! 😁
But let’s get started – here’s my six for this week.
Wallflowers
I can’t say in all honesty that I love wallflowers, but despite that, I seem to grow them every year. This year I planted a number of bare root wallflowers in two varieties, Fire King and Purple Shades (which is just about to flower) both have grown well, with the exception of one batch that something made a meal of, leaving only stalks.
I feel they’re quite an untidy plant – I don’t like the way they hold onto their fading petals, but when I look at them closely through the lens of the camera…well, it’s a whole different story. It’s art. It’s paint, in the most vibrant colours, splashed around in the most creative manner. In the garden, I want to tidy them up. On the computer, I just love their amazing form and colour. So do I love them or not? I truly can’t decide. Next year I’ll definitely order Fire King again, perhaps that says it all.
Tulips
I’ve seen Tulip Showcase described as having “petals of the deepest purple” and this packet of bulbs bought at a garden centre has left me wondering if they are indeed Tulipa Showcase. Even when viewed in the deepest shade, Tulipa Showcase doesn’t strike me as being of the deepest purple.
They’re lovely though – they absolutely glow in the sun and no matter where I place the pot in the garden, the eye catches them. I’ve looked at images online and the colour varies from pale lavender to pink to that lovely deepest purple which was what I thought I was buying. I’m not put off, I’ll lift them once the leaves die back, store them until early winter and replant them because although they’re only five, they put on a good show.
Summer Snowflakes
These are new this year, and although this week has been sunny, it’s also been windy too, so photographing delicate plants has been a wee bit of a challenge. These pretty Summer Snowflakes are planted among the Forget-me-Nots and Muscari, and I rather love the effect.
Daphne?
On Easter Monday (what a glorious day) I was on my knees, crawling around in the undergrowth of an area right at the back of the garden, weeding and feeding the soil when I became aware of a strong perfume. Crawling a little bit further behind the now very large white camellia, I found what I thought was the little Daphne that was planted some years ago. Hidden so well behind the Camellia, and with only two flowers on the plant, against all odds, it seems to have survived the shade.
But the leaves don’t look exactly like those of the Daphne that I’m viewing online, so perhaps it’s not a Daphne after all – could it be a Viburnum?
Pelargoniums
In the greenhouse, the overwintered Pelargoniums and cuttings have been growing well. I’ve cut off earlier flowers, but have now decided that they really want to show off their blooms, and I’m letting them loose to do their own thing.
I’ve potted some of the larger plants into their outdoor containers and popped them under the staging where I’ll keep an eye on them until all chance of frost has passed.
Hostas
Finally, some hostas are still underground, but others are stretching up tall and it won’t be long until their leaves start to unfurl to show off their fabulous shapes and markings. I can hear the snails getting their battalions ready to march to the feast.
I’d love to be able to say what varieties they are, but they’ve been in the garden for many years, and I’ve long since forgotten their names. Here’s a few of those that are dotted around the garden.
Enjoy your gardening this weekend everyone, stay safe, stay healthy…and let your garden keep you happy. 🌈
If you want to join in with Six on Saturday around the world, here are the details:
ABOUT SIX ON SATURDAY
Six on Saturday is like a weekly journal. Take six photographs and post them to Twitter and/or your blog. You can get all the details from The Propagator who kindly set it all up. If you want to join in and see what everyone else is doing in the garden, just follow the link!
All photographs copyright of Catherine Wood unless otherwise stated.
Beautiful photos as always! Loving the colours of the wallflower, but yes I agree, they are not the loveliest of them all for a long period. Enjoying seeing your perfect hostas, long may they stay that way. If I was to guess I would say viburnum. Have a good week. 🙂
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Thank you! No matter how hard I try, the hostas always end up looking like lacework. I think you’re spot on about it being viburnum. Sad. I have to now admit that the Daphne is gone.
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Same here, I think we just have to accept their perfection is fleeting! There will be other daphnes 🙂
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I’m in agreement with you on the wallflower. They are stunning through a lens and do add colour to the garden. Your pellies look good too. Mine suffered inside this wet winter. I hope they pick up now that I’ve moved them outside.
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My pellies had grey mould during the winter, but with a bit (lot) of careful pruning and an improvement in the weather, they survived. I hope yours do too.
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I had white fly in the conservatory 😩 some are shooting, but others look quite dead.
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That’s not so good – there’s always something ready to attack and destroy. I hope you can save the majority of them.
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Well, they are all outside now so it’s a case of survival of the fittest 😁
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I think the daphne is a viburnum too. It looks lovely. The Summer Snowflakes are beautiful and elegant. I love the scent of wallflowers but I agree, in person their a bit messy somehow. I tried a dwarf variety once but it was tricky getting down to sniff the flowers! I’ve forgotten to grow them for a few years now though.
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I’m sure I didn’t plant a viburnum there, but I think I’ll try moving it towards the end of the year. Perhaps with a bit of feeding it might come on – but if I’m truly honest with myself, I think it might just be taken out and replaced with something more suited to the location. Then I’ll buy a Daphne – also for a more suitable location. 😊
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The wallflowers are superb and you have highlighted them with your photos. I have a lot here that are self-sowed and crossed to give varied colours.
Watch out for slugs : they are not far away from your hostas … mine haven’t leaves yet.
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I have some hostas still underground at the moment, I’m anxious for a few to come up so that I can move them. Your self-sowed and crossed wallflowers sound really interesting!
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The snowflake combination is glorious and the white pelargonium is exactly my idea of what a pelargonium should be. The white ones are so elegant.
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The white was a cutting from a friend and I’m rather smitten with the flowers. I’ll take cuttings later in the year and then perhaps I’ll be able to pass it along to another friend.
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Beautiful flower pictures.
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Thank you. 😊
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Your wallflowers are glorious Catherine. I love the scent of them. I usually buy plants but grew them from seed this year for the very first time.
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Thank you, Anna. I hope your seeds were successful. I’ve grown more seeds this year than I have in past years, and have been enjoying the process – perhaps I should take a look at wallflowers for next year.
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I know what you mean about the wallflowers. The foliage and habit are poor, but the flower colours are beautiful. Your photos do bring out the best in the flowers you photograph. The Pelargonium collection is looking very healthy. They seem to think it’s Summer already.
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I’m so glad I’m not alone in thinking as I do about wallflowers! The pelargoniums suffered from grey mould during the. winter and I lost a few plants, but the remainder are all fine now.
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those are some impressive clumps of hosta! I can’t make up my mind about wallflowers either. I find they are reliably perennial for me in some spots, at least for a few years, and need pruning back a bit or they get very straggly, even more than usual.
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If the winter has been mild, they survive in this garden, but they’re so untidy that I dig them up and start fresh each year. I haven’t tried pruning them back. 🤔
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