Blooms in the Breeze

Published on by Catherine

Here on the Ayrshire coast, we’ve had a good week of mostly sunny, albeit very blustery and cold, days. The chilly temperatures were bearable as long as I was bundled up, and I did my best to be outdoors at every opportunity. Although I grumbled (a lot) about the cold that the strong north-easterly wind was bringing, I’ve got to admit, it was better than the constant rain we’ve been enduring. It was wonderful to wake in the morning to sunshine filtering through the windows and the birds twittering in the trees.

However, another Saturday has arrived, so let’s get on with this week’s selection of garden images.

Six on Saturday

Tulip humilis. Despite being in the shade, a beam of low sunlight has illuminated one of the emerging tulips, giving it a lovely glow. The hazy effect surrounding it was created by the nearby leaves blowing wildly in the wind. Despite the wind, Tulip humilis stood its ground. A surprisingly strong little flower! I’m looking forward to seeing the other flowers pop up in the pot.

Tulip Humilis
Tulip humilis – look at the texture on the petals, highlighted by the sun.

Crocuses. Most of the crocus bulbs planted in the borders are flat on their faces in the soil now, but this small clump is in one of the wooden planters, mentioned at the foot of the post, and is holding on…at the moment.

Crocus in garden planter

This little crocus is in one of the borders, and backlit by the sun. To be more accurate, the sun is behind and slightly to the left. The late afternoon sun gives the flower a warm glow and makes the surrounding foliage appear more yellow than it really is.

Crocus in a garden border

Snakes Head Fritillary. Three new Fritillaries plants appeared in last week’s Photography post, when they were straight from the Garden Centre and still in their pots. I’m sad to say there that’s where they have remained. During the week I sent my two grandchildren out to find some flowers that looked like snakes’ heads while I organised compost for them to pot up small pelargonium plants that had been delivered the previous day. It took them a while, but there were gleeful squeals when they found them and claimed their prize!

Snake’s Head Fritillary
Close up of Snake’s Head Fritillary

Seedlings. I’ve had mixed results with my seeds so far. Some Callistephus germinated but succumbed to damping off. Only a few Cosmos Apollo White F1 have germinated. Helichrysum ‘White’ is coming along fine, but H. ‘Salmon Rose’ is struggling. I sowed six tomato seeds and they have given me five plants, two of which have been potted up and one of those has gone to one of my sisters. I’m hoping to get time today to sow some trays of Cosmos bipinnatus and Ammi majus.

Helichrysum ‘White’ seedling
Tomato ‘Sungold’ seedlings
Tomato seedlings, freshly potted on

Camellia ‘Daintiness’ has started to flower. The blooms that reach above the height of the 6ft fence get every bit of sunshine available, and up there, they’ve been flowering for around a week. The remainder of the bush is in shade much of the time and always later in flowering.

Top of Camellia ‘Daintiness’
Camellia ‘Daintiness’

Narcissus & Crocus

There’s one week between the feature photograph at the top of the post and the one below. I think the bulbs have had a walkabout in the container as they don’t seem to be flowering where they were originally planted last year! They’re destined for a border when they finish flowering so I’ll put up with their untidy appearance for the moment. It’s adding colour where it’s needed. That’s good enough.

Narcissi blooming in Patio Planter

Since the photo above was taken a couple of days ago I’ve been busy repainting these planters and if I say so myself they’re now looking rather smart! I still have one larger planter to repaint but I’m positively putting that off until this freezing cold north-easterly wind drops!

That is my Six for this Saturday. I hope you have a good gardening weekend and your week ahead is full of sunshine! Meantime if you visit Plantsman Jim of Garden Ruminations, who hosts our Six on Saturday, you will be treated to images of more gardens from many areas across the world.

Catherine 😊

33 thoughts on “Blooms in the Breeze”

  1. I too have average results on summer flower seedlings such as cosmos, delosperma or coreopsis. On the other hand, the tomatoes and chillies got off to a good start. It’s a question of temperature. I guess we have to be a little more patient.
    I can’t wait to see these open tulips too, they are already gorgeous .

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    1. I’ve been sowing a few more seeds today, Fred, and I’m using peat free compost (a coir & wood fibre mix) for the first time. They’re in the propagator now – and fingers are crossed! Have good weekend!

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    1. Thank you Suzanne. ‘Blustery’ has become worse today – and it’s not pleasant outdoors! I hope your climate is giving you a better weekend than ours! 😁

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  3. I agree with Fred… The tulip is gorgeous.
    I can’t help wondering if ‘the hazy effect’ is one of your photographic tips? How might we recreate nearby leaves blowing in the wind? 🤔
    We’ve had thad dammed cold north east wind since Thursday and still when it blows through, there’s more behind it.

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    1. Thank you, Páraig. Purely an accidental hazy effect! But if ever Ireland blesses you with a calm day and you want a windy effect 😂 get a great big fan or one of those wind machines much loved by the movie industry – I’m sure that’ll give you a nice hazy shot. Alternatively visit this wee garden and you’ll get the real thing!

      Yes, same here – that N-E wind is still gaining power and it’s freezing cold out. Rain coming next week and back down to possible frost temperatures. Now, where did I put that horti-fleece?

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    1. Oh, I’m looking forward to seeing the tulips too, Rosie. Mine are all in pots now, and growing steadily. I always hope they don’t flower before the weather is better prepared for them!

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    1. Thank you, Dock – I’m hoping they look good when they open and that the weather doesn’t damage them. Yes, ‘Snake’s Head’ a strange name, but very descriptive of the flowers. My son was looking rather confused when his children were trying to tell him about the snake’s heads in gran’s garden. 😁

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    1. Thank you, Susan. I don’t think we’ve ‘met’ but I see you’re also a ‘Sixer’ and I’ll visit your blog shortly. Thanks for dropping by – I hope your weekend is a good one!

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  9. Ooh, you are brave sowing seeds already. I wait until April as it is still cold in my conservatory. In fact I’m not sure I will grow as many indoors this year as I did last. Your crocuses are lovely in the light. I think mine are already over and barely had chance to open properly this year.  Camellia ‘Daintiness’ is much nicer than my white one which unfortunately goes brown all too quickly in the rain. (I was reading your page about your garden and realised that apart from the type of soil we both have similar issues to contend with. Wet, windy, not far from the coast and cattle for neighbours!! 😁).

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    1. I’m really not brave with the seeds, I’m impatient and probably foolish! I set up a table in our dining room and put the propagator on it. It’s way too cold to put them in the greenhouse, so indoors they will stay for a good while!
      I also have a white camellia, Jude, but it rarely flowers at all. It’s lovely large bush with great leaves, but I think it’s in the wrong location. You summed up the similarities in our gardens perfectly! Perhaps not enough sunlight could be included? 😁

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    1. Thank you, Helen. The Camellia seems to have flowered a bit earlier than normal this year, I’ll have to check back on photos from previous years, but it’s lovely when it flowers.

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  11. You barely need to look up a Camellia like Daintiness to know it’s a Jury x williamsii hybrid. There’s something about the shade of pink of many of theirs that is quite distinctive. It looks to have survived the weather better than most of mine.

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    1. The tips of many of the buds have been a bit damaged, but flowers, so far, appear to be reasonably ok. We’re having strong and bitterly cold winds at the moment though and temperatures are to drop further towards next weekend, so I’m hoping the plant will avoid damage.

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  12. Your weather over the last week sounds similar to ours – the best thing about it is that it has been dry! That tulip is gorgeous Catherine – name noted for my autumn bulb order. Apart from sweet peas, ammi visnaga and a couple of annual grasses I’m being restrained and will wait for another week or two before more seed sowing ….. if I can 😂

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    1. You’re very disciplined with your seed sowing, Anna. I should probably hold off until there’s more light, but I tell myself that I can always sow a few more if they don’t grow well. Our dry weather has gone – rain has been thundering down all day – and it feels more like December! 😐

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  13. Those photos of the crocuses and Tulip humilis are wonderful. I’m looking forward to seeing the flowers of the latter open as I may have to get some come the ‘A’ word (that is far too early to be contemplating just yet). Seeing seedlings emerging from pots/trays of compost never grows old. I’ve just placed an order for some seeds and thinking about it I may need to get some seed compost and clean the mini-greenhouse.

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    1. Thanks Graeme. If we don’t get some sunshine the tulips might never open (I’ve looked at next week’s weather forecast and it’s awful!) – and I’ve already started making lists for the ‘A’ season. 😁 Happy seed sowing and greenhouse cleaning – I’m going to have to make a start on cleaning mine soon!

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  14. Oh my goodness, your photography is exceptional and I’m swooning! We are still behind you with blooms here in my area of the Midwestern U.S. But we’re ahead of our “normal” gardening schedule. Many plants are blooming, and soon the native ephemerals will take center stage. Thanks for sharing your lovelies!

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    1. Thank you Beth – you’re making me blush! ☺️ I think some of my bulbs are early this year, but I expect garden plants & bulbs will sort themselves out in time, according to conditions.

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  15. We have had that north-easterly wind too Catherine! Lovely photos. How clever of the children to find those flower heads. I hate to admit it, but I have never seen the similarity myself! The Camellia is a beauty and clearly doesn’t mind that wind.

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    1. Our winds have changed direction now, and not so strong. But with it, the rain is back. Sigh, we can’t wind. Nature rules! Take a look at unopened flower heads – I think think you might see the similarity, Cathy.

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