Tag: Muscari

Weird and Wonderful

Published on by Catherine28 Comments

This week marked the end of most of the narcissi. Tête à Tête performed as reliably as it always does, but overall the narcissi have been a disappointment as flowering has been sporadic. Tête ‘Bouclé’ (that was so successful last year) offered flowers every so often but never enough to appreciate them as a whole. Tete ‘De Luxe’ behaved in the same way. Thalia produced very few stems (more below) and other unknown varieties were a bit sparse. I’m looking for reasons.

Our weather continues to be dismal with no end in sight, although I’m happy to report that Easter Monday was a great gardening day – I made the most of the sunshine and I had a ball! Thursday was dry, and bitterly cold in the morning but warm jackets and cosy accessories kept that east wind at bay. A little bit of gardening was tackled, a few photographs were taken and below you can see some of the plants that caught my eye this week.

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A Tantalising Glimpse of Spring

Published on by Catherine23 Comments

In common with many folk up and down the UK, my wee corner of the woods has been drenched with constant rainfall. On Monday there was a welcome change to the weather. It was cold, breezy – but dry! Gardening jobs were tackled and every so often the sun appeared just to say ‘hello’. Tuesday was similar and on Wednesday, the wind dropped, the sun flitted out and in, and by afternoon it was warm enough to toss aside winter hats & scarves. Three days that provided a welcome glimpse of spring! And just like that it was all over.

It’s been a week of plant and bulb deliveries and I’m sure that many of you will have had a delivery man ringing your doorbells with boxes of garden goodies. I’ve started potting up some of mine into temporary pots. How about you?

Six on Saturday

My white Camellia has flowered. I wasn’t too happy with this photo and went back the following day to try to get a shot in better light, but the flowers had gone. The overnight wind and rain had taken them. There are buds and I’ll check again because I do like those semi-transparent petals.

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A Week of Firsts

Published on by Catherine35 Comments

It’s been a week of firsts. The first full pot of Narcissus ‘Tete a Tete’ has bloomed and I’ve spotted the first spring blues in the borders. I’ve been waiting for my tiny Violas to bloom and this week they obliged. My first order from a newly-found herb nursery arrived, followed by a delivery of new pelargoniums. Here is my selection for this week’s Six on Saturday.

Six on Saturday

Narcissus ‘Tete a Tete’. New bulbs, planted last autumn have flowered and they’re a joyful sight. Our house has a deep canopy that spans the front and is sheltered. I’ve recently realised that it’s the perfect spot to place pots of spring bulbs, particularly during a very wet winter. I just wish I’d moved the tulip pots there too. I didn’t foresee quite as much rain as we’ve had these past months.

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Easter Weekend

Published on by Catherine23 Comments

This weekend we’re forecast to have blue skies and wall-to-wall sunshine. That doesn’t happen too often on an Easter Weekend holiday. I’m planning to spend the day working in the garden, but yesterday we had two young grandchildren with us. Swimming at the local pool took up most of the morning then home for lunch and out again for a pleasant walk in the local nature reserve where we even spotted two deer.

We stopped at the seafront on the way back because I knew the ice cream van would be there. The prom was very busy and I prefer not to be there when it’s like that, instead I’m happy to leave it to those who can only visit on holidays and weekends. The wind was very cold, though it didn’t dissuade some hardy folk from paddling in the water. But you can’t pass by the ice cream van when you have a four-year-old and a nine-year-old with you! After the ice creams were scoffed we headed back to our house where they played in the sunshine in the more sheltered garden until Dad arrived to take them home. It was a lovely day.

I hope you’re all going to have a lovely weekend with loads of sunshine!

But let’s get on with this Saturday’s six. First of all, we have Narcissus Tete Boucle. This is one that I haven’t grown before. Initially, I wasn’t too sure about it, but as the flowers continued to open my opinion changed. I’m smitten. I’ll grow this one again.

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Glorious Spring

Published on by Catherine22 Comments

Perhaps it’s too early to label the Spring of 2023 as glorious. It’s been a miserable, cold winter, and spring got off to a poor start, but this week has seen a huge change in my little part of the world. The sun has finally returned (not every day – that would be asking for too much!) and temperatures have moved upwards rapidly! It’s great to have some real spring weather. Perhaps I should reserve that title until spring 2023 is almost over, for knowing my country as I do, we will have wild stormy days ahead, probably frost and possibly a dusting of snow, along with rain, sleet & hail! But today the sun is shining – and it’s glorious!

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