Tag: spring bulbs

The Crocus Lawn

A speaker at one of Shropshire Hardy Plant Society meetings showed photographs of a feature in his own garden that was completely new to us. A crocus lawn. We were so impressed that we immediately ordered 500 bulbs.

It was a slow job planting each one individually. We wanted it to look natural so we scattered the bulbs from a height and planted them where they landed, resisting the temptation to move individuals that were clumped too closely or to fill gaps.

In mid-March things were beginning to get tense as the crocus flowers were patiently waiting for some sunshine to force the buds open. They just stood bolt upright among the grass of the lawn their colours hinting at what we hoped to be enjoying soon.

Close up we could see the beauty of the individual flowers. We just needed a day of sunshine and a bit of warmth for them to open their hearts to us. Fingers crossed firmly!

We didn’t have to wait too long! A day dawned with blue sky above and the sun glowing. In the earlier hours of the day the morning sun glowed but gave heat out that was too weak to reach us as warmth. As the afternoon arrived though, the temperatures rose to the giddy heights of 6 degrees Celsius for a few hours but it was enough to warm our backs and excite the crocus buds into opening. At last we got the opportunity to see if our crocus lawn project was worthwhile.

Ah sweet success! How satisfying!

We have a bag of crocus “in the green” waiting to be added too. We can use them to fill in obvious gaps – next year should then be even better!

I can’t resist putting together portraits of a couple of the crocus in bud and in flower.

Firstly the purple bloom with its orange peel centre …..

….. and then the striped purple and white barley twist blossom.

I wonder – should we call it our “Crocus Lawn” or our “Crocus Meadow”? Any thoughts?

On the morning when I was going to post this crocus lawn post, we woke to another few inches of snow, all very unexpected and not forecast. The white covering gave the crocus lawn a whole new look. The crocus flowers were given a new backdrop against which to perform.

Surprisingly once the snow melted and the sun put on a short show the flowers popped back up and glowed once more as if nothing happened. Amazing!

Tags crocus, garden photography, gardening, lawns, spring bulbs, success, winter, winter gardens

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Lottie Bulbs

A mid-February walk around our lottie site on a dull grey day was much improved by the colour of the earliest bulbs. Each autumn we invite donations of bulbs from members and now we are seeing and appreciating the results of our members’ efforts.

We grow lots of these early bulbs as they provide very early pollen for any bees that come out on mild days. We need to look after our bee friends as they help pollinate our fruit, peas and beans and many more crops.

The gold of crocuses (or should that be croci or perhaps simply just crocus?) brightens the orchard meadow.

Snowdrops and Winter Aconites go together like chalk and cheese. Together they light up the Winter Garden.

Even in the Summer Garden spring bulbs have a place. These beautiful blue iris cheer everyone up as they pass by.

The tiniest and most delicate flowers of February are those of the cyclamen which mingle with the bark and fallen leaves in the Sensory Garden. The leaves have fallen from the nearby old Oak tree.

Accidental juxtaposition of plants often give the best combinations. These crocus surprised us when they chose to flower above the bronze leaves of a Saxifraga.

We now eagerly await the masses of Daffodils planted around the site and on the grass verges outside our gates. They will be closely followed by the Tulips in their myriad colours.

Tags allotments, community gardening, crocus, flowering bulbs, garden photography, gardening, iris, meadows, organic gardening, spring bulbs, winter, winter aconite, winter cyclamen, winter gardens

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A February Bouquet

Nothing seems to have changed much in the garden since my “Bouquet for January” post. The ever-changing weather, moving from cold to very cold and back again appears to have stagnated growth. The first daffies have just opened and crocus in various colours are appearing around the borders.

There is a much wider range of Hellebores to enjoy though. I love having to bend down and lift their heads to find the secrets of their hidden beauty. Enjoy my Hellebore gallery.

The Prunus subhirtela autumnalis flowers have been browned by the weather and we have cut down many of the grasses and perennial seed heads. Now the garden is looking empty but as a result of our tidying up we can appreciate the importance and impact that foliage plays in the February garden. Grasses and Phormium join with shrubs such as Pittosporum to give interesting colours and leaf patterns.

One of my favourite garden plants is the simple and much-maligned Bergenia. At this time of year the leaves take on deep shades of green, red and purple and the first of their flowers start showing colour before being lifted up on strong stems later on.

Let us finish February off by wishing for signs of spring. Some sunshine perhaps? Blue sky? Just a few degrees more?

Tags bergenias, foliage, foliage plants, garden photography, gardening, grasses, hellebore, shrubs, spring bulbs, winter, winter gardens

colours garden design garden photography gardening grasses hardy perennials ornamental grasses ornamental trees and shrubs photography shrubs Winter Gardening winter gardens

A January Bouquet

Think of January in the garden. Could you put together a bouquet? This is my new monthly garden blogging challenge, and starting in January most certainly throws me in at the deep end. But here goes…………………

Here are the first couple of pages of my sketch pad for the new year.

In this cold month colourful flowers can be used to create a bouquet, but you can also experience and enjoy a bouquet of scents.

So firstly what is delighting us with colour?

The rather inappropriately named Prunus x subhirtella autumnalis, with blossom of the palest pink, stunning against a pure blue sky.

The perennial wallflower, Erysium Bowles Mauve flowers in almost every month of the year, but is very special in January.

The first flowering bulb of the year is the Winter Aconite, Hyemalis, with its buttercup flowers close to the ground. The Flowering Quince, Chaenomales greets visitors to “Avocet” with its bright sun-set red flowers giving a warm welcome alongside the gate post at the bottom of the drive. The Cornelian Cherry, properly called Cornus mas dominates the “Freda Border” at the top of the drive. It is covered from head to toe with bunches of acid yellow umbels. They are little nuggets of gold.

White is appreciated more in the dark days of winter. The pussy willow’s furry white blooms huddle along the black stems of our Violet Willow by the wildlife pond. As grasses reach their end, prior to me pruning them back to the ground, their flower heads are white and silver.

And who keeps us warm with their scent in the cold? Sarcoccoca, Witch Hazels, Viburnum and the first Daphne of the year Daphne bhuloa “Jacqueline Postil”. She glows pink, a unique pink with hints of blue and violet. Her scent is mesmerizing.

Jaqueline Postil – what a beauty and what expensive perfume she wears.

But think of January blooms and we must not forget the first Hellebores.

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Tulip Time – Extra Time

Let us continue around our garden in search of tulips and look at some very closely ………..

Tags flowering bulbs, garden photography, gardening, spring bulbs, tulips

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Tulip Time

Every autumn we plant more tulip bulbs and inevitably by the spring we have forgotten what we planted and where we planted them. So when they start to flower we are always in for plenty of surprises.

The low light of a morning in early spring is a perfect time to photograph them. I am sure they grow just to be photographed, as they are such posers!

Let’s have a wander around and see what we have …………