The garden is definitely stirring now and here in this week's Monday vase are :
- Galanthus 'Philippe André Meyer' - this has become one of my favourite snowdrops in the garden. It has a distinctictive marking, shape and clumps up very quickly. If any of my UK snowdrop blogger friends would like a bulb just say so.
- Iris reticula 'Pauline' - I left it late to get my bulb order in this year and was sadly too late to obtain the irises on my wish list. I picked this one up from a local garden centre for no other reason that one of my first colleagues and oldest friends is a Pauline. She is growing in a pot under cover in the greenhouse. I prefer the lighter coloured irises but still she'a most attractive.
- Small cyclamen flowers - these have been in the garden for years and I imagine that they are cyclamen coum. They're planted in an old Belfast sink which was surplus to himself's workplace and was being thrown out. Alongside the cyclamens are snowdrops and ophiopogon or Mondo grass with its dark strappy grass like leaves.
- Finally a sprig of salix gracistyla 'Mount Aso', a bushy shrub bearing these lovely fuzzy pink catkins in winter.
As always thanks to Cathy who blogs over at 'Rambling In the Garden' and who gets us together every Monday to share our floral and foliage treasures. Do visit her blog if you haven't already.
The weather continues in a damp vein although we have so far been spared the excessive rainfall that has troubled some areas of the country. The main priority in any suitable dry intervals this week is to fill the green garden waste bin up in readiness for it's first collection early next week. There's still some space and there's plenty of suitable plant debris waiting to go in to it. I'm also looking forward to getting stuck into a new book arrival. More of that and gardening related podcasts soon.
Surely the Iris is an early sign of spring! I love the fuzzy Salix too. My fingers are crossed that your weather conditions continue to improve.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet little vase, Anna - my Mt Aso is in full pink pussy state too and should really be appearing in a vase soon! I agree with you about paler iris, I think, and yet somehow the ones I bought for this year are darker varieties! 🙄The APM snowdrop you gave me a couple of years ago is doing OK and I look forward to it bulking up - it is not fully flowering yet though. It is unusual for you to be dry in the NW whilst further south it has been so wet - take advantage of it while you can!
ReplyDeleteAnna, I want to go vase shopping with you. I always love your containers. I love that Salix, too! Spring is waiting in the wings, send me some of that excessive moisture. .Amelia.
ReplyDeleteOh, how pretty! Such a lot of colour, and the flowers and catkin are so lovely! I really must look out for one of those pussy willows. And as usual you have a lovely vase too. It looks as though your garden is slowly waking up. 😁
ReplyDeleteYour pretty bouquet has spring written all over it, Anna. My reticulata aren't flowering yet but the Cyclamen coum have been out for some time slowly making little carpets with the help of the ants. I planted Mount Aso, it's so beautiful, but it's struggling. Your snowdrop is delightful. Do you think my newcomer could be Flore Pleno? It looks different to those on the pictures but I guess they're very variable. Best wishes
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