Bursting into life!
The garden is really bursting into life now. Buds on trees and shrubs are swelling and we are enjoying pretty pink blossom on Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis Rosea’ and Prunus cerasifera. Prunus ‘Shirotae’, a beautiful white-flowered cherry, is almost in flower. Unfortunately, pigeons and bullfinches seem to enjoy pecking the buds off it, but hopefully there will be enough blossom left for us all to enjoy. Magnolia stellata is full of flower and smells as good as it looks. A deep pink-flowered magnolia is just coming into bloom too. The two large trees we transplanted last autumn have buds, so seem to have survived their move. I just have to remember to water them well in dry spells. I’ve spent hours weeding over the past month. Luckily, this is something I really enjoy and a good opportunity to inspect the borders at close quarters to see all the new growth emerging. Many of my favourite spring plants are in flower, including Geranium phaeum ‘Samobor’ and native primroses, which I am pleased to see are spreading, albeit fairly slowly. I also love old-fashioned double primroses. Primula ‘Dawn Ansell’ has a white double flower surrounded by a ruff of leaves and I’m pleased to discover that ‘Quaker’s Bonnet’ with its pretty mauve flowers is still alive and well. The greenhouse is full of flower and vegetable seedlings and overwintered scented leaf pelargonium cuttings. Some of the pelargoniums will be planted in containers outside, while others will form a display in the greenhouse. I’ve sown hardy annuals in the cutting patch, including cornflower, nigella, larkspur and Ammi majus. Varieties of allium are already growing well here. In the vegetable patch I’ve done yet more weeding and sown some ‘Early Nantes’ carrots. I’ll soon plant out hardened off ‘Stereo’ broad beans and ‘Douce Provence’ peas.
Tales from a Country Garden 