Something New Every Day
The garden has changed so much in the last month. Plants all over the place are putting on such rapid growth, there is something new to see each day. The spring borders are still looking vibrant, the early bulbs have finished but erythroniums, leucojum, Anemone blanda and pulmonaria are now flowering together with clumps of Geranium phaeum ‘Samobor’. This is a lovely plant with deep maroon flowers and characterised by dark blotches on its leaves. We are also enjoying an abundance of blossom. We have several varieties of crab apple in the orchard, both culinary and ornamental. The first to flower is the ornamental variety ‘Princeton Cardinal’ with lovely dark red leaves and deep pink scented flowers. Our beehives are near this tree and the bees literally make a ‘bee-line’ to it on a sunny day. There are several ornamental cherries in the garden. Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis Rosea’ has been in flower for a good two months and is now joined by Prunus ‘Shirotae’ and ‘Pandora’. An amelanchier tree by the gate has burst into flower over the last couple of days. We always look forwad to its flowers opening, although sadly they never last for long. I spent many days in the winter cutting back and mulching herbaceous plants and the reward for all that work is that clumps of perennials are growing really well and starting to fill the borders. I have now finished the job by cutting back the old growth on all the penstemons, which I always leave as late as possible because our garden is vulnerable to north easterly winds blowing along the Severn Valley. My favourite is Penstemon ‘Pensham Plum Jerkum’ which grows very strongly and has lovely deep maroon tubular flowers. Newly planted delphiniums now have a protective ‘hat’ of hazel twigs. This will support the new growth and also protect them from our Springer Spaniels, who when they ‘spring’ tend to land on something precious!
Tales from a Country Garden 