Purple reign

Purple. It's my favourite colour. And I love it's different shades, from lilac to aubergine, blue-purple, pink purple and deep purple. Here are some of the many purples reigning in my garden from Spring to early Summer.

Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation', in the sun.

In a muted light.

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Lilafee'

Lavandula stoechas 'Fathead'

Clematis alpina 'Pamela Jackman'

Pulsatilla vulgaris 'Blaue Glocke'

Ajuga reptans 'atropurpurea'

Tulipa 'Queen of Night'

Geranium nodosum 'Clos du Coudray'

Lavandula 'Regal Splendour'

Lavandula 'Regal Splendour', glowing in the sun. If you look very closely, you can see a bee butt!

Pulsatilla vulgaris

Allium schoenoprasum

A few viola's, starting with my favourite, Viola 'Jean Jeanie'

Viola 'Martin'

Viola 'Elaine Quin'

Viola tricolor

Viola riviniana 'Purpurea'

A self-seeded viola that I love, but for which I have no name. Possibly a sport of Viola tricolor.

Geranium 'Orion'

And the perennial favourite of humans and bees, Digitalis purpurea.

Long may purple reign!

#Florespondence: Camassia leichtlinii 'Caerulea'

For years I've been meaning to grow blue Camassia's and finally, voila!

As you can see, it's very attractive to bees and the purple-blue star-shaped flowers are very attractive.

I've planted the Camassia under the Quince tree, along with early flowering Crocus, Narcissus, blue Anemones, Primulas, and also with grass Stipa tenuissima. The idea is a succession of flowering bulbs from early to late Spring, then the grasses, which are evergreen, adding a wind-blown rustle the rest of the year.

The front garden, which is west-facing, means the Camassia capture the afternoon and early evening sun, even on cloudy days, as in the last photo. I'm pleased with the look, which I think should improve further as the Quince tree grows taller.

Daily Perennials: 22nd to 28th April 2019

Daily perennials this week.

Monday 22nd April - Fragaria x ananassa 'Samba'
It might not look like it, but this is a strawberry flower!

This has smaller fruit than the typical strawberry, however, it also flowers and fruits for a much longer period, from April until about November. I'm growing this as one of the ground cover plants in my mini Forest Garden Border. Beautiful and edible - what a combination!


Tuesday 23rd April - Tulipa 'Abu Hassan'
If you want to liven up a Spring border, T. Abu Hassan will do it.

The colour palate of my front garden is to primarily use bright reds, yellows and oranges, with blues and purples, along with green foliage, as backing support. This is the most fabulous, totally over the top, flamboyant tulip, and I adore it.

Wednesday 24th April - Myosotis sylvatica
The ever pretty common forget-me-not.

Ok, some of you might say, isn't that a biennial? Well, yes, but it can also be a short-lived perennial. And despite it's diminutive size, it's well loved by bumblebees as well as butterflies. There is nothing common about M. sylvatica if you ask me.


Thursday 25th April - Narcissus Falconet
A later flowering narcissi, coming into bloom around early to mid-April.

This is another fragrant narcissi and brightens the border after many other daffidols have faded. I have this along the path to the front door, so others can enjoy the colour and fragrance too.

Friday 26th April - Anemonella thalictroides
A delightfully dainty little flower.

Other names include 'Rue Anemone' and 'Mayflower'. It might look rather delicate, but this little plant will survive the hardest of winters. They count as alpines, so instead of growing them in a border, I grow this and other species in pots, which I then move around the garden to show off when they flower.

Saturday 27th April - Primula vulgaris
The common Primrose.

You can find this everywhere in Spring, even along the banks of motorway, yet I never get bored of it. I've planted about 50 around the front and back gardens, and look forward to drifts of Primulas in future years.

Sunday 28th April - Anemone blanda
Sweet little Anemone, also known as windflower.

There are a lot of great Spring 'blues' in the plant world, and this has to be one of my favourites. I've planted a bunch under my Quince tree and as it spreads, it will turn into a sea of blue that I can view as I look out my lounge window.



And wow, I've managed to do my first full week of Daily Perennials :)  However, I'm going to stop doing them for now. I've realised that with the ME still being so bad, and the fact I have other blog posts I want to write, that I don't have the energy for both at this time. It was fun though!

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Daily Perennials: 15th to 21st April 2019

Between health and being away on holiday, I've not been posting Daily Perennials for a couple of weeks. I've decided that previously it was requiring too much work/energy researching each plant, so I've decided to simplify it with a picture and a fewer words.

Friday 19th April - Tulip Humilus Eastern Star

This is species tulip: Tulip Humilus Eastern Star. It's the last of the species tulips (meaning, closest to the wildest ones) flowering in my garden this year. Great colour, and loved by the bees.

Saturday 20th April - Ajuga reptans 'atropurpurea'

I have this in my mini Forest Garden Border. It's a good evergreen mat-forming ground cover plant and helps cover bare soil so there are less weeds. Another one loved by bees. It also has purple leaves and flowers. I love purple.

Sunday 21st April - Pulsatilla vulgaris

It seemed appropriate to post the Pasqueflower, the Easter flower, on Easter Sunday. Do stroke this plant, the flowers and leaves. It's so tactile with it's silky fine hairs; like stroking a cat. Mmmm. Another purple flower :)


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Daily Perennials: 1st April to 7th April 2019

Monday 1st April - Pulmonaria 'Blue Ensign'

Pulmonaria are commonly known as lungwort.

This species has the deepest blue of all Pulmonaria and is my favourite, but you can also get them in blue-pink, pink and white. The leaves are usually green with  spotted grey-white patterns on them.

You can grow Pulmonaria in part or full shade. It grows to c. 30cm high and wide over time, and looks good at the front of the border.

It's best to cut them hard back after they have finished flowering. This will rejuvenate the leaves, which will otherwise become less attractive. The leaves may remain during milder winters.

Pulmonaria are called lungwort because traditionally they were used medicinally for lung conditions. They are an excellent plant and are very easy to grow.

***bad ME, so missed a few days***

Saturday 6th April - Viola odorata
This is a semi-evergreen perennial and flowers at the end of winter/early spring. Not only does it have pretty lilac-purple flowers, the leaves are pleasingly heart-shaped.

 
I have planted some both in my new Forest Garden Border, but I've also inherited a large patch under the beech hedge between us and our neighbour, which catches the midday sun rather nicely.

On top of this, both the flowers and leaves are edible and can be added to salads. And it's well loved by bees.

Sunday 7th April - Fritillaria Uva Vulpis
This is also known as fox's grape fritillary.

Flowering in early to mid-Spring, this has an upright habit, and one stem can hold up to seven flowers. It is happy in part-shade as well as sun, but it doesn't like damp soil when dormant.

I feel it's an elegant addition to a border.


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Daily Perennials: Thu 28th March to Sun 31st March 2019

Thursday 28th March - Chionodoxa forbesii
For my first #DailyPerennial I give you: Chionodoxa forbesii which is also known as ‘Glory of the Snow’.

It’s a fabulous Spring blue, though it’s only 10 cm tall. It looks good at the front of a border, in containers or under deciduous trees. You can also naturalise them in grass, and they will happily self-seed. You can also get pale pink and white Chionodoxa.

In this picture you will notice a little black beetle on them. This is a pollen beetle. It doesn’t cause any damage to the flowers, and in fact it an important pollinator for Oilseed Rape. Just remember to give any flowers you cut to bring inside, a good shake outside first to dislodge any of these beetles so you don’t end up with them in your house!

Friday 29th March - Tulip Turkestanica
Tulipa turkestanica is also known as a 'species tulip'.

Species tulips are those that haven't been hybridized and are from where original tulips descend. The Turkestanica species come from either Turkey or Turkestan - my research came up with both for it's origin. It's a dwarf tulip, only coming to 30cms high.

It can have up to 12 star-shaped flowers per stem, quite a lot for a dwarf tulip! It likes full sun and because it's small, should be placed at the front of a border. It grows happily in pots, and in heavy clay soil if you add some grit/sand when you plant the bulbs.

Like all bulbs, let the foliage die back naturally. This is the time that it captures and stores the nutrients and energy back into the bulb for next years flowering.

Saturday 30th March -  Tulipa Humilus Odalisque
This has the most fabulous deep pink-magenta petals and it's quite the star in the border. The petals open when the sun is on them, then closes when it goes.

It has the same growing requirements as the previous species tulip (above post). It also has a sweet-spicy fragrance that stays with you. It's another favourite will pollen beetles too.

T. Humilus Odalisque is only about 10cm high, but it really has the wow factor.

Sunday 31st March - Fritillaria persica
This is also known as the Persian Lily.

These can grow up to 1.2 metres high. Mine about about 90cms, but it's their first year growing. They need a sunny spot and well-drained soil.

You plant most bulbs at twice their depth, but for F. persica, you plant then 4 times their depth. The bulbs themselves are c. 10cms wide and tall.

I think they are very beautiful, and are a dramatic addition to a border.


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Wordless Wednesday 27th February 2019: Crocus 'Spring Beauty'

Wordless Wednesday 24th October 2018: Crocus Speciosus Artabir