Postcards from a early summer holiday

On the way to Wales we stopped at Stockton Bury gardens.

I loved the Tulipa Sprengeri under the dappled light.

This was the view from the table eating breakfast each morning.

Nuthatch cottage, Cwm Irfon.

I could have spent all day sitting on the chair, enjoying the relaxed planting in the Parterre Garden at Whimble Gardens and Nursery.

Returned to Bryan's Ground to see the irises in full bloom.

It wasn't all gardens, we visited castles too!
The wonderful Carreg Cennan.

We came across hillsides covered in bluebells when we travelled the mountain road between Abergwesyn and Tregaron.

Found a surprising and delightful combination of Euphorbia griffithii 'fireglow' and Primula beesiana at Cae Hir Gardens.

Added Amsonia tabernaemontana to my 'must have' list after seeing it at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales.

Got dizzy looking up at the Cynghordy Viaduct.

We were fascinated with the formations of the coastline at New Quay.

Such a wonderful allium border! Enjoying a last garden on the way home, the lovely Abbey Dore Court Gardens.

Wish we were back there...

Iris x fulvala 'Violacea'

Let's just ignore the fact I haven't blogged for ages... For a variety of reasons, none of which are very interesting.

Instead, enjoy this picture of the beautiful Iris x fulvala 'Violacea' which I recently saw at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales. I have had it as my desktop picture for the last few days and I find myself constantly stopping and just looking at it so thought I'd share it with you. It's a cultivated variety from the US and prefers full sun, though might take light shade. I find it elegant and the colours rich, and so very very pretty.

First day of the month in the front garden: May 2012

Yes. I know. It's not the 1st of the month. It's not even the 2nd or 3rd. In fact, it's a month since I last blogged. Mmmm. Well, you see... Actually, you don't want to read about me being very busy with work and... Let's get onto how the front garden is doing.

I did actually take the photos on the 1st of the month. Score!

The word that sums up April and the garden on 1st May, wet. Yes, I'm late to the table about the wetness of April, every other garden blogger has already done that one. So how were the plants?

As you can see, the flowering Cherry was, well, flowering. Unlike previous years, where I got flowers first and then the leave, this year the flower and leaves came out at the same time. After the silly warmth of March and then the sudden wet and cold of April, the tree obviously didn't know if it was coming or going.

Going as it turned out. What the photos don't show is the lovely 'petal snow' as I call it. Flower petals all over the front garden like pretty pink snow. However you can see how lush and green everything is. The warmth of March and the rain of April has really got things growing. To a point.

As you can see from the not yet flowering sage (above) and the not yet flowering Iris (below), the cold return to freezing temperatures by mid-April suddenly slowed everything down again. This time last year both were flowering profusely. Though of course April last year was unusually hot!

Alternatively, the self-seeded Cerinthe was flowering.

As was the first of my strawberries...

And the Tiarella 'Spring Symphony' was beginning to sound its trumpet.

The broad beans were flowering with vigour, but looking a little wind-worn.

My beautiful and sturdy sculptural obelisk has began to fill up with the Helenium 'Moerheim Beauty', and the teasels are taking off.

And the new kid of the block is....

A very young perennial Kale 'Daubenton' seedling. Not very exciting to look at yet, I grant you. But I've had promises of great things to come...

Pulsatilla vulgaris

One of the most tactile flowers I can think of, Pulsatilla vulgaris, is also known as the Pasqueflower. Pasque comes from 'Easter' (Pasqua the Italian - finally high school Italian pays off!) and it predictably flowers around Easter. As you can see from the photo, it is very hairy and this invites you to touch, to stroke it.

It is pretty much a fuss-free alpine perennial, and mine flower at home in my north-facing garden close to the house. So it can be placed in sun or shade, though in a shady space they will flower a few weeks later.* It might look delicate, but it is very hardy, surviving the long cold winter of 2010-11. Bees like its pollen too, so it has wildlife value, and it's seed head is also very pretty, extending the period you can enjoy it. Finally, it is happy in containers, which means you don't even need much of a garden to grow it in.

Pulsatilla vulgaris is a beautiful flower that delights anew each year. I wouldn't be without it.


*These photos were taken at Waterperry Gardens at the end of March.

First day of the month in the front garden: April 2012

March was such a warm month and subsequently plants really started taking off so that by the first of April, the front garden is much more lush than that of March.

The broad beans have taken off fantastically, and in fact started flowering just after mid-March, very very early. I wonder if that will reduce the effects of black fly when they come, as they will in summer?

By first of April the leaves on my pear trees also started unfolding. Though they are now 4 years old, they were moved house (garden?!) after the 2nd year, which seemed to have rather halted their growth a bit. I'm hoping they will be more settled in this year and I'll get more growth and blossom.

I planted out some Lettuce Bronze Arrow seedlings a week ago, and they are taking off nicely. What a lovely colour! This variety starts off quite bronze, but develops into a more green-like lettuce with bronze tinges (click on the link to see what the mature lettuce looks like). This is my favourite lettuce as it gets growing early in the year and will keep going even through first frosts (you need to cover it to get it through winter). It's doesn't immediately bolt. And best of all, I love the slightly nutty flavour of the leaves, and it looks pretty too. What's not to like?!

I have spinach that I grew over winter that are ready to pick, and the empty space in the picture above, should see young perennial kale 'daubenton' plants in situ by the beginning of next month. This is an experiment, the first time I have grown a perennial kale. I'm hoping it will give two yields, as food, and as some over winter structure and interest to the front garden. Will be interesting to see how this pans out over the coming months.

Enjoying the spring sun was the rosemary, tulips, jonquil narcissus and cat-Merlyn :-)

And the lovely Prunus (non-fruiting) is almost ready to burst into flower. It's a beautiful breath-taking sight - I'll try and remember to take some photos of it in full flower.

I'm getting frequent visit by goldfinches too, a flower of the bird world. They smartly sit on the electricity wire, way out of reach of cat-Merlyn. As the beginning of April has suddenly turned cold again, a shock after such a warm March, their chirping is a welcome sound, reminding me that spring hasn't disappeared, just taken a short holiday. I hope...!