It would be perfect planning to have six photos about six things I have learnt this week but I don’t. I have a few general observations and then six unrelated photos. First observation is that no matter how many tree seedlings I pull up there will always be another thirty ready to come through. Second observation: there is no rhyme or reason to what germinates and when. The gardener can only have a go – well that’s the decision I’ve reached. I was up to four lupin seedlings, now down three. Two courgettes have germinated, four are still lounging around. I could go on. Last observation: I am an impatient gardener and having more time on my hands has made me worse. The roses have been in bud for days, possibly even weeks now. Why haven’t they opened? Because it’s not time – in this garden. Here’s my six for the week.
One
Most of the tulips are going over but the camassias have opened up. I see now that I need a good late tulip in pale pink or possibly apricot to work with them. Suggestions very welcome. These are, I think, camassia leichtlinii subsp. suksdorfii caerulea group. (I’ve also learnt that I don’t keep perfect records, I will live with that). I think I chose these because they are the tallest. This is their first year in the garden and I think they’ve made a good start.
Two
I do still have tulips in the garden, these are the ones that edge the potato patch and a few more colours have through. ‘Sarah Raven’ has now been joined by ‘Ballerina’ and I think ‘Lasting Love’. Which leaves ‘Mariette’ to come. The colour combination is very unlike anything I have in the main garden and although ‘Ballerina’ is so popular I think I prefer ‘Hermitage’ an orange tulip that was featured on the Prop’s site last week.
Three
As day follows night so alliums follow tulips and ‘Purple Sensation’ is just beginning to open.
Four
This geranium is in a very sunny spot. It’s an unknown variety that came into garden with a batch of Geranium sanguineum ‘Album’. Clearly not ‘Album’ but still welcome.
Five
Some straight forward seed sowing success. Fred’s dianthus seeds. I sprinkled them on a half tray of peat free compost, lightly covered with vermiculite and they germinated. Soon I will have fun potting them on. Thank you Fred.
Six
The roses are moving in the right direction and, truth be told, there have been one or two heralds of the joys to come. Here’s ‘Natasha Richardson’. She’s in the border that needs a makeover but she will definitely be staying.
Sunny skies have given way to cloud here today, which is some relief. I was ferrying trays of seedlings in and out of the greenhouse all week. Some will still come out to harden off but the new seedlings can probably stay inside. For more gardening news, so much more preferable to the other kind, take a trip to The Propagator’s blog and have an enjoyable read.
n20gardener 
You’re welcome for the seeds of dianthus. They look good ! Come back with photos of flowers now…
I’m glad to see your camassias in bloom now. The more the years pass, the more flowers you will have (in any case, it’s like that here)
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That’s good to know on the camassias. Thanks
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I love all blue flowers, so far anyway, and the camassia is no exception. It will look great with a pink tulip companion. A sweet little geranium, and definitely not white! 🙂
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WHAT?! No white?!
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Yes, I suppose plain white would look a bit cartoonish.
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White is good too, especially if you think it is going to be white, but the rebel is always attractive. That is why I like you Tony. 🙂
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Because I am white? . . . or because you think I am white; but I am really of Italian descent? That doesn’t make me a rebel. Anyway, I may not know color, but I do think that plain white would be a bit too simple for that application. I mean, I would do white in my garden, but that is only because I don’t care.
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Are you having a funny five minutes? It is nothing to do with what colour you are, or I am, or anyone is, it is because you, as you say “don’t care”. White is great in the garden, so are all the other colours, none better than another. Same for human beings.
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White is my favorite color, and because so much of the landscapes here are among the dark redwoods, we can get away with quite a bit of it. However, because I am no good with color, I do not even try to select it. Did you ever see (or do you remember) my naughty post on the subject?
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The white ones are in the north facing border and they are not open yet, soon, soon 🙂
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Ah, of course. If and when I finally get around to growing tulips, I will grow a bunch (or maybe just a few) of the simple white sort, such as ‘Maureen’, but will probably get a few others that are not white to go with them, just to see if I can select a suitable color without help from anyone else.
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I think I have that very same geranium. It’s just started flowering and I’ve put bits of it all over the place. Your Purple Sensation alliums are ahead of mine – beautiful. The seeds I’ve sown have been a rather erratic this year when it comes to germination, all except the snap dragons and rudbeckia which I’ve ended up with loads of.
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My geranium is psilostemon and one day I will remember how to spell it! I am patiently waiting on some snapdragons – I found some seed I had collected from last year. They are sown a bit late but nothing ventured. I just spotted another courgette germination today. So patience is sometimes rewarded.
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The potato patch tulips have worked perfectly. My veg patch row are in full flower and since I bought a mixed cutting patch set I don’t know what I’m going to get. It’s great fun! This week I particularly enjoyed picking some of those marbled once that the dutch artists enjoyed painting so much.
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I planted these with the intention of picking them for the house but I can’t bring myself to do it! I’ll have to plant the whole bed and not grow potatoes at all. It’s a thought.
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I do agree with what you said about growing seeds, and it cheers me to read it because I have such mixed results. I planted some saved species tulip seeds and none seem to have germinated. So disappointing! I love the camassia: they look as though they’d be happy here. Your tulips colours are very striking.
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It’s good to share the disappointments as well at the successes. The camassia are improving day by day and Fred tells me that they will multiply. 🙂
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Ooh Natasha Richardson looks lovely – just like she was. You have reminded me I have some Dianthus seeds to sow.
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Selecting color has always been something of a joke for me. I almost never select anything new. I mostly work with what is here. If I add something new, it is grown from what I find elsewhere, regardless of the color. If I do actually select something, I have difficulty beyond white. I need to get someone else for that. Pale pink and apricot (as well as lavender and purple – ick!) are some of the more difficult ones for me.
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I think I may be going Orange with my search for a new tulip. Radical!
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Wow, that can be a bright color. Even in a pastel form, it is pretty radical.
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Your opening shot featuring the camassias is beautiful. I don’t have them in my garden, but I suspect that next spring will see them making an appearance. My alliums are nowhere near ready to flower – its such a beautiful sight to see them open like that.
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I would definitely recommend the camsassias, they are a good fill in for May before the June flourish arrives.
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To this “Second observation: there is no rhyme or reason to what germinates and when.” I will also add WHERE . Plants grow where they decide to grow. 🙂 Amazing tulips 🙂
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That’s a good addition. I have a self sown euphorbia, that I think has come from a neighbour, and it has magically sown itself exactly in the middle of a border at end where I needed something extra. I am amazed and very grateful!
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When I saw your first photo, I thought, what a really eye catching geranium that is, w/the flowers on such high spikes. After having a bit of a laugh at myself, I decided that having geranium camouflauge the foliage is nice, especially this of year when we get so much of the same type foliage. The photo of the tulips w/the sun inside them is wonderful. An image search of the 2 orange choices left me loving both. It’s easy to see why you want that rose to bloom & soon.
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🙂 Those geraniums will be wonderful soon but as you say the foliage is doing a good job now. I’m hoping I can remember to order the tulips when the time comes!
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Nice to see the alliums coming out. Looking to be a seamless Passover from tulips to alliums.
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i hear you. climbing beans – zero germination. courgettes, 2 out of 3. squash, zero. carrots, well, carrots schmarrots. maddening.
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Alliums already so jealous. Mine are still some way off. I know what pain you are going through with tree seedlings though does some reason I have not got very many this year.
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I have camassias for the first time this year but they are no way close to flowering though buds are appearing. And I thought Cornwall was usually 3 weeks ahead of anywhere else in the country! China Pink tulips might look nice with them, I have some flowering now, I must admit I’m not too fond of apricot ones they always seem such a washed-out colour. I also have that geranium, also unnamed! Ballerina is my favourite orange tulip, so elegant and scented and such pretty colours and she comes back year after year (in pots too!). I like Sarah Raven too – a lovely shape.
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could your geranium be “Tiny Monster”? lovely photos, and hope you manage to stay patient. Julie xx
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