I was belatedly staking plants last weekend in anticipation of Storm Hannah. The tulips in the long border are sprawling around now but otherwise no damage to report. Weeding continues, the greenhouse tomatoes were moved into greenhouse and a second attempt at a patch repair of the broken glass will have to do for a week or two. The dwarf french beans have germinated, the second batch of rocket was planted out and this weekend the courgette seeds will be sown. Here’s what is out and about in the flower borders this week.
One
A last shout for the tulips. Contrary though they are I do love them. This is a second outing for ‘Spring Green’ and ‘China Town’. Last year this planting was infiltrated by a rogue orange tulip and a ‘Queen of Night’. I think some cross pollination must have occurred as ‘China Town’ has an orange tinge this year, instead of the pink tone of last year. Fortunately the orange tone works well with the terracotta pot. I’m happy. This planting should also contain the lovely pink double ‘Angelique’ but she failed to turn up. I was beginning to think ‘tulips, pah!’ but then I read this week’s Dig Delve, Dan Pearson’s blog, and I was smitten again.
Two
This is an early morning photo of the North facing border, the sun will come around to this corner again in the afternoon. I’ve lost the plot on the tulip varieties – I offer you ‘Flaming Spring Green’ – with no evidence of the flame, ‘Ronaldo’ – or not and ‘Jan Reus’. The recently planted armeria maritima is fittinng in well with erigeron karvinskianus, and the osteospermum has just opened up alongside the bluebells.
Three
Restocking the garden continues. The latest purchase was tiarella ‘Emerald Ellie’ which is lining the shady path to the compost heap. This sounds a bit below the dignity of Ellie, but I think she will do well there.
Four
Another of the missing plants for the deep shade section of the north border arrived. Three pots of pittosporum tobira ‘Nanum’ will give some evergreen structure. All that remains to be found is the melica which I hope will appear in nurseries later in the season. This part of the border gets early morning sun but then is shaded for the rest of the day.
Five
The sunny border is beginning to offer up the allium ‘Purple Sensation’ which takes over from the tulips.
Six
The first flowers of geranium sanguineum var. striatum are opening up. I keep moving this plant around but I’m hoping it is in now in its forever home.
It’s another bank holiday in the UK, this time cold and windy but I’ll find some time to garden, I hope you do too. Check in with The Propagator to see what else is going on in the varied collection of SOS gardens.