Finally a blink of sun. The effect has been remarkable. Watching the garden over the last few days has been like watching one of those time lapse photography films with buds bursting and opening almost as you watch. Everywhere there is a riot of colour. The tulips have been absolutely magnificent. We have had rank upon rank in successive waves of rainbow. Every day or so a new favourite emerges. The flaming purissima were an early hit but they have now been overtaken in my affections by apricot beauty, though little peppermint stick does rather tug at the affections…. In the sure and certain knowledge that I’ll not be able to resist new ones next year I have been lurking around the garden looking for spots to rehome the bulbs from pots. The current cunning plan is to pop them under the spaces left for the annuals and dahlias that are coming along in the greenhouse.
Despite the rain – it has been a rather good year for bulbs, corms and sic like craturs generally so far. The erythronium and allium karataviense in the nuttery are bulking up now into substantial colonies and the fritillaria and anemone have quite simply gone bonkers. The nuttery is really looking quite charming – this is definitely its best season. The shade garden is now starting to come into its own as well, with the white edged host well through now and promising spikes and shoots all over. Things have settled in so well I can see I’m going to have to move a few tellima to make space for the hostess. Thankfully, mum kindly edged the last stretch of the shade bed, and in the process increased the planting area by a good couple of feet so new homes are available.
I finally made it into the pond beds to wage war on the rampant nettle a couple of days ago (note to self – wear gauntlets next time.) The aim was to try to make more space for the growing blue camassia. The poor things had got quite crowded out and I think I’ll likely add a few more bulbs in the autumn as their numbers look a bit diminished. Aside from the nettles, there are a few thugs down there (lysimachia of various types) and I think these have been waging a war of domination on more tender souls. I shall see if I can inveigle Laura away from Keith’s veg beds to help me haul some out. Nettles aside though, things are looking lively by the water. Pink heads of darnera peltata are pushing through to peer around before pushing up their summer parasols and I can see the first rusty nubs of rodgersia just poking up. The edge of the bottom pond is acid yellow with marsh marigolds and just below the surface platoons of squid like water soldiers are forming around the water lily beds. Summer visitors will be encouraged to adopt and remove a small private army – be warned. The top pond has a lighter air, with a positive froth of water hawthorn, despite me thinking I had cleared most of it out!.
It is a good thing that mum and I are increasing the planting area by stealth, moving the edge of a bed here and cultivating a bit of hitherto “wild” back track there. My plants are multiplying at a rate of knots. I potted on a first batch of rooted hardy chrysanthemums this afternoon whilst warily eyeing the germinating seed trays. Raymond’s delphinium seeds have done especially well and if I can keep the snails off and find a spot that’s not too wind strafed, we might be in business. In the hot bed a dark red ligularia has self seeded wonderfully and I shall be off to collect and pot up a few as soon as they are big enough to handle. (Surely there’s a garden visitor out there in need of a purple fellow for a damp spot.) To add to the floral cornucopia some kindly birds have added more purple orchids to the sedum roof of the gym and I was forced to gingerly crawl out to inspect them on Tuesday. I shall be leaving them where they are – a sloping roof is no place to play tug-o-war.
And, touch wood, the forecast for the next few days is benign….Bliss.
