In A Vase On Monday on Tuesday - More Tulips

Afternoon Everyone,

I've had a few days away from my desk, taking advantage of the wonderful weather we've been having to potter about in the garden - cutting back and pruning, planting out new plants, and just generally tidying up. Not to mention the time taken just sitting, looking and taking in all the new growth the warmer days have brought with them.

The tulips are doing so well this year I didn't mind cutting a few more for the vase this week. That would have been the one for Cathy's meme  In A Vase On Monday if I hadn't run out of time yesterday so it has to be a Tuesday vase instead.

The three pink tulips are an old favourite 'Angelique'. They've been in the same pot - keeping a clematis, C 'Princess Diana', company - for three years now which could be the reason they are so tiny. I think the time has come to rescue and replant them.

The name of this mauve tulip is a mystery. Looking back to a post dated 20th April 2015 I'm reminded that my husband sneaked these into a bag of 'Angelique' and 'Sunlover' bulbs before they were planted into the pot. The foliage, Dryopteris atrata 'Buckler' and Polystichum braunii 'Braun's Holly Fern', was cut from the new fernery which is coming along very nicely.

This dwarf daffodil, Narcissus 'Minnow', with it's flat pale yellow petals and deeper yellow cup looks very pretty growing in a pot.

Now it's confession time. In last week's In A Vase On Monday I named the tulip buds used in the vase as 'Sunlover'.

Wrong! I've no idea what they are called, planted by my husband and so not labeled, but it is definitely not 'Sunlover'. In fact, there are clearly two different varieties, one peach, the other orange.

This is 'Sunlover'. Totally different. And as they are a late blooming tulip they might feature in another vase later in the month.

Garden update.

I know I usually show a few close-ups of plants from the garden but today I thought I'd share a couple of long shots so you can see the mess that is our garden - there's still such a lot of weeding and tidying to do!

Back garden - the herb patch and long border. The woodland is through the rose arch at the bottom of the garden.

Front garden - circular bed. The newly trimmed buddleja is down in the wild corner by the Rowan tree.

There's more but I think this post is quite long enough. If you're still with me this far you deserve a medal!

Since the weekend the temperature has taken a dip - quite a shock after the t-shirt weather we've been enjoying. While it was so nice we took the opportunity to prune the old buddleja davidii right back and plant up two new clematis, purple C 'Dorothy Walton' and pale pink C 'Hagley Hybrid', as well as potting up more pansies and bellis. There's a few outstanding jobs to do and after a trip to the local supermarket today we now have another new clematis, this time the white C 'Gillian Blades', winter windflower, anenome blanda, in shades of blue and an alpine wallflower, erysimum 'Bowels Mauve, to find a home for and plant out.

Happy gardening folks,

In A Vase On Monday and a Little Garden Chat

Evening Everyone,

In A Vase On Monday - A Last Hurrah

Monday is when I try to join Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for In A Vase On Monday. I don't always make it, sometimes missing it altogether and occasionally making it a day or three later - as I did last week - but this week I've made it, just!

It's almost February and it has been feeling almost springlike but there's still very little colour in the garden so I've cheated a little today. I've added a few stems cut from a red Poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima,  a gift from our grandson we've had since before Christmas, to a jug containing some ivy, hedera. 

Sadly, the poinsettia was losing its leaves and starting to go over so I thought to give it a last beautiful hurrah - hence the title. The ivy has been around for at least two months, maybe longer, forming part of a much earlier arrangement. Ivy has a way of going on forever and these stems have started to form roots!

Last week's arrangement which made a late appearance on Thursday also contained euphorbia, E, x martinii 'Ascot Rainbow'. By this morning it was all shriveled up and looking very sad so I've replaced it with what was left on the poinsettia and a few flowers from two new hellebores, H. niger - the taller one - and H, niger 'Christmas Carol' - the two shorter ones. 

Here they are, the two vases on the hearth - very festive looking. A little bit of Christmas lingering on. The bird dangling from the fire door was crocheted by a very talented friend. 

Garden Chat

We've had some lovely weather recently, lots of blue skies and sunshine - spring isn't too far away. Because of this unseasonable warmth there's lots going on in the garden. Seeds sown in the autumn are now peeping through and it won't be too long before the daffodils are in flower - I can just see signs of colour peeking through. 

Cyrtomium fortunei 'Holly Fern', Dryopteris astrata 'Buckler fern', Polystichum braunii 'Braun's Holly Fern' 

This bed has, so far, proved to be difficult. It's shady and damp, up against a brick wall, and rarely sees the sun. There's been a shrub or tree, maybe a climber, growing there at one time but all that's left is a stump and there is an established clump of comfrey too but otherwise nothing. Last year I tried to cheer it up with forget-me-not and nasturtium but with little success. I'm told that the conditions are ideal for ferns so after a trip to the garden centre on Saturday we now have the worlds tiniest fernery! 

Hellebore niger 'Christmas Carol' and White Hellebore niger 

White Hellebore niger

I'm having no luck keeping hellebores in the garden. I've tried growing them down in the woodland area but they just don't do well there although the conditions should be perfect for them. It's a shame because they can brighten a shady area beautifully and look stunning growing in drifts. Anyway, given my lack of success you would think I'd resist the temptation to buy more. Not so! I left the garden centre with two more which, with the one survivor from last year, I intend to grow on in large pots where they will be cossetted. 

Finally, not the best of photos but here's our first, much anticipated, snowdrop, galanthus nivalis, of the year! I'm totally delighted to have snowdrops established in our garden and it's all thanks to the generosity of Cathy.