Once again, a large degree of editing was required to get today’s selection down to six or thereabouts, to meet the rules of Jim’s Six on Saturday meme. Why not visit his blog to check out his six and those of other bloggers around the world?
Let’s start with the burning bush, shown above – Nandina domestica ‘Obsessed’. I picked a sprig of this a few Mondays back to accompany my first tulips in a vase, but it was barely smouldering then – I don’t think I have ever seen it as fiery as this before. Likewise, I don’t think the rhododendrons have ever been as colourful or as prolific as they seem to be this year, and they are not yet at their peak – I know they don’t appeal to everyone, but in a garden the size of ours they make a huge impact.
Snowdrops have also made a big impact, but back in January, February and March, so a snowdrop blooming at the end of April and into May is a curiosity at best and at worst an unwelcome intruder into spring. The bulbs (Galanthus ‘Polar Bear’) were bought from eBay at the tail end of the season, and I rather expected them to be in growth and ‘in the green’, but clearly hadn’t read the description as they arrived as dry bulbs. They are a later flowering variety, but ‘later’ as in March, and I wasn’t particularly optimistic of them flowering this year, but the bulbs seem determined to do so. There was no point planting them outside, as they wouldn’t be seen under the spring growth in the woodland, but they will be in due course where hopefully they will revert to a normal timetable next year – I certainly can’t get excited about snowdrops in late spring!
I have trawled through emails and online catalogues to see if I can identify some of the tulip mixes I am currently enjoying, but with little success so far – perhaps there is a lesson to be learned for next year! I am particularly enjoying this lily-flowered viridifola, which could possibly be ‘Viridichic’:
There are currently many late spring stalwarts in the garden, most of which proving to be earlier than usual, but perhaps none are as reliable as the three As – allium, astrantia and aquilegia – not yet flowering together in the same border, but individually making their welcome presence felt in their joint role as bridge between spring and summer:
Rambling in the Garden 
Love it – all. We call Euonymous alatus Burning Bush here.
Yes, that is what I was expecting. I know nandina as Heavenly bamboo. That is what botanical nomenclature was invented for.
Yes, it’s common name is Heavenly Bamboo here too, but I generally prefer the proper names!!
Lovely tulip Cathy. I still can’t get any success with astrantia, I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, it dies on me every single time!
You are not alone!
Astrantia do seem to take time to establish but mine have all done well since then. I have just split ‘Star of Beauty’ and potted some up ready for our garden openings. Would you like a little plantlet? I would keep it in a pot till it had at least generated new growth, or even till next year, if I were you.
Oh yes please Cathy, that’s so kind of you, I’d love one! The centaurea you sent me has thrived and looks lovely, such a rich purple 😊 thanks very much 😊
It’s a lovely centaurea, isn’t it? I have just seen a variety with pink flowers in a recent HPS magazine which looks really appealing too… I will sort out the astrantia for you soon – I still have your address, I think, but let me know if you are likely to be away at all in the near future
Thanks Cathy. We’re home for a good few weeks now, no rush at all, am most grateful to you 🙂
Gorgeous
Dazzling! 🤩
Snowdrops at this time of year are just not quite right Cathy. Mind you I had one flowering earlier in the month – a seedling methinks. I saw ‘Polar Bear’ for sale at a local garden centre earlier in the year but resisted. The only one of the three As in flower here the very first of the aquilegias. Mind you if this coming week brings the forecast rise in temperatures I think that allium ‘Purple Sensation’ will burst into colour 😂
Yes, definitely a no-no, I think! I noticed we may be due some warmer temperatures – it has been unusually cool this year, although still bright in between the showers, and the garden is (too?) well advanced
Only one of these is flowering here, an Aquilegia, one or two alliums are in bud, but my two Astrantia are MIA.
Such a shame about your astrantias – would you like a little offshoot, to try again?
That’s kind of you. I have just ordered 3 bare roots so I will see how they go. In pots or into the ground? I’m thinking of trying the spot by the patio where moisture loving plants seem to thrive.
I have mine in various borders and they all seem to do OK – I don’t know if they have preference…
I might hedge my bets and put them in different locations. I know two places where they struggled so will avoid those!
Probably a good idea – are they good size bare roots?
I’ll let you know when they arrive.
That rhododendron will certainly bring a little colour to any drab days we have and I just love that beautiful white aquilegia.
They really are glorious this year, Noelle. I sowed several varieties of aquilegia a few years back and I have noticed a few hybrids creeping in recently, but so far this white one has returned every year
Lovely Tulips and what an interesting tale about the snowdrop.
It just took me by surprise to receive dry bulbs – but I think the seller had more of a general garden interest, and may not have been aware that there was a big market in named snowdrops in the green. I am just glad all 3 bulbs are growing nicely!
All so lovely. 😃 Your Astrantias always impress me. That tulip looked very familiar and I looked back at my bulb orders and found I grew one like that from Peter Nyssen several years ago called ‘Virichic’. (Long succumbed to mice or voles!)
Yes, I saw there was one with tha name, and I wondered if it and Viridichic were really one and the same. The astrantias are very slow to bulk up, but this one, Star of Beauty, has done well from the start
You have just solved a great garden mystery for me, Cathy. I couldn’t work out what keeps happening to my bulbs, as although we have the odd squirrel there aren’t enough to account for so many losses. We do, however, have voles in great numbers…! I never thought of them as potential
culprits! I’m very fond of voles, though, and they’re important food for lots of other things, so I’ll forgive them. I know it’s them who see off peas and beans… so hungry for such little creatures! 😂
Well, it may also be mice. Even if they don’t eat them, the excavations by the mice and voles disturb things so much in one of my beds that I sometimes have perennials popping up where I didn’t plant them! And my Alliums disappeared too… they wouldn’t eat Alliums would they? 🤪
You’d THINK they wouldn’t eat alliums but honestly nothing would surprise me! The tulips that survive often end up in a completely different place to where I originally planted them… that’s surely down to some sort of rodent! I’ve given up trying to have a colour scheme as whatever it is that is ‘helping’ in the garden clearly has other ideas!
I know exactly what you mean! 🤣
Aquilegia is exquisite. Is it naturalized, or a known variety?
Mine are all grown from bought seed, although some will have hybridised since then – this white one is one my originals
It’s all looking lovely.
I will try and make time to do a video for the end of the month (tomorrow!! 😲) to give a better idea of how fulsome everything is.