Our own garden is rather more manageable for dodgy knees than yesterday’s veritable undulating park. I took an amble around it this afternoon.
Jackie thought that this very small daffodil, in one of the stone troughs resting on the front wall, had come up blind. In fact it has bloomed later than most.
Behind the troughs rambles a clematis Montana, one of several we have.
One shares its perch with a blue solanum on the arch to the south end of the Brick Path;
another cosies up to the lilac.
This one, adorning the Gazebo was a shrivelled little specimen, barely alive, until Jackie came along and nurtured it. In the foreground of this shot we have a bottle brush plant ready to burst open.
The clematis will soon festoon the top of the arch.
The first of these aquilegias stands beneath the wisteria; the second is at the south end.
This phlox subulata is the sole survival of six planted last year.
Jackie savages this toadflax whenever she finds it growing like the alleged weed it is. There is no doubt, however, that it makes good ground cover.
Another plant whose name escapes the Head Gardener is this rather beautiful little bulb – one of a cluster in the Cryptomeria Bed.
We have two different rhododendrons in the Palm Bed.
The viburnum Plicata now blooms in the West Bed.
Many of our bluebells are either of the incoming Spanish variety or hybrids. Fortunately we do have some native English specimens.
This miniature azalea has accompanied me in all my abodes since it came in a pot presented to me by the foster carers of Parents for Children in 2003. It has now taken up permanent residence in the Kitchen Garden.
For dinner this evening we enjoyed Jackie’s delicious chicken jalfrezi and savoury rice followed by strawberries and cream.
Beautiful!
Many thanks, Hollie (?Holly)
Holly…thank you Derrick.
Same as my daughter in law
That’s great, it’s esp nice at Christmas ?
🙂
Beautiful flowers.
Thank you very much, Rabirius
Your garden is thriving! Great job. !
Thanks a lot, Gary
Wonderful photos of a most photogenic garden. Thank you Derrick.
Thanks very much, Roland. You seem to be getting the alerts again
Your phlox is looking good. The one I bought last year struggled to survive in the drought but fortunately it did, although it lacks the magnificence of yours.
Thanks very much, Helen. Next year, maybe
Yes, hopefully! Thank you, Derrick.
Gosh, these are all so beautiful. I love the look of the rhododendrons just before they bloom. Thanks for sharing, Derrick!
Many thanks, Jill
Your post was a taster for things to come for us up here and very welcome as such. Excellent pictures.
Thanks very much, Tootlepedal. You already have quite a lot of similar blooms
Every spring I get the impression your garden is becoming more and more abundant and beautiful. At some stage I would love to see comparison shots. Just a thought, in case you ever get up one day and have nothing much to do…….
Thanks very much, Pauline. You may like to do a search by similar dates in previous years. Let me know if not and I’ll give it a go
Lovely lush garden Derrick, my favourite of all time is the lilac flowers and I see you have them too in your collection, and flowering quite early perhaps.
Thanks very much, Agnes. Everything is pretty early
Much needed colour. Thank you
And you, Gary
A feast for the eyes!
Thanks a lot, Leslie
These flowers are very pretty – you have lots to look at in your garden!
Thank you very much, BCM
Wow, Derrick. Everything is so pretty.
Thanks very much, Cynthia. More appears daily
I like the concept of a more manageable garden. The house we are currently negotiating in Yorkshire has a back garden of less than 50m² and a front even smaller. A significant change from the 3850m² we have here! I doubt we’ll manage a show like yours, Derrick. I’ll be happy to keep the grass short and tidy (and not take a two-hour white-knuckle ride on the lawn tractor to do it) whilst my good lady deals with floral borders.
I hope all goes well, Keith. Thank you very much
I have such respect for your knowledge of the plants’ names. I know rose, daffodil, bluebell, honesty because I read your posts, and grass. Not very impressive, I’m afraid!
I often have to check with the Head Gardener 🙂 Thanks very much, John
A person’s personal garden is always the best…you can enjoy it, amble through it, sit and soak it in, etc., any time you want! 🙂
I love bottle brush plants!
HUGS!! 🙂
Thanks very much, Carolyn. We have red and yellow – you will see. X
I look forward to that! 🙂
Lovely photos once again Derrick!
I wonder if your bottle brushes are anything like ours Down Under?? 🙂 Waiting to find out!
Could that unnamed bell-shaped plant be a Penstemon? Bereaved Dad had one a few weeks ago?
I’ll check with Head Gardener. I don’t think so, though. We do have some of those. Thanks a lot, Bob
Just beautiful.
Good for eyes and soul.
Always fun to visit other gardens, but your own beautiful garden must provide plenty of joy and beauty.
It does, indeed, Laurie. Many thanks
Oh… lovely! Spring brings so many beautifully colors. Enjoy!!
Thanks very much, Amy
Good to hear that you are able to enjoy walking through your beautiful garden, Derrick.
Thanks very much, Dolly
You are very welcome, Derrick
You have such a beautiful garden and so many clematis!
Many thanks, Clare
No degree of dodgy knees would make your home garden unmanageable where each blade of grass under your feet welcomes you. Yesterday’s park where no rewards were offered for amusing the dog was a veritable feast to garden lovers.
Very many thanks, Uma.
Lovely garden ?
Thanks very much, Naturarian
Toadflax, thank you I never knew it’s name. It rambles in our garden but usually dies off in the heat of summer. This summer just gone was incredibly dry yet little toadflax hung on, to the walls, the fence and anything else it could grasp.
Thanks very much, Lindsey. I needed the Head Gardener to tell me the name
Love the profusion of flowers!
Thanks very much, Geetha
Most welcome Derrick
I take yesterday’s comment back: you were in need of no incentive to go out looking for flowers! Do I spy a wisteria in full bloom towards the back? The montana and the lilac make a lovely pairing. My sweetheart and I have a disagreement about toadflax. I tear it up too. Although it certainly is pretty, it’s very fertile, a landscape devourer, and seems only to need a teaspoon of soil to thrive. It’s a pity it is not edible and super tasty or we could all grow one of our five a day in a crack in a wall.
I just looked it up: apparently it is bitter but can be used sparingly in salads. I might try a leaf or two! I am not an expert on foraging and although I do eat wild berries, I always wonder if wild leaves will have (unwanted) medicinal properties.
🙂 A wisteria it is. Thanks very much, Susan