Rain at last

Since I last blogged we have had rain, for a couple of nights it was very heavy so the garden has had a good drink. It has also been slightly cooler, more like May should be.

The garden is still showing the effects of the mad weather over the past few weeks. The rose 'Gertrude Jekyll' is already in flower and the foxgloves are starting to open but they are half the height they should be. The Lupin 'Gallery Rose' is also starting to flower.


On my kitchen windowsill is a small jug bought yesterday from a charity shop. I've put in some 'Gertrude Jekyll' roses and Aquilegias with some foliage.

'Gertrude Jekyll' Roses with Aquilegias

I've also treated myself to some 'Sarah Bernhardt' peonies. I have recently planted some of these lovely flowers but I think it will be a year or two before I see any blooms.

'Sarah Bernhardt' Peonies

Another plant that has required patience is Ilex aquifolium  'J C van Tol'. This is a holly that is almost spine free. I planted it two years ago and it is in flower for the first time. Hopefully, there will be berries later in the year.

Ilex aquifolium  'J C van Tol'

I have been planting more seedlings for cut flowers. This is a wigwam made from the straight pieces that also grow amongst the contorted stems of Corylus contorta, the Corkscrew Hazel. These straight stems used to really annoy me but now I am happy to have them as they are so useful. I've wrapped string around the poles and planted sweet peas. 

Wigwam made from Hazel

Larkspur

The Larkspur in this photograph are 14 days old. I bought them from the supermarket after picking them up, deciding they were too expensive, putting them down and then going back and putting them in my basket. There were masses of stems so there is another vase of them in the kitchen. They are so pretty, they have a pale green strip on each petal.

They are dying prettily too. The petals drop like pink confetti. I took them out of the jug to re-cut the stems and petals fell everywhere. I gathered them up and put them on a plate in a dark corner to see if they will dry and keep their colour. The mauve petals are from the larkspur in my own garden.

I am slightly disappointed as I ordered seeds for dark blue.I am presume they were mislabeled but the company I bought them from have given me a credit for a packet next year. These are very pretty and I do like the colour. The foliage is nice too, very fine ferny-type leaves.

In my garden

I haven't spent much time in the garden lately. The weather has been cold and blustery with at least one day feeling more like autumn. We have had the coldest May nights for ten years.

The past couple of days have seen the weather become less cold and with some sun. It's much more pleasant, and I have been able to catch up.

The grass was cut for the first time in about three weeks, some weeding was done, seedlings potted up, clematis tied up. 

I have some 'Thalia' narcissi in pots. They were a late purchase after I read about them in a magazine. I am really glad I bought them. They have a delicate white flower with a lovely scent.

Today I caught up with the front garden. Linaria purpurea and Aquilegia have seeded too much so they came out. In their place Eschscholzia 'Purple Gleam' which I have grown from seed, and a geranium sanguineum which may be 'Max Frei'. 

Despite the chilly weather the spring plants are looking good. One of my new plants is Epimedium  youngianum 'Niveum' which has been on my must have list for a while. Unfortunately, it was wrongly labelled. Thankfully, it is still a beautiful plant, with deep pink flowers.

Three baby sparrows visited the bird table with their Mother this week.  

The weather forecast for this week is for increasingly warmer weather and sun. Thank goodness.