Six on Saturday 28th April

Posted Sat 28 April 2018 in garden

It's near the end of the month, but looking back at last years photos it is more similar to the beginning. Not included in this weeks six is the Kerria which is just starting to flower, just like it was in the first days of April last year.

1. Anemone blanda

I planted a number of these last autumn and they have done well in the area at the side of the house. I finally got a photo that wasn't too blurred. The leaves in the foreground are something else, the top left leaves belong to it.

2. Pieris japonica

The bright red new shoots that are so distinctive of this plant are finally showing. Again this is about four weeks behind where it was last year. There was a set of flowers last year, but this year there is no sign of any, so it is not doing that well. It is a variegated variety, but the center of the plant has reverted to plain green and I've decided to just let it grow like that, because the remaining variegated part is leading to low lop-sided shape.

3. Tulip

These must be the third batch of tulips I planted. They were described as "Triumph mixed". So why are they all the same colour?

4. Ipheion

I put some in the right back corner area that gets lots of sun, but the smaller spring bulbs haven't seemed to do so well here. However here the first in that area is now flowering, about a couple of weeks after the ones by the side of the house.

The good thing about these are that they seem to get more than one flower per plant. Definitely want some more for next year as you need a few more than I have to make a decent display.

5. Primula vialii

I left the dead flower stalk so that I knew where this was and I was worried that it was not going to return. Looks like this is it.

6. Path and border extension

This years plan includes extending the border on the sunny side of the garden. I am putting stepping stones along what used to be the edge of the lawn and making a new planting area on the other side.

Although the picture leads you to imagine that this is the start of the path, it is in fact the whole thing at the moment. I am extending it as more space is needed. Today another stone will be added, and then I may start from the back of the garden and work forward towards this part.

You can also see a lupin and a couple of new Geums, along with the cowslip in flower.

That's my six for this week, to see what else is going on in gardens around the world, visit this weeks Six on Saturday at the The Propagator blog.

Posted by Steve