PURPLE IRIS AND FANCY TULIPS

The first of the iris have started to flower, so it's been an exciting week!  These are known to me as 'Early Purple' being a variety that were in the garden when we arrived.  There were a few non-flowering rhizomes lurking in the shade of a tree, but as is the way with iris, once given a little sunshine and divided up they have now proliferated.  Last year we had a very hard and late frost and not a single one of them flowered, but now thankfully they are back .  

They look lovely mixed with the more reddish purple of these tulips.  I also passed a garden nearby where they were mixed with bright red tulips and looked stunning.  

More spring fabulousness from these espaliered crab apples.  They were planted two years ago and judging by the amount of flower on them they have settled in very happily.




Down in the Woodland garden the bluebells are starting to open and are joining the Erythronium 'Pagoda' in a classic blue and yellow colour combination.  But have you seen how much Jack-by-the-hedge (aka garlic mustard) there is in here? If it was as popular as wild garlic I could encourage foragers to come and pull it all out for me.  If only....


This rhododendron too was bursting into bloom in the fine sunny weather this week, It's a about 6ft tall, and the buds are a beautiful lilac purple, opening into this pale off white.


You don't need me to tell you that this is a busy time of year in the garden, and often we may feel there are just not enough hours in the day to get everything done.  All the dahlias are potted up though and in the greenhouse and there are plenty of seedlings nestling on the heated mat.  The green beans are germinating too.  So that's most of Monty's Jobs for the Week done already, and I'm feeling rather chuffed.




To finish with here are my fancy tulips.  I ordered them as a mixture from Sarah Raven, so it's difficult to identify them individually and they did substitute one of the varieties.  The ones with pale edges are Slawa, and I think that's Antraciet playing silly b*ggers.




That's all from my garden for this week.  As always thanks go to the Propagator for hosting Six on Saturday where you'll find links to lots of other garden blogs.




Comments

  1. The last tulips in this stone pot are very pretty. Have you ever sprouted green beans? I have to start over because I had made a batch a few weeks ago and it hadn't started in the greenhouse. Probably not hot enough

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    1. I put mine in the kitchen and in the airing cupboard (where the hot water tank is) so they get a constant 20C and then move them into the greenhouse once they have germinated.

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  2. That crab apple is impressive as are the Iris. Love their colour. I plan to try some fancy Tulips next year.

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    1. Thanks Rosie. There's lots of lovely ones to choose from but I have to say that Sarah Raven were very very late in sending theirs out despite me putting in my order nice and early so I was rather annoyed.

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  3. A lovely selection. Erythronium 'Pagoda' and the bluebells look very good together (so do the Iris and tulips). I'm sure I planted some Slawa but I've not seen anything resembling yours or the one in the Propagator's SoS yet.

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    1. My mum has the same mix of tulips as me and her Slawa hasn't made an appearance yet either. Mine were in the greenhouse over winter so they probably had a head start.

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  4. I ordered a couple of SR collections, one which includes Antraciet which like yours seems to like growing sideways! I also appear to have been given a substitution which completely ruins the red/purple/orange colour scheme I imagined, as one lot is bright yellow!

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    1. Antraciet is a bit of an odd ball then. I won't be buying that one again. That's annoying about the yellow tulip in the mix particularly when you are paying premium prices. All you can do it pick them for a vase I suppose.

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  5. The espaliered apple is glorious, and you will have such fun caring for it tying in the shoots etc.

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    1. I hope I can be ruthless enough to keep it in shape.

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  6. Some beautiful combinations this week. I wish I had room for some Irises but it makes me admire other peoples even more.

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    1. It's just not possible to find room for everything, much though we'd like to.

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