GARDENER'S WORD - IDEAS AND TIPS

Oh wow, I nearly overlooked posting about this fabulous narcissus called Jetfire. It has  wonderfully rich yellow petals and an orange trumpet. This year is the first time I have grown them. I stuck them all in a single pot, and it has worked out very well, I think.    Narcissus 'Jetfire' Narcissus 'Jetfire' I'm looking forward to Jetfire reappearing year after year.  Talking about reappearing, some years ago I planted a few bulbs into the garden borders after they had flowered in pots, and they never really seemed to make an impact but this year, this year they are really starting to showing off here and there!  Narcissus 'Geranium' 2019 It is highly fragrant and multi-headed. Narcissus 'Geranium' This Narcissus below is Ice Follies, new to my garden this year.  Narcissus 'Ice Follies' Not everything is a success as any gardener, professional or amateur, will tell you. Several varieties of Narcissi seem to have disappeared and I may buy mor...

I felt sure I had grown one of these before in my present garden, which I have had since 2009 since it was nothing but grass, but if I had I certainly didn't give it a mention on my blog.  Anyway, here is a mention now.  I think every gardener must be familiar with this particular plant which is, as the RHS says is attractive to pollinators. I am catering as much as I can for pollinators to visit my garden, that means in particular bees, hoverflies, and butterflies.  It flowers through summer and autumn.  Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue' The label shows this plant leaning more towards a lavender colour but the flowers on the plant I just bought are as shown above. Even the labels says that "Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue' is a perennial with masses of intense 'lavender-blue', rounded flower heads above neat clumps of finely cut, grey-green foliage. It has a height and spread of 20cm (8in) x 25cm (10in) and should be planted in full sun or partial shade with well-dra...

I had a particular polemonium (aka Jacob's Ladder)  'Northern Lights'    growing at the front of my south-facing border for many years but this year it disappeared underground for winter and never came back.  Plants will do that.  So I bought another and this one is Polemonium 'Bressingham Purple'. Not only does it have a lovely flower - look at those orange anthers - but the leaves are interesting too.   Polemonium 'Bressingham Purple' It forms a neat clump and I found my previous one easy to care for: just chop the dead flower heads off, and don't let it die in a drought. I occasionally water my garden using a Miracle-Grow Feeder containing either Miracle-Gro All Purpose plant food (nitrogen for leaves) or Phostrogen (for flowers).   The label says "Stunning dark leaves all season long on vertical stems, topped with rich blue flowers in early summer.  Wonderful foliage contrast in any mixed border. Hardy and perennial, height 60cm, spr...

Leucojum aestivum 'Gravetye Giant', also known as the summer snowflake, is quite striking. I grew them for the first time this year and they achieved a height of about 30cm at most. Information from the RHS states they can grow as much as 90cm.  They are like big snowdrops with little yellow/green dots at the tips of the petals. I have grown them in a container of multi-purpose compost with John Innes, in a fairly sunny spot, west facing where it gets the sun most of the day. The RHS states they are very hardy, (H7), right down to a low of -20c, and prefer moist but well drained conditions, any aspect, and any type of soil.   Leucojum aestivum Gravetye Giant Leucojum aestivum Gravetye Giant This is the link to the RHS growing details if you are thinking of growing some and want more information.

Oh, what a find. I had often seen the strong-coloured blue of Muscari flowers but last autumn I came across the pale-blue muscari 'Valerie Finnis'.  I thought I would give it a try and wow, the colour really does look good in my garden trough and mixed in with white Scilla 'Siberica' and in a tub with blue Scilla 'Siberica'  I should have taken the photos earlier to show the muscari against the beauty of white scilla.  Muscari 'Valerie Finnis' Muscari 'Valerie Finnis' Muscari 'Valerie Finnis' grown in a tub with blue Scilla Muscari 'Valerie Finnis' in a tub with blue Scilla The more commonly seen colour of muscari, below... A clump of blue Muscari

I bought and planted an awful lot of bulbs last year, literally hundreds, as I wanted a 'cheer-up-it's-spring' display after winter which, at least in West Yorkshire, seems to last forever.  I don't just have them in tubs but they are also in borders and a trough under my living room window.   A medley of spring bulbs in tubs on a sunny patio - early April In between the containers that are in full flower are containers with bulbs which have not yet flowered but soon will. In some cases, I have plastic tubs inside large terracotta containers so that when the spring bulbs have finished, I can lift out the plastic tubs and plant things for summer flowering.  When you only have small garden, (mine is under 30ft x 30ft) you have to make the most of the space you have.  A medley of spring bulbs in tubs on a sunny patio - early April At the end of February, I created a post showing the spring bulbs back then before the daffodils and tulips put on a show.  Here is...

Wow,  Tulip 'Mystic Van Eijk  is a showstopper.  The beautiful pale pink flower is held on a long upright strong stem and certainly stands out in a crowd.  Ignore images that show the flower is a strong pink as those images have been digitally tweaked, Mystic Van Eijk is a pale but not insipid pink.   Tulip 'Mystic Van Eijk Tulip 'Mystic Van Eijk Mine are grown in a large tub in full sun, somewhat sheltered by my small garden room.