GARDENER'S WORD - IDEAS AND TIPS

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.

This is the first time I have grown the narcissus 'Rip Van Winkle'. It is similar in height to Tete-a-Tete but has a double flower as you can see. It isn't exactly a show-stopper in my garden tub and I might replant it this autumn in the trough under my living room window where it will be at a height where the beauty of its flower can be better appreciated next spring. 

Scilla Forbesii (also known as Chionodoxa Forbesii) has a beautiful flower growing from a bulb. The flowers are a very striking blue and I have grown it (in a pot) for the first time in decades of gardening. I had never heard about it until the end of last year when I was hunting online for spring bulbs. According to the RHS, ( RHS link to Scilla Forbesii ) this little bulb is extremely tolerant of conditions such as growing medium, light, exposure, aspect and is hardy down to -15c.   Another name for it is Giant of the Snow as well as Forbes Squill, I kid you not. Scilla forbesii aka Chionodoxa forbesii

Scilla siberica bulbs put on a delightful show, especially the blue variety as the colour is quite intense. I am growing them in a container of compost along with Muscari which haven't yet flowered. Scilla siberica tolerates full sun or partial shade and mine are in a spot which is sunny for much of the day. However, as you can see from the below image, the blue naturally appears deeper with a bit of shade.   Scilla siberica Blue Scilla siberica Blue