Garden Snapshot - April 2014

I love April, aside from the weather being unpredictable (it can be anything from snow to perpetual showers to glorious sunshine) the last two weeks in April are when the countryside in Sussex really spring to life. Suddenly the trees that were bare for months have fresh vibrant green leaves appearing, blossom appears, and birdsong tumbles out of the trees and from rooftops.

And the same happens in my garden...

Garden snapshot - April 2014

The neighbours' new fence is finally up! It's a closed board fence which seems much more sturdy and resilient that the previous flimsy panelled fence. So my task this weekend will be to re-attach the clematis, blackberries and loganberries to the fence.

The cherry tree is in blossom, hollyhocks are sprouting, the 'Nelly Moser' clematis (currently laying on the ground) is in bud and the tulips are out in full glory. Everything is poised to spring into life!

Horticultural highlight of the week (2014 week 16) - Tulipa 'cummins'

I think I've probably got a bit of a tulip obsession, and of course I love the unusual, whether its in my garden or otherwise.

This tulip is a fantastic colour - an old-fashioned 'mauve' and the fringed tips of the petals catch the sun giving a frilly halo to each bloom.

Tulip 'Cummins' - opened flower

On the unopened flowers this fringing can almost appear like rows of teeth!

Tulip 'Cummins' - unopened flower

And of course these are perfect to capture in close up with my squidcam macro lens...

Tulip 'Cummins' closeup taken with squidcam macro lens for iPhone 5

Tulip 'Cummins' closeup taken with squidcam macro lens for iPhone 5

As with most bulbs I buy, I got these from Avon Bulbs

Horticultural highlight of the week (2014 week 15) - Clematis Alpina 'Frances Rivis'

Already mentioned as 'plant of the week' back in May 2013, this beautiful clematis just keeps getting better every year. It's flowered about a month earlier this year, probably because we had a very mild winter this year. Last year we had a severe winter with some late frosts. Fascinating that this variation can shift the flowering period so dramatically.

I've already described this clematis in some detail - follow this link for the original post. I am going to attempt to take some cuttings of this to bring to the new garden. Watch this space for the results.

Here's a photo of the blooms this year - more impressive than last year.

Clematis Alpina 'Frances Rivis'

Of course, I have added some macro shots of the flowers this time too.

Clematis Alpina 'Frances Rivis' - closeup of stamens - squidcam macro lens

Clematis Alpina 'Frances Rivis' - closeup of flower - squidcam macro lens

Horticultural highlight of the week (2014 week 14) - Mahonia (unknown variety)

The mahonia in our garden was already well-established when we moved here seven years ago, although it was crowded out by a tangle over overgrown roses and a 30ft leylandii (which we had removed immediately - as it was only 10ft from the back of the house.

Since then the mahonia has thrived, although I think it doesn't like shade - it against a north facing fence and grows out away from it as if its stretching for the light.

It's positioned right by the back doors - which means we are able to appreciate the amazing display of colour (and more importantly its heady sweet scent) even when its too cold to amble out into the garden in the morning.

Mahonia (unknown variety) in full bloom

The amazingly intense flowers are very short-lived lasting maybe just one or two weeks before they fade, however the blooms transform into delicate metallic purple-blue berries (probably poisonous) which reach full size by autumn.

The bush itself is a compact 4ft high dense clump of evergreen (but very prickly) leaves. The dead leaves do not break down well as they are thick and waxy like holly leaves, so watch out when clearing up underneath the bush - the leaves have been the cause of some foul language they are that sharp!

Another one I will be repeating in the new garden - I managed to take three successful cuttings last year - it seems to respond well to this. I also sends out shoots underground so small saplings appear all around it.

Of course I have some lovely macro shots of the flower buds taken in February as well as some of the opened flowers taken in early April. Macro shots were taken with my iPhone 5 and squidcam macro lens

Mahonia flower buds (closeup taken with squidcam macro)

Mahonia flower buds (closeup taken with squidcam macro)

Mahonia flowers (closeup taken with squidcam macro)

Horticultural highlight of the week (2014 week 13) - Snakeshead Fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris)

Another late post - I'm doing my best to catch up, currently about three weeks behind!

I'm always amazed that this is a native wildflower in the UK, as it has the air of a tiny exotic, with its intricate chequerboard pattern (almost like snakeskin). I've never seen one in the wild, I'm guessing its a rarity these days.

Snakeshead Fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris)

I bought a handful of each of two varieties - the usual purple/white check and pure white. After two years of both flowering, I haven't seen any white ones this year, and only four of the purple ones. I'm not sure if the bulbs have a limited lifespan or if squirrels have been digging them up (there's possible evidence of squirrel activity in the garden in that several baby horse chestnuts have appeared).

I've naturalised them in grass which is where they look best, as their leaves are long and linear like grass. I'll definitely be adding a few clumps of these delicate gems when I get to my our garden (wherever that is) although I probably won't bother with the pure white variety again.

Snakeshead Fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) with aphids!

Garden Snapshot - March 2014

A little late but still..

Not much changes from February to March, the neighbour's fence is still not repaired, I ripped what was remaining of the broken panels out - they were flapping around like flags and were about to either take out the cherry tree or fly off into the greenhouse.

Garden Snapshot - March 2014

The rose arch is repaired, the rose pruned back. The clematis (Nelly Moser) is starting to sprout and primroses have appeared in the bed behind the arch.

Horticultural highlight of the week (2014 week 12) - Honesty (Lunaria annua)

The silvery seed pods of honesty remind me of secondary school art lessons - still life drawing in particular. Drape a cloth over some boxes on a table, add one violin, a sheeps skull, some other random objects 'acquired' from the biology room and garnish with some dead stems of honesty. Also known as 'silver dollar' the seed pods are silvery and papery, you probably know them even if you can't put that name to them.

Much as I loved still life drawing, I now prefer honesty flowers and they are now one of the earliest splashes of colour in the garden. They are incredibly good at self-seeding - they now exist in all the places where I didn't originally plant them (including growing out of cracks between the house and paving. If you get enough of them they create an amazing purple mist that attracts bees and butterflies.

Honesty (lunaria annua)

Honesty (Lunaria annua) - self-seeded in a dry patch by the greenhouse

They can start to look a bit scraggy one the flowering is over - which is a matter of weeks. It takes some time for the seed pods to mature - so there's a long period where they don't look their best.

I grew mine from seed, bought from Thompson & Morgan. They are perennial, and don't flower in the first year but they are super-easy to grow and once you have them, you've got them for life.

And here's the gratuitous close-up (of course taken with my squidcam macro lens)...

Honesty (lunaria annua) - close up taken with squidcam macro lens