About time!

Since joining the blogging community a little over 4 months ago - I have been patiently waiting the day I can take part in my first Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.  

I know it is now the 16th and I truly wish I had a reasonable excuse for not turning up on time.  I would love to say that I spent the last 2 days opening the sacks full of Valentines Cards that made their way to my letterbox but sadly no, I just wasn't organised in time!  

Close ups of flowers

Galanthus 

Galanthus

Snowdrops, these are rescued Snowdrops, a neighbour of a friend was having a new concrete path put in their garden, the lady in question was about to have the old path ripped out - seeing that the snowdrops were just breaking the surface - my friend said to the elderly lady that she knew of a good home for them.  When she asked me if I could make room for them, there was no hesitation on my part, just make sure you get plenty of soil around them and get them to me ASAP!!  Were the instructions!  The first of the 5 clumps to open their delicate little flowers - I'm hoping that these will like my garden enough to stick around.  I've grown rather fond of them.

I made a declaration on Valentine's Day - 'My garden loves me' - I exclaimed!
Why? I hear you ask.

Iris reticulata 'Katharine Hodgkin'

Those of you living in the UK will know just how wet summer 2012 was.  For the best part of June and July part of my garden was continually under 6 inches of water - this part of the garden usually the driest and sunniest.  An ideal place to plant some Iris reticulata bulbs in the green winter 2012.  Various shrubs and perennials were removed because they had drowned, a couple of plants were potted up and rescued.  It took me until December 2012 to decide the remainder were dead, yes, for a change I was being an optimist rather than my usual pessimistic self! In a final bid to tidy up before spring - I noticed lying on top of the soil that 3 tiny bulbs had started to sprout.  The must have lay there throughout the 3 weeks of frosts in November.  Knowing that they were Iris bulbs - they were potted up and deposited in the cold frame.  As I opened up the cold frame on the 14th - this beautiful sight greeted me.  There are 2 other bulbs just breaking the surface, I am very pleased.  Out of 12 bulbs originally planted, 3 have survived - AGAINST ALL ODDS!! 

Iris reticulata 'Katharine Hodgkin' is my favourite of the dwarf spring Iris - the powder blue colour of the petals is so delicate.  It can't fail to impress.  I have read that this is one of the fussier spring flowering Iris - drainage it's said to be paramount to it's success - now you can understand why I think my garden loves me - all that rain water and yet, it gives me a gift such as this!
There was also some deep purple Iris planted in this border - I wonder if they will survive - no sign yet, but you never know do you!  It's all so tempting to get rooting around in the soil but for now I'd rather leave things to surprise me.    

Helleborus orientalis

I've lots of oriental Hellebores scattered around the garden - most of which are budding up nicely - this lot in almost total shade is the first to grace my garden with some blooms.  Thus far, I have resisted temptation to allow them to set seed - I would like them to bulk out a bit and try propogation through division first.         

    

Helleborus x ericsmithii

Hellebore x ericsmithii - I fell for the foliage on this plant.  The grey marbled leathery leaves drew me right in at first sight!

This Hellebore needs a bit of sun - although planted to the rear of a Pieris - the sun shines happily through the fence.  Being so far back in the border, it proved rather difficult to get a decent picture of the flower.  As you can see there are plenty more to come.  

Helleborus lividus

Helleborus lividus, frost tender, so not something I would knowingly buy for my garden.  I picked this up way at the beginning of the season thinking it was a smaller, cheaper specimen of Ericsmithii - yes, I know, check the label!!  Never mind - I've planted it under the Fatsia japonica - where it should be protected from any further frosts over winter - I will lift it later in the year and attempt to store it in the cold frame.

This next plant will not be to everyone's liking - to be honest - I'm not sure I'm that keen on it myself, what do you think?

Primula Francisca

Yes, that green 'blob' in the centre is the flower, as it matures it will have a yellow eye.  An impulse buy a couple of years ago and up until summer of 2012 it sat in the pot it came in from the nursery - in a corner, as if it had done something wrong!

I divided it and managed to get around 8 plants from the 1 pot - all bar a couple have taken.  What on earth am I going to do with 6 plants I'm not sure I like.

Primula Francisca (Francesca) is supposed to flower from March until July, perhaps that will be it's saving grace - watch this space!




The weather here in Edinburgh has been tremendous this last few days and I have managed to be out in the garden without an outer layer on!  It's time to get those fingernails really dirty and if I'm lucky I may even break a few!!

Thank you for reading my first GARDEN BLOGGERS BLOOM DAY post - if you are interest in joining, pop over to MAY GARDEN DREAMS to find out how you can take part.