As we hurtle headlong into April I thought I would end the month with a few photos of how things are looking in the garden. March has certainly been the month of spring bulbs this year – it started with the iris and crocus and is ending with hyacinths and muscari. In between there have been a succession of narcissi from the tall yellow King Alfred to the paler and more delicate Thalia. Looking back through the archives from last spring I think the garden is at almost the same point today as it was at the end of April last year.
I am starting the review with a photo of three bowls of hyacinths, taken on the first very frosty morning of the year just last week.
My beds are slowly filling up with hyacinths that have flowered in pots for a season and then been moved to a border. Below you can see Hyacinth L’Innocence mixing with narcissi Thalia. Thalia is a favourite of mine that I have running through a lot of the borders in the garden. It works well with tulips, unlike the yellow narcissi which I feel often clash. As the hyacinths and tulips go over this bed will change from predominantly white to blue with the flowering of the perennial cornflowers.
Below is Hyacinth Woodstock – a lovely plummy purple in the garden that works well with Tulip Purple Prince. These have only just started to flower. Deft Blue and L’Innocence have been going for a week or two now.
The next big development in the garden will be the tulips. A couple of varieties have started to flower this week, but most will be doing their thing throughout April.
I am very excited this year as I have managed to plant quite a few varieties in the Cutting Garden, so I should have plenty to pick for the house this year. I tend not to pick tulips from my pots and borders as I do not like to diminish the display. This is the first year that I have planted tulips solely with the purpose of cutting!
The sweet pea frame has been erected this week and is covered with jute netting ready for the sweet peas to scramble up. They are not quite ready to plant out yet – I still need to harden them off. I expect to be planting them in a week or two if the temperatures pick up. If you look closely you will see that I have put a weed mat along the centre of the frame. In previous years I have had problems with weeds growing inside the frame and I hope this weed mat will solve the problem.
Below is the garlic planted before Christmas, which is growing well despite sitting under water for much of the winter. In the same bed I have planted the early potatoes, but these have not yet emerged through the soil.
The autumn raspberries that I left standing after a comment from Cathy at Rambling In The Garden about double cropping have started to sprout leaves. I am optimistic that I will have early raspberries to eat with my strawberries this year.
The rhubarb is looking fantastic – I think it is shouting Use Me!
This week I been spending time cutting back the lavender hedge that grows under the espaliered apple and pear trees – a very laborious task which makes me question why I thought it would be a good idea to plant such a long hedge on both sides of the path in the first place.
Back in the main garden I am amazed at how much growth these delphiniums have put on. I have other delphiniums that are barely poking through the ground, but these were ready to have their supports put in place last week.
The bulb of the moment has to be muscari. I planted these as small clumps a few years ago and they have multiplied each year.
The main herbaceous borders that wrap around the house are starting to show signs of life. The tulips should be flowering very soon, the roses have lots of new growth and the perennials are all above ground level now.
Finally I wanted to show you my new garden arch. I have been admiring the arches in the Agriframe catalogue for some time now and decided it was time to take the plunge and order one. It was hard to make a decision as there are a few different styles. I chose the Gothic Arch as I thought this style would work without any flowery adornments, which is important in this situation. The original gap in the yew hedge was quite small, so it has been cut back hard to make the arch fit – hopefully it will regrow quickly.
There are lots of other things going on at the moment – cherry, peach and apricot blossom, camellias in flower, many narcissi brightening the garden up, euphorbias starting to flower etc, but I must stop somewhere!
I have a very busy day tomorrow, so I am sorry but there will be no ‘Flowers On Sunday’ this week. I will be back with a vase from the garden on Monday. I hope you are having a lovely weekend.
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Julie, great choice on the arch. Bet you’ll be happy you went ahead and got it. Everything looks so fresh and inviting. The displays of muscari are especially eye-catching.
Thank you Susie – I am already glad I took the plunge. The arch has opened up a view of the front garden from the hallway window that was previously blocked. A new vista always brings inspiration, so I have plans to revamp a flower bed and add a magnolia tree to improve the view.
Can’t wait to see the delphinium: one of my favorite flowers! Hope you have survived the weekend!!
Thank you Libby – I have just about got the house back in order! Teenage gatherings are not for the faint hearted – they were a great bunch of kids though and appreciated the evening. The delphinium is growing extra inches every day – it will be interesting to see if it flowers before the others or if they catch it up in June.
Thalia is an heirloom from the 1900’s and the last to bloom in my garden, but well worth it! Our spring bulbs are just breaking soil here in Midwest USA:-( Your garden looks lovely, we are very behind this year, spring is late…but will be here soon:-) Enjoying your garden:-)
I am glad you can enjoy my spring garden whilst still having yours to look forward to Robbie. Thalia is almost the last here – I still have Silver Chimes to flower and possibly one or two others.
MIne are just poking through the soil, but my crocus was emerging yestereday, so we are getting to spring at a snails pace-lol
A lovely review and you look to be very organised and ready for a busy April, I really like the Hyacinths under the box.
Thank you Julie – the hyacinths have lasted very well this year. I can smell their scent every time I step out of the kitchen door.
I love this time of year as the soil warms up and dormant herbaceous plants show signs of life. And I particularly like the image of your tulips in bud- I get as much pleasure from that stage as I do from when they are blooming.
I completely agree with you – tulips in bud and herbaceous perennials just emerging through the weeded soil are a perfect moment in the gardening year.
I love the mass planting of your bilbs – it makes such an impact. Your cutting plot is coming on nicely – what a treat to be able to cut all these tulips for the house. The arch is nice. Will you grow anything else over it? So much going on right now, I just feel like shouting stop, don’t move 😉
Isn’t it amazing Annette how we go from longing for spring to wishing everything would slow down for a week or two. I always feel that the garden is like a roller coaster with that long slow haul upwards in winter which is filled with anticipation – then the descent begins and we hurtle through spring, summer and autumn barely able to stop and take a breath.
For this year I am going to leave the arch bare and see how it settles in.
spectacular! both envious and very happy for you. thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you Bethany – I am glad you are enjoying it!
What a wonderfully beautiful stroll we had round your garden. Drifts of one flower makes such a statement, definitely the way to go! Your new arch is lovely, it would be a shame to cover it with planting.
Thank you Pauline – I am glad you enjoyed the look around my garden. The arch will certainly be bare this year and I am really enjoying the structure it has added to that area of the garden.
Your garden is stunning, Julie. I love the idea of growing Thalia with white Hyacinths. Your Delphinium supports are really stylish.
Are you free on Thursday 1st May to meet at Wyken Hall? Shall we make it 11 am? Let me know if this suits you.
Thank you Chloris – the date is in my diary and I am looking forward to meeting you.
Julie, I am so tempted to do intern in your garden. So many exciting things to learn from you .heavenly flowers and waiting to see the others flowers bloom that you have mentioned above.
Thank you Sajina – I am sure I have much to learn from you too! I hope that spring is now happening in Canada. I lived near to Toronto as a child and I remember the long cold winters, that were followed by spring in April and then a long hot summer that started in May.
Julie, the winter was good. But it’s bugging me it to see it melt very slowly. Anyways all this this very new to me.