At last the weather feels Spring-like; the birds are singing and more flowers are appearing every day. With the sunshine the little species crocuses have all opened up. They flower much earlier than the big fat Dutch crocus.
The first three are in the front garden, but the little lilac Crocus thomasianus in the bottom row have spread all over the back garden along with the winter aconites. They vary in colour from very pale lilac to quite dark. I was delighted to find a coffee -coloured one tinged with yellow amongst them . I have never seen a crocus this colour before.
There are plenty of snowdrops around, but this is the first Leucojum vernum to flower. The flowers are like little lampshades. They are much prettier than the tall Leucojum aestivum.
Leucojum vernum
The first little irises are coming in to bloom.
I grow some in pots in the greenhouse so that I can bring them in to enjoy inside when they are flowering.
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- Iris ‘Pauline’
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- Iris histrioides ‘Lady Beatrix Stanley’
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- Iris ‘George’
Also in the greenhouse is a pot of Muscari ‘Golden Fragrance’. The whole greenhouse is scented from this one little pot.
Muscari ‘Golden Fragrance’
I have shown you plenty of snowdrops, so just three today.
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- Galanthus plicatus ‘Edinburgh Ketton’
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- Galanthus elwesii var. monostictus ‘Handel’
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- Galanthus plicatus ‘Trym’
I showed you my lovely little Narcissus minor ‘Cedric Morris’ which came into bloom for Christmas Day. It is sterile so flowers longer than any of the others. It is still in bloom now and just as lovely.
Narcissus minor ‘Cedric Morris’
My lovely Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ has been in flower for some time. Now the later-flowering shrub Daphne odora ‘Areomarginata’ is getting plump buds .
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- Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’
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- Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’
I have already shown you the Witch Hazels, the Sarcococca and the fragrant Lonicera purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’ which have been flowering for some time now. I also have the rare Lonicera elisae which isn’t quite so fragrant but it has much bigger tubular shaped flowers.
Lonicera elisae
Two pretty pink flowered shrubs have come into bloom now. One is a Camellia whose name I have forgotten but it is a pretty shell pink. The other is actually a tree, a Japanese Apricot tree, with the most wonderful dark pink blossom.
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- Prunus mume ‘Beni-chidori’
Hellebores are really getting going now. I have read that you shouldn’t let them seed around because the seedlings will be inferior. This is rubbish, most of mine are seedlings and there is a good range of colours. Besides I want lots of them, not just a select few.
To finish my bloom day I will go inside to show you the lovely yellow Clivia which a friend of mine grew from seed and very kindly gave me a couple of years ago. I have sown seed from last year’s bloom and hope that I will get lovely stripey flowers like some of the ones he has grown. If they turn out a lovely lemon yellow like this one I shall be quite happy.
Thank you Carol of Maydreamgardens for hosting this meme. Do go over there to see what other people have in bloom now that Spring is almost here.
Chloris
So many choice bulbs and flowers – it must really brighten the spirits at the end of winter (which seems to have ended so much earlier this year). But I particularly love the scented muscari and that coffee coloured crocus – wow!
The scented Muscari smells wonderful and is such an unusual colour. My coffee coloured crocus is very special. If it bulks up a bit I will see if any of the bulb companies are interested.
Excellent! You shall have to ensure that you having naming rights 🙂
I miss the bulbs I can’t grow here now that I have seen yours, everything looks beautiful. If there is Indian Summer, you must be having Indian Spring.
There has been a cold wind for weeks but this weekend felt really Spring- like. It was wonderful to be able to get on outside and the sun made all the crocuses open up. They stay tightly closed when there is no sun.
Enjoy it while you can!!
These are such gorgeous photos! How could anyone have too many flowers? If the Hellebores are happy enough to plant themselves … well … who would we be to stop them?
The hellebores seed everywhere and I am always delighted to see them. They are all different and all beautiful.
Hurrah for hellebore seedlings! And for poor overlooked leucojum too! 🙂
I am always delighted when the hellebores seed around, you can never have too many.
So much blooming and your photos are just beautiful. I don’t know which is my favorite, but the Lonicera elisae photo was stunning. I’m so glad to have the opportunity to enjoy your (and other British gardeners) hellebores this year. While I was familiar with the blooms, I just didn’t know much about them and never knew there was such a variety.
The lonicera elisae is lovely and quite rare. The flowers are large and once it comes into leaf the foliage is attractive too.
Oh how lovely to see spring in your garden…so lovely. I know it will be just as wonderful once it stops by here in about 6 weeks.
Good idea to bring the irises inside, it would have saved mine from being pecked! Love that really dark hellebore.
Growing irises in pots is a good way to keep them safe. It is also nice to be able to get up close to examine them. I usually grow some in pots and some outside.
Your coffee-colored crocus is very exciting as I’ve never seen one that color either. I hope it spreads well for you! I planted Muscari ‘Golden Fragrance’ in the ground in the fall after admiring it’s delicious fragrance in some other gardens. It has yet to make an appearance where it was planted but many of my bulbs seem to have found different homes courtesy of the thoughtful squirrels who have been busy all winter re planting for me. If I can find any of the M. ‘Golden Fragrance,’ I’ll have the squirrels pot one up to enjoy in the greenhouse next year. Happy GBBD!
I am so thrilled with my coffee coloured crocus, it is so unusual.
Is Muscari Golden Fragrance hardy? I always grow mine in pots in the greenhouse so that I can enjoy the delicious fragrance.
The blue Iris almost leaps off the screen, Chloris. It’s wonderful, as are your beautiful hellebores. I’m really envious of the yellow Clivia, though – I brought one with me from my former house but, after 4 years, it has yet to bloom in its “new” environment.
Thank you Kris. The Clivia needs a period of being kept dry in Autumn in order to start flowering in late Winter. If it is kept moist during this period it will produce lush leaves and no flowers.
Lovely to see so much in bloom in your garden again Chloris, especially the Japanese apricot blossom which is so very pretty.
Prunus mume ‘ Beni- chidori’ is just coming into bloom. The flowers are a beautiful dark pink. It is a gorgeous thing.
So much to enjoy in your spring garden Liz. Interestingly my Iris reticulatar have begun flowering this week too.
I have just one little clump of irises flowering outside the others are in pots in the greenhouse.
I always enjoy a tour of your garden as I know I’m going to see something I’d like to grow at home. I’ve put two in my notebook this morning Muscari ‘Golden Fragrance’ and Iris ‘Pauline’, the latter is so beautiful, do you have that in your garden as well as your greenhouse.
The scent of Muscari ‘ Golden Fragrance’ is wonderful. I don’ t know how hardy it is, I keep mine in the greenhouse. I do have Iris Pauline and quite a few others in the garden but most of them are not yet in bloom.
Oh so many gems Chloris. I enjoyed perusing them all except from crocus thomasianus. I planted vast numbers in our lawn last autumn – not one came up! Must be those dratted squirrels again! That subtle coffee hued crocus is most attractive. I hope that it multiplies for you to make swathes. I’m with you on growing hellebores from seed. It’s so exciting waiting for the first flowers to appear and if you want lots of hellebores it’s an inexpensive way of achieving that as long as you are prepared to wait a while.
Oh what a pity Anna, those wretched squirrels. It is funny how they always attack newly planted crocuses and leave old established ones alone. I suppose they can smell freshly planted ones.
I am excited about the coffee coloured crocus. It is lovely. I hope it will bulk up.
A lovely selection of flowers so early in the year. I need to wait another week or so before my crocuses and irises start flowering, but you have given me a lovely taste of spring.
I have also made a note of Iris ‘Pauline’ – what a wonderful colour. I hope I can find some.
That coffee coloured crocus looks rather intriguing. It’s great to see all these flowers at this time of year and are certainly welcome. xx
such lovely images of spring flowers – alas, none in my garden yet, so have been walking in the local woods where snowdrops are everywhere. The colour of those little irises is just super.
All lovely, but my favourite has to be the Muscari, such perfume!
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Your clivia is quite nice. Beside, the bloom stem is long enough. Very often I find it is too short and the flowers somehow stay squeezed in the foliage.
Spring is coming and that nice 😉 Nice pictures too 😉
Your post just reminded me that I moved some I. reticulata Pauline bulbs into my front garden, I must check tomorrow to see if they survived the move. She’s a beauty.
You have some lovely spring blooms Chloris, that Crocus is certainly different, in a nice way I think.
I must ask you to refrain from posting anymore bulb pictures between now and Saturday (bulb show), you make my wish list longer each time I visit your posts 🙂
How cheering to see so much colour, the pale blue Iris are gorgeous! That coffee coloured crocus is amazing too and I’m now in love with the lampshade Snowdrops, I intend to get plenty more for next year…..you have me hooked! xxx
Another clivia, I may be asking you tips on growing them as I have no idea what to do with mine. I am going to try growing iris reticulata in the ground again and hopefully mine will come up like yours
I put my Clivia outside in summer but not in full sun. It hates root disturbance and doesn’ t mind being pot bound. In the Autumn I bring it in and give it a period of dryness, in fact I don’ t water it until I see it is starting to produce flower spikes. I think if you water it in Autumn it will produce lush leaves and no flowers.
Oh Liz, I was just wondering how your garden looks like and there is this free tour – how wonderful! I wish I could find so many gems in mine right now…but I’m working on it. Love the eranthis and hellebores, stunning 🙂
Everything is very sprightly, but the crocuses are an especially welcome sight. I give them extra applause for springing from the cold ground to share their cheerful faces.