Although winter and early spring flowering plants might have started flowering a little earlier this year than some, they were not unseasonally early; this is not the case with Rhodendron ‘Wine and Roses’ (above) and the large unnamed specimen below, which is light pink in bud but white in boom. Unlike last year, when blooms were sparse on all but ‘Cheers’, all our rhododendrons are smothered in swelling buds.
When I saw buds on the wisteria, however, I was not prepared for how quickly the flower buds would progress – they are not usually showing much before the start of May, with trusses at their best by the end of the month, but they could be a full month earlier this rate. All down to a mild winter and mild start to spring, unlike last year. So far, wood pigeons are not much in evidence in the garden so, fingers crossed, I and the wisteria may get a reprieve this year
It may seem early for sweet peas, but not early flowering variety ‘Winter Sunshine’, which is now in bloom in the greenhouse, appearing at its usual time early in April:
I wouldn’t say it was early for honesty, either, but was pleased at the sudden appearance of this white-flowered variety at the back of the obelisk border. I did have an established clump here once, in what was previously the snowdrop border, but it petered out, so where the stray seed has arrived from I have no idea. It will be good to re-establish it, but maybe not in this border.
One tulip that reliably returns here is the gorgeous deep purple parrot, ‘Victoria’s Secret’. Once I discovered its longevity, I bought more bulbs to establish it in clumps throughout the main and bold borders, but the plan was scuppered when the variety became no longer available. Pleasingly, existing clumps
Read more on ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com