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After the rain.

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The rain has made such a difference to the feel of the garden, fresher, cleaner and more scented.

Along with the rain there has been a sharp rise in temperature, but I don’t expect that to last, nor the wall to wall sunshine that came along yesterday. In fact I can see fluffy clouds forming over the back of the house. At least they are white clouds.

I am adding a ‘few’ photos of what is bring me pleasure at the moment.

Paeonia lutea in tight bud and a couple of days later half open.

Molly the Witch has opened and is nearly over, the wind and rain didn’t help it to last.

‘Atrocity corner’ has Spanish bluebells coming out as well as foliage of summer flowers and leaves of earlier spring flowers. Although called Atrocity it has many nooks and crannies for the wildlife.

The pattern of colours under the beech tree continues to change and in the next few days I will be removing lots of the yellow archangel.

The crab apple is in full flower and it is such a pretty tree. The red crab apples are appreciated by the birds in the autumn.

I kept one of the Alexanders and was delighted to see lots of insect activity around it.
Pollen Beetles

Small wasps probably parasitic ones and they are friends in the garden.

The marsh marigold has finished flowering but I do like the developing seed heads.

Most ferns are now unfurling their croziers and I just love the simple elegance of them.

The C. cirrhosa Balearic was severely pruned in March and I am delighted to see new signs of growth.

When I cleared the same corner I moved a Dahlia merckii from the bed by the front drive and it has survived and is growing away nicely.

In one of my recent blogs I was rather smug about the neatness of the borders and Siris reminded me that weed seeds would be lurking.

By golly she was right just look at this little bit. The seedlings are borage and I will keep some for the insects.

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Comments

 

We've got the howling winds back again today, SBG, really contrary weather at the moment, though as you say everything is so much fresher after the rains.
I like your yellow paeonies. Is the Lutea a tall one? I have been trying to remember what my Paeony was which I grew a while ago from seed and it was that colour. I would like another (although life is too short to try again from seed!) I'm waiting for my first ever 'Molly' to show her face!
Your Atrocity Corner can't be worse than our bottom border. We have a full green bin to go out tonight and a half filled compost heap and that's only from half of it. But you're right, the wildlife is very happy with it.
Your crab apple border is stunning. I don't count borage as weeds....

10 May, 2021

 

Your garden is looking fabulous! So many plants in flower as well!

I didn't know those tiny black beetles were called 'pollen beetles'! My wife likes to wear a bright yellow coat & it gets covered in these tiny beetles! It's a real magnet for them! I see them coving many plants on the balcony as well.

That Crabapple is wonderful! I took a photo of an old Crabapple tree this morning with its white & pink flowers! For some reason it's a tree I'd not noticed before! But that could be because, although it's only a few minutes walk from our place, it's not a place I often pass by.

10 May, 2021

 

Lovely read and smashing pics too, Eileen. That's a lovely paeonia lutea, such a strong yellow! Molly is looking pretty too!
I agree, the rain has spurred a lot of plants to wake up and put in some new growth.
It has been warmer too, which we hope will last...
Doesn't quite feel like May..
Your atrocity corner is awash with spring colour and I love your Marsh marigold too.
My tree ferns are really starting to unfurl..better later than not! I, like you, love to see the unfurling...so architectural!!!!
I do love to see a field of borage...lovely shade of blue...

10 May, 2021

 

I left one of my Dahlias in the border covered with compost...will check to see if there's any life like yours....the garden looks very fresh Eileen. Good feeling that happiness when you look out on all the plants that give it.

10 May, 2021

 

Ange, P lutea is a tree paeony and it is about 6 ft tall now but it is easily kept in check by 1/3 pruned out every year and then new buds break lower down.

Thanks for the lovely comments. Dahlia merckii is a fully hardy dahlia in the UK so doesnt need lifting. it is a single/simple flower in a soft lilac/pink.

10 May, 2021

 

Sorry about the weed alert, SBG. No sign of my Molly flowering this year, usually so reliable! Spent the afternoon staking my Tall Iris as with the rain the flowering stems have shot up and the high winds will do for them.

10 May, 2021

 

No apologies need Siris, that is just nature isn't it?
I have very few iris flower stalks as yet. I hope they are not going to be blind this year.

10 May, 2021

 

I wish we had some warm sunny weather. Your peonies look gorgeous. Today was warmer but still wet here.

10 May, 2021

 

Love your sort of garden Eileen - little unexpected treasures in every corner! The Crab is a joy - bet you smile every time you see it...
I was interested that you give house room to Spanish bluebells - makes me feel better about mine. They are so beautiful its almost impossible to hard hearted with them even though they are all self sown. The ones in our lane are a mixture since some dear unknown added some to the original wild ones, and the pure English ones are getting diluted.
Love your little group of Anemone blanda - can't be cross with them can you? Atrocity corner indeed - needs renaming now!

11 May, 2021

 

Very warm here in comparison to previous days so lots of butterflies flitting about.

I let the Spanish bluebells flower then pull them to stop them setting seed but I am slowly removing them. There are some supposedly native's in the back garden but they look more like the hybrids to me. Again a good source of nectar and pollen.

If we rename Atrocity corner no one will know what I am referring too. and it is one of the 'wilder' areas. ;o)

11 May, 2021

 

I like your garden blog and pictures SBG. Your crab apple is a picture.

11 May, 2021

 

True, and by now we should miss you using that name...
Guess I need to harden my heart re removing the bluebells but it seems so ungrateful when they are so beautiful...

12 May, 2021

 

If you love them then leave them in, its your garden and I do the same with lots of British natives Yorks.

13 May, 2021

 

Lovely blog and photo's Seaburn, I can see why these are favourites and they would delight me also, I love the yellow paeonia's and the crab apple is gorgeous, I bought one last year for my Juliet, absolutely smothered in blossom, sadly no room here so I couldn't treat myself as well..
The flipping weather is ridiculous, we waited weeks for rain then when it arrives it doesn't know when to stop, was so cold as well, at least this week it's warmer even on the grey days when we don't get any sunshine at all, oh the joys of being a gardener. I'm ashamed to say I still cannot work out the difference between the bluebells but I think I have both.....

13 May, 2021

 

Spanish bluebells have blue or green pollen. the native is creamy/off white. Thats the way I tend to check. The native is also slimmer with a tighter throat and the petals reflex more.

Weather is really warm and sunny these last couple of days and there are even more weeds germinating.

13 May, 2021

 

thank you so much for your advice on tree bark, i have def decided to go with that rather than chippings, your garden is amazing, i wish i had a bigger garden.... but its lovely to enjoy everyone elses stunning efforts.

13 May, 2021

 

The only reason for removing themwould be to protect the proper English ones that are on the bank outside the garden. But they are becoming hybrids fast anyway.

13 May, 2021

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