Whats Looking Good in March 2023

Everyone seems so far in front this year, only just got some dwarf daffs coming through but my alliums are up in force.

 

The violets are getting into their stride now as ground cover...and provide a lovely perfume.



The Loropetalum is around 20 years old and still puts on a good display

A happy coincidence that the Hyacinths and Euphorbia flower together. Will add more bulbs this year....


Leucanthemum or Rhodanthemum? Marguerite du Maroc. I didn't really expect this to survive the winter. Life's full of surprises

 

Self-seeded Freesias ...

 

A few from today. Comfrey starting to flower everywhere so bees very happy.

 

Ipheion "Tessa"

Corydalis solida "George Baker"

White Anemone blanda This has self seeded from the blue ones planed some years ago

Fritillaria melagris The white ones are self seeded fron the typical chequered ones

Muscari neglectum

 

Oooh.... I love freesias! One if my the most favourite perfumes!

 

Agree, absolutely heavenly.

Hyacinths are what I can't stand...horrible.

Strange how we all have our likes and dislikes isn't it, good job we do though.

 

Freesias are a beautiful smell, I agree. I didn’t mind hyacinths but in the last couple of years they seem to smell of nothing or an odd burnt plastic smell I think. Bought some for family and friends and they couldn’t smell them at all, even the blue ones. COVID loss of smell perhaps?

 

When I was much younger I didn't mind them but now...yuk. I'm the same with certain Lillies too. Strange.

 

Hyacinths, I brought a blue one indoors a few weeks ago, put it on the kitchen window sill.
Sat down in the other room with the door shut in the evening, later I spent a good few minutes trying to work out where the burnt plastic smell was coming from, it was the hyacinth.
I moved it into the porch where its cooler and it has a more scented smell rather than burn plastic.
I think the pink ones have a better scent, but it could be more to do with variety as some dont appear to smell at all.

 

My blue Hyacinth in one of those glass things this year, had a lovely smell
My mother hated them because my grandfather always put them on his parents' grave. She used to call them death flowers

I love Fresias but can never grow them. I've bought some this year for the first time in ages but I don't hold out much hope for them ...

 

Freesias sold for summer growing, I think you will find, need to be heat treated.

I always associate Lilies with death.

 

What's that ?

 

As I understand it Freesias are a S. African bulb that is winter flowering, or early spring, but they are not hardy, so they are often sold here as summer flowering plants, its the old idea that our summers, being wet and cool are similar to S. African winters.

But to get them to flower well they need a good baking before bringing into growth so they give them a baking through the winter.

Which would be why they dont often flower well the second year.

Of course I could be totally wrong.