What's Looking Good in April 2014

I always find that it's the "simplest" of plants that appeal to me, Myosotis [Forget-Me-Not] is just such one.........I love it and allow it to seed freely. Primrose's don't seem to take to my sandy, fast draining soil so well and don't seed great. Celandine will seed beyond tolerance and I have to take the hoe to them after they've flowered or I'll end up with great swathes of them!!

 

Well, they should seed quite easily, Yvonne, and once in the garden should always appear. But in my garden they're never in enough numbers to be a nuisance and I like the fact that there are blue and white varieties..........

 

Unfortunately, a lot of my "favourites" don't flower long enough to my frustration Perennials Poppies are another that just don't hold a flower long enough in my opinion!!!

 

Talking of forget-me-nots , I hope to get through weeding this area as the grass and weeds are taking over. A lot of the f-m-n will come out with tem but there's plenty of seed in the soil and they'll be back up in no time.



They're all over the garden and set off other plants quite well. They seem very comfortable growing with the Tellima




The hardy maidenhair fern (adiantum venustum) in the fern bed has got its light green spring coat on. It will gradually turn to dark green.


These miniature tulips were so pleased to see the sun that they were bending over backwards to try and capture as much of it as possible

 

This may not look particularly good to you, but we had our enormous willow tree heavily pruned a little while ago and all the cut branches are sprouting again.


This tree peony is very early this year and I've now counted 28 buds on it. They're opening very quickly in the bright sunshine.



A couple of the petals are growing out of the stamens!


Katsura is now changing colour and becoming lighter and with less contrast.


Hardy Geranium (I've been told that this is the only flower that actually has the word' Hardy' in its official name)

 

The pink tree peony is opening rapidly and scenting that whole area of garden


The yellow tree peony is much slower to open


Although the wildflower area is starting to go over it still looks good and the buzzing of bees is quite loud. The canes mark where I've spotted the leaves of bee orchids, so they should be out in a couple of months.




This pink and white Aquilegia is way ahead of the others.



The first of our lilac trees is starting to show flower and it looks as though the others won't be far behind.