What's Looking Good In April 2020

I bought my H scandens as a shrub from our monthly open market probably 12-13 years ago and paid about 18 euros for it but it was about 6 feet tall. It grew very fast here.

 

I'm enjoying the inadvertant orange-blue contrast in this shady corner:



And a close up of the bleeding hearts and euphorbia, mainly because this is the first year I've got more than one stem of flowers on the bleeding heart

 

Think this is an Exochorda The Bride but not 100% sure as I didn't plant it !

 

Beautiful setting @Simon Hollingworth and welcome to GC. Look forward to more pictures from you of your obviously lovely garden. Where are you?

 

Very nice @Simon Hollingworth and welcome to the forums

 

Near High Wycombe, Bucks, UK.

 

I used to live in Upton between Aylesbury and Thame and worked in High Wycombe in the mid 90s. Mice part of the country.

 

Erythronium Rosalind

Abutilon finally flowered - seed sown 2017

@Victoria - that Hibbertia was expensive! I thought plants were quite reasonable in Portugal. A couple of years ago I bought a lovely Leucadendron in a local market in Seia for only about 10 euro. You have access to lots of exciting things like proteacae out there.

 

My Ribes sanguinaria is now fading, next to it is a large Syringa, this is now well into bloom the blooms being dark mauve at towards the tip and a much lighter shade toward the base. This specimen I grew from suckers, 'aquired' in 1984 from a garden I was responsible for. It has only flowered the past eight years.

Shame on me but I still haven't pruned my roses. Nevertheless growth is good and strong. Felicea has been in bloom for a few weeks now, as also Iceberg. Teasing Georgia is looking great and has just begun flowering. Compassion, a reall vigorous rose is producing some fine buds.

Sadly I have lost several roses especially newly purchased ones. I fear this is down to health problems and my sadly lacking get up and go. Very depressing, I admit. I did manage to get a couple of Rosa. Lavinia. I'd lost a previous one, and Amanda's neighbour noticed her one. So the Prof: and his wife now also have one. Thankfully this rose is doing well. Lavinia is the name of a lady who befriended my late wife Valerie whilst in hospital.

As usual, wild violets and celendines along with Lords & Ladies are regular inhabitants of my garden. All are welcome.

 

We have stayed in Guarda perhaps 20 times during our tos and fros to the UK, last time 2006.

Prices have come down over the years. When we first bought here in 1984 they were virtually non existent. We had a Dutch nursery where we got shrubs for our apartment quite cheaply. This was a one-off plant and I haven't seen one since here. We now have two very large (and several small) garden centers but mainly sell indiginous plants, prices very good. I have not seen a Leucadendron.

 

The last of the daffodils and the start of the tulips...









The diosma is in full swing now; I picked this up for ~£4 in B&Q three years ago and it is probably the most value for money plant in the garden, the flowers start in February and keep going until early summer. I've tried and failed to get cuttings from it, so I'm seriously considering digging it up to take with me when we move...



And some figlets!