end of May/beginning of June 2017

I have so many flowers on the zantedeschia this year. Dividing it last year seems to have made it stronger than ever. There is a small pond down there which it is sitting in.

a few days later the echium Blue Bedder is looking fab with more buds opening

echium Blue Bedder

Coincidentally the self-seeded suspected echium vulgare/viper's bugloss has started blooming as well and is indeed as suspected/hoped, leaving the big question, where did it come from? I planted seeds years ago and only got 1 plant. I find it hard to believe the seeds could have been hanging around that long and where? or did it blow in, got carried in? However it got here, I am delighted but would quite like consistent results from seed sowing. In gardening that is not to be.

echium vulgare viper's bugloss

the lupin buds are opening from the bottom up, great colour

purple lupin

finally the green alkanet is dying back so other plants will have a chance, especially these fox and cubs seedlings in the centre, now uncovered (only 1 visible in this pic)

fox and cubs seedlings

I also discovered a fox and cubs seedling in a pot so I have 3 this year. (also in the pot honesty and morning glory)

fox and cubs seedlings

the echium Blue Bedder buds have started to open today (2-6-2017), gorgeous colour

echium Blue Bedder

the lupin buds are just starting to colour at the bottom

lupin buds

I love foxgloves and have a few in my garden. Knautia macedonia in the background, one in bloom and a few green pincushion buds.

foxglove

more knautia, one with a bee, that one in the back with the longer leaves around the buds must be a scabious? not a knautia as I'd been thinking - update - just saw a knautia in the background on Gardener's World (from 2-6-2017) with a bee

knautia with bee

yes, that is a scabious, looks like House's Novelty, supposedly a mix of 4 colours but disappointingly all mine have been white

House's Novelty scabious

the passionflower is blooming, first year I have flowers after it self-seeded a couple years ago, honeysuckle below it

passionflowers

The ranunculus flowers have been hit and miss. This one looks ok, in situ below.

ranunculus

as the red poppy petals have fallen I see there are indeed some Pink Fizz poppies left there

the red poppy petals falling have left the seed heads, 3 Pink Fizz poppies

pink fizz poppies

close-up of the Pink Fizz poppies

pink fizz poppies

I moved the pot so I could see all the poppies and seed heads more clearly

pink fizz poppies

a month ago, at the end of April, I potted some jasmine stems in an effort to propagate some new plants, one has sprouted some leaves and looks well on the way to being a new plant

sprouting jasmine

most of the delphinium stems have buds that are opening; although the stems at the back were so dark, the flowers all look quite similar

delphiniums

the foxgloves, visible in the background above and below, blooming well

foxgloves

some of those foxgloves I wasn't sure at first they were foxgloves, the leaves did not have the usual foxglove leaves (a week before):

foxglove buds

another foxglove not looking definitely foxglove-like

foxglove buds

and a week later when it started to bloom:

foxglove

lots of zantedeschia buds, echinops (globe thistle) at the back, snapdragons to the right, green alkanet throughout

zantedeschia buds

green alkanet starting to die back, this will give other plants a chance

green alkanet dying back

Back in March I had some muscari seedlings which I repotted into this (and another) seed tray. That one in the centre looks like a bulb is forming. I don't know if that is what usually happens or if it's just visible here as the seedling is not so deeply planted? Also the big question, when will they bloom?

muscari seedlings

Even though I have successfully grown the nasturtium Purple Emperor from seed, I don't like the flowers! I don't like the colour. I don't have room in my small garden for things I don't really like. Nasturtiums self-seed easily so I am going to try not to let any seedlings grow from these. I will go back to the orange nasturtiums I prefer.

nasturtium purple emperor