Some things blooming in the garden now... everywhere I look there are pinks and purples!!
An Aquilegia self-seeded seedling.
There are literally hundreds of different self seeded Aquilegia that pop up in nearly every bed and border around the garden. I leave the ones that I like and cut off the flowers of the ones I don't so that they don't get a chance to pollinate or set seed. In this way, each year I get a slightly different, and slightly 'better' set of flowers.
I especially like the double flowered ones like this one, and the 'clematis-flowered' ones. I have been selecting those and now have quite a lot of them in different colours.
Clematis montana
I think the cultivar name for this one is 'Maureen' - however, it was an existing plant in the garden when we moved in, so I don't have a definite record of the variety.
This plant twines over a pergola with honeysuckle on one side, Clematis cirrhosa on another side, and one side left open. They are all equally vigorous, so that none overpowers the other, and the resulting tangle of blooms (the honeysuckle is in flower now too...) is very pleasing.
The advantage of climbers, and the splashes of colour that they bring above head height, is not to be underestimated!
Papaver oriental
This poppy is one of my favourites! I look forward to it every year. The flowers are huge - if opened out flat, they would be about 8 inches in diameter. This pink one is much earlier in flowering than the other red and orange ones in the garden.
An Aquilegia self-seeded seedling.
There are literally hundreds of different self seeded Aquilegia that pop up in nearly every bed and border around the garden. I leave the ones that I like and cut off the flowers of the ones I don't so that they don't get a chance to pollinate or set seed. In this way, each year I get a slightly different, and slightly 'better' set of flowers.
I especially like the double flowered ones like this one, and the 'clematis-flowered' ones. I have been selecting those and now have quite a lot of them in different colours.
Clematis montana
I think the cultivar name for this one is 'Maureen' - however, it was an existing plant in the garden when we moved in, so I don't have a definite record of the variety.
This plant twines over a pergola with honeysuckle on one side, Clematis cirrhosa on another side, and one side left open. They are all equally vigorous, so that none overpowers the other, and the resulting tangle of blooms (the honeysuckle is in flower now too...) is very pleasing.
The advantage of climbers, and the splashes of colour that they bring above head height, is not to be underestimated!
Papaver oriental
This poppy is one of my favourites! I look forward to it every year. The flowers are huge - if opened out flat, they would be about 8 inches in diameter. This pink one is much earlier in flowering than the other red and orange ones in the garden.
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