Six on Saturday – Catch-up

06/04/2019

We’ve been away for the last week, lodging in a small, quaint seaside town (an old smugglers’ haunt) called Beer in East Devon. The weather was mixed to say the least,

Our holiday weather included various amounts of sun, wind, rain and hail. The snowmen lasted for 24hrs.

but we had good fun. Today’s prowl round the garden to check-up on all the changes at home has easily provided Six things on Saturday, so I’m joining The Propagator for his fast and furious, garden-related show-and-tell meme.

1) Coronilla valentina glauca

This was the label on one of my bargain buys from a Fullers’ Mill Garden visit last year and I although I had a notion in my head that I knew what I was buying, I really didn’t. When I looked the shrub up at home I was worried that I’d got the strident yellow version. The plant in the pot was tiny, so I wasn’t sure when I’d find out. However, in spite of its size, before we went away the plant was on the cusp of flowering and now, on return, I can breathe a sigh of relief, because the flowers are pale lemon with flashes of yellow tips. I mostly probably have Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca ‘Citrina’. Hurrah!

Coronilla valentina (likely subsp. glauca ‘Citrina’)

2) Fritillaria persica

My Fritillaria persica sits in front of the white stems of a Betula utilis var. Jacquemontii along side the driveway and has coloured up from green to dark plum while we’ve been gone. It is looking weaker than normal this year, so I must make a point of feeding it now.

Fritillaria persica has escaped the ravages of slugs and beetles so far, but is looking a little underwhelming this year.

3) Blossom

One of the first things we do whenever we return is to cut the grass. Then everything feels right with the world and order is restored, isn’t it? Well that’s how my OH feels anyway. It’s been done and now we are watching the falling damson petals gradually carpet the lawn in a floral snow. Elsewhere in the garden, the silver pear (Pyrus salicifolia) is just coming into full bloom. The flowers are so neat and regular. They remind me of looking down a kaleidoscope, especially with the way the stamen float over the petals seemingly unconnected to anything.

Silver pear (Pyrus salicifolia) in flower 06/04/2019

4) Spring vetchling

Early spring flowering Lathyrus vernus is putting on a fantastic two-tone show now. It is a perennial pea and grows to about 30cm, so it can be a bit lost in the plot unless it is sited towards the front of the border. I love the colours and am following the same pattern with my sweet peas: Cupani, Beaujolais and Twilight.

Lathyrus vernus is a prolific, front of border, flowerer

5) Cercis

Like many gardeners I am an inveterate seed collector. I over-buy new packets every year, I collect from my own flowers and veg, but I also confess that when I see an abundance of pods anywhere a few will tend to end up in my pocket (I especially like fir cones – never mind the sticky mess they make). Well, this cercis has been grown from a pod collected from somewhere, but I have no record. I was surprised at how easily the seeds germinated. The tree is still in a pot and is a few years old. It is flowering for the first time this spring. Now I just have to find a space for it in the garden.

Celebrating the first flowering of my home-grown Judas tree

6) Ducks and Daffs

This was the name of one of the boards presented to me by Pinterest this morning, so it seems only fitting to finish this post with Narcissus ‘Widgeon’. I’ve not figure out why they used this particular name for this large flowered daffodil, but see what you think:

Narcissus ‘Widgeon’

It’s got a distinctly apricot tinge inside its trumpet and pale lemon radial markings on its petals and round the base of the trumpet. I’ve grown them in pots for now and must decide whether to plant them out in the garden. Not sure that I like that apricot throat though???

That’s my six … Now to check out some other contributions for #SixOnSaturday

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