That Peekaboo Moment!

A return to the garden after a few days away can resemble the Peekaboo game we play with our grandson. In our short absence some plants seemed to have simply leapt out of the ground and into flower. This is a regular experience so that the return to home and garden will always have a touch of anticipation and excitement attached to it.

There will, of course, the few negative impressions on the scout of the garden – the weeds never stop germinating and growing and this year they seem to have been especially prolific and, of course,  the grass doesn’t stop growing just because the gardener takes a holiday. However, these are the constant and regular aspects of any garden and have to be taken as a given and simply accepted. However, it is better to focus on the positive and enjoy the surprises such occasion present to us.

Primula pulverulenta on the roadside verge

On the roadside verge – Primula pulverulenta with Saxifraga urbina (London Pride)

A pretty seedling which arose on the roadside verge.

Even before reaching our entrance I could see that the primulas, which have self-seeded along the roadside verge outside our garden, had come into full flower and that an unusual seedling had arisen. We had one very much the same last year which we had moved into the garden so as to keep a better eye on it. These are Primula pulverulenta which are quite like the more common Primula japonica except that the stems are a silvery grey.

We have a small patch of Primula japonica ‘Apple Blossom’ in the garden which we keep separate from the other primulas to keep them true to name and we remove the seedpods each year so they don’t produce any seedlings – increase is by division only.

Primula japonica ‘Appleblossom’

Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ is hitting full flower, a bulb which has increased in great numbers over the year and looks its best when the Laburnum in the back ground comes into flower. At present it is only beginning to show colour so we must wait another week to see the combination. Elsewhere, Allium ‘Goliath’ a large white-flowered variety has come into bloom. It is still in small numbers but they are increasing and promise to produce a good effect in a few years.

Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ which has increased well in this border.

Allium ‘Goliath’ – which I hope will increase in numbers in coming years.

The Chatham Island Forget-me-not is putting on a great show. I suppose because it escaped the hardships of this winter and enjoyed the wet spring. Regularly it is damaged over winter and doesn’t recover sufficiently to put on a good display, which can be disappointing. However, this year it is looking good and we can enjoy it.

The Chatham Island Forget-me-not… Myosotidium hortense… putting on a good display this year.

The absence of a few days gives us a sense of visiting our own garden, if only for a few moments until we are reacquainted with it again – “Absence makes the heart grow fonder”, I suppose!

 

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