The potential of spring bulbs

It's bulb planting time!

I'm slowly getting my act together and am planting more bulbs in the garden. I'm also going to grow some inside in a vase, like last year.

So, this year I am planting pink and black (dark purple) ranunculus, white tulips, purple freesias and a bi-colour anemone, which is a blend of white and blue. Exciting! I must drag out my daffs and replant them as well.

I did discover that I am somewhat allergic to hyacinths. Touching them caused a terrible, burning itch all over my face and neck. A google confirmed I am not crazy and certain people can find them very irritating. So beware!

What bulbs are you planting this year?

xx

Friday flowers...a very late, or early rose

This is Ambridge Rose, a lovely David Austin that I planted last winter. It has been pretty slow to get going and I was surprised that it has decided to flower now. I am assuming it's just very late and not very early for spring?

The garden really is looking pretty scrappy at the moment, but I suppose that's fair, it being winter and all :)

The bulbs are the one thing that are doing well. This is the front path and at the moment it's full of earlicheer and daffs.

My iTouch camera doesn't cope well with high contrast but you get the idea.

I have been photographing a bunch or tulips every day this week, you can see them in my instagram feed on the right. I'm still snapping away so will post those next week.

Well, almost the weekend. I'm meeting up with the girls after work today so looking forward to that, but have a busy weekend at work ahead.

How about you? I hope it's more relaxing than me.

Thanks for all of your well-wishes for my baby niece, Hannah. She is doing well and big sister Nicola (4and a half years old) is really cute with her.

Hugs xx

Friday flowers... hyacinths

Happy Friday friends!

Who's looking forward to the weekend?

I am! Hopefully we can fit in some relaxing, a spot of gardening and an little outing.

This Friday I wanted to show you how my lovely blue hyacinths are growing.

A couple have just taken off and are well ahead than the others. They're so thick with flowers too! Not to mention the amazing fragrance!

I'm so pleased with them :)

Have a lovely weekend and I'll see you on Monday with my camera choosing dilemma post. Why am I so indecisive?!

xx

Friday flowers...still growing

Hello friends!

Has this week seemed super long? YES!!

I have been fighting a sniffle, but I think I'm winning, so thank goodness for Friday.

There's not a whole lot happening in the garden at the moment, but I feel bad if I don't do a Friday Flower post :)

So, here's an update on my "inside bulbs".

They're doing well. I've brought them out of the cupboard and they're now sitting in the coolest room at the back of the house. The crocus is growing well, though it's beard of fine roots are just now getting moving.

I made the mistake of wandering by the half price bulbs at the local hardware store.

These blue hyacinths looked so healthy and were only $5! Well, I could hardly leave them there, could I?

Instead of planting them in a pot, I decided to try growing them in a bowl amongst small pebbles.

They've been under the sink for about 2 weeks now and their roots have started to reach the bottom of the bowl!

They look healthy and strong. I'm hoping the roots growing in amongst the pebbles will hold the flower head upright. We'll see what happens :)

Well, what have you planned for the weekend?

I have to work (again!) but we also have a 70th birthday celebration for Lyndon's Dad on Saturday evening. Just a family thing at his home, but I am planning on baking some thing nice. I just haven't worked out when I can do it.

Have a lovely day and thanks for dropping by :)

xx

ps still SO impressed with the pooter. I put this post together in about 10 mins and that included taking the photos. Must jump in shower and go to work now!

Looking forward to spring

Taken almost a month ago. The roots have just started to grow.

I'm trying something new to me this year. I'm attempting to grow a hyacinth in a bulb vase. Have any of you had success with these?

Taken very recently. See how much the roots have grown?

I have had it in the cupboard under the sink for a quite a few weeks and the roots have started to grow. I also have a smaller vase in the fridge with a crocus bulb in it. I'm interested to see what happens.

Somehow I also managed to find a little bit of room outside for some more ixia bulbs and have planted a small bed of lemon and purple fringed tulips.

I already have so many of my spring bulbs starting to emerge. The poor things will get a shock when winter sets in.

Like me, do you feel sorry for flowers that bloom out of season?

xx

ps was excited to see Downton Abbey back on the screen last night. Do you watch it?

Friday flowers - winter or spring?

It appears I need to have a word with my garden regarding the amount of spring bulbs that are popping up whilst it's still winter.

These eggs and bacon smell so beautiful.

I know I've said it before, but I feel a bit sorry for plants that flower out of season. Maybe it's a good sign that spring is not too far away?

I had to post another image of my blue polyanthus as that white edge is so pretty.

It's terrible but I'm really looking forward for this weekend being done and dusted. That will finally end my mammoth 12 day stint at work and I'll have two days off to catch up on everything.

I hope you are all well.

ps. don't forget my little giveaway. You have until Sunday evening to enter! I'm on my iPod thingy so can't post the link but it's easy to find!

xx

Stunning camelia and signs of spring on its way!

The bloom from my recent camellia purchase, named 'Volunteer'. It's not a shy looking bloom, is it? More 'look at me!' So pretty! Look at that white edge below...

I'm also rather excited to see my daffodils starting to bloom out the front. It's a sure sign that spring is on its way.

As many of you will know, I have planted hundreds of bulbs. Many are starting to appear in the garden beds so it will be exciting when they start to bloom. It looks like my little magnolia will bloom soon for the first time. Exciting garden moments ahead!

What was I thinking...

...when I ordered more bulbs for the garden?!! Everyone has read my complaints about having far too many bulbs to plant and how I am never getting through them.

Well, I couldn't help myself and ordered some lovely white Regale Lilliums (the nice fragrant white ones) and a pretty pink calla lily for the backyard patch. The even crazier news is that I have just finished planting the whole lot of them! Of course I now have no idea where anything is.
I have tried to go in colour themes - the front yard is yellows, whites, blues, mauves with a splash of orange and the backyard is full of pinks, reds, purple and anything else that doesn't fit out the front.
It's looking very patchy but that's a winter garden for you. I'm having fun working out what David Austin roses to plant and am hoping my hollyhocks and foxglove don't get obliterated by the slugs (I'm not a fan of snail pellets).
Now all I have to do it sit back and wait for it all to happen!

ps I did find time today for a lovely French vanilla slice at a cute cafe with my friend Leonie. How cool is the Hipstermatic camera application on her iPhone? And why don't I remember to brush my hair before I go out in public??!
Back in a few days with my new tipshop mini-project :-)

Gardening fun

I thought it was time for a garden update. I have been quite busy and still have a lot of work to do, but it's good, rewarding work. Some parts of the garden are still going strong but others need a little help.

The icebergs out the front are still lovely, as is the stunning blue salvia. I'm hoping that both will keep going for a while yet.

I discovered a number of flower spikes on my orchids so they'll be lovely to bring inside soon.

My little blue ageratum are doing quite well and I planted blue anemones and orange ranunculus around them the other day.

I finally planted up all my herbs into a few nice blue pots for the sunny spot out the front. I think they might like a feed along with the rest of the yard.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't daunted by the amount of spring bulbs I have yet to plant. I managed to get in a few hundred blue ixias but still have a few hundred ranunculus, daffodills, irises, anemones, grape hyacinths and freesias to go!
I hope the hard work is worth it!

Looks like being a busy Easter in the garden :-)