Uncategorised

Garden Bloom Day May 2009

A tad late I am this month with my Bloom Day posting so, as compensation, how about some blooming chat from The Chelsea Flower Show first? The show takes place in London this week. Today, Monday, is Press Day and the Judges have been out to see the gardens too. Perhaps you might like to meet some of the Designers? Let’s hear from one… Mark Gregory with a guided tour from his garden on Sunday morning…

Chelsea has blogs so let’s hear is what presenter Lila Das Gupta had to say today about some exhibitors and designers that she thinks will do rather well. I’ve not seen to much coverage yet to say who my favs or picks are for Chelsea 2009. I’ve have been recording television footage which I will thoroughly enjoy watching – I’ll maybe catch up on some much needed ironing at the same time!

Coming back to my garden, with a thump, my bloom photos of buds, flowers and passed flowers should have been taken on the 15th but hey… it was very windy and wet. Trying to keep as close to the 15th of the month that I could I took the following photos at 8am on the 16th just before the rain started again! Raindrops can be pretty too though as you can see on the Allium bud below.


Allium Purple Sensation has come much further out since Saturday morning when only the two flowers above were out. I love to see the chives in bud and they also have such pretty flowers too.

The wind and wet has taken its toll on some of the less sheltered tulips. The Drumstick Primulas are well over now but I still find them pretty like this and will leave them a bit longer yet before I cut them down. Some of the rhododendrons are past and others have suffered with the wet. Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ has a slight lean towards the lawn now too.


Yellow is a colour that I’m not overly fond of in the garden now but I do adore the paler shades and plants with two tones. My late planted ‘Ice Follies’ daffodils have been such a treat to look out on to – although the wind and wet has many almost face down and falling over my gravel path. I have really enjoyed these bargain bulbs. I am also enjoying this broom now in its new position and I adore the humble primrose especially planted with the wonderful glossy leaves of Asarum. Polygala is offering up a few purple blooms but the yellows have become more dominant now. Ah… I do love the pretty woodland strawberry flowers. They and a few other plants are behind in growth from last year.

Flower buds on my Wisteria are now easy to see. Today I picked up a potash feed that I will give it to help the flowers grow. This is a plant worth spoiling if you are lucky enough to have it flower in your garden. I have a white flowering variety and the bees love it too.

Choysia flowers are now out on Ternata and Aztec Pearl. I love the scent on these blooms and the foliage of these plants too. My magnolia has a few lovely blooms coming out on lower sheltered branches but on the whole these flowers are going over and the foliage is covering this plant now.

A quick walk with rain on the way and I nearly missed this wonderful Fritillary (not sure which one now) but I did spot the buds on Cirsium (another fav of the bees) and Clematis. Miss Bateman is the closest Clematis ready to open. The alpine Lady’s mantle is also spreading its self around again. I love having to look for the flowers almost hidden and the sliver underside of its leaves.

For me, orange is the new yellow in my garden. This is a colour in have never had (or would dream of having) in my garden palatte until a few years ago. I have to say I am loving it with pinks and purples. The Geum below came from a friend and I have divided it so many times. I especially love it flowering next to water. New purple pinks to the garden this year have been some perennial wallfowers, violas who are still putting on a wonderful display.

You’ve perhaps heard of roof top gardens and green vertical walls. Well, Hedgehog Manor has moved its location away from my back door, for the summer months, to under my pergola. It’s been cleaned out and refurbished and is open for business once again with a new design feature.

The wonderful hosta ‘June’ had to be in this roof garden and a new lavender I picked up. I have moved some Golden Hop from another part of the garden which I hope will grow to cover the roof and up the pergola to the inside of my Wisteria. I need to add more soil to this basket and fabric planter which is actually sold for salad crops. I will then add some orange and cream colours with two varieties of nasturtiums.

Watching this area the other night with the better of my two night cameras. I don’t leave this one outside or use it on wet nights. It gives great images so I’m looking after it. Hedgehogs were spotted running around the back and in front of the Manor. I also missed one Hedgehog go inside too. However… during the recent refurbishment I also moved the position of the camera. Now… wouldn’t it be great if we had a female come in here to have her young. Fingers crossed… I have heard the rather loud sounds (and seen a pair) of hedgehogs considering mating. I’ve been busy in the evenings since and haven’t looked inside the Manor to see if we have any guests yet. I wonder.

Dense foliage is another excellent place to see Hedgehogs in the evening especially on a still night. You might hear them rustling through the leaves as they look for food or see the top leaves move as they pass through a border. It’s quite a funny sight to see and you can easily follow their routes. If you spot a route they take and want to encourage them to return I would suggest you put some food out for them en route! One other place you could watch for hedgehogs would be below bird feeders as they may find food on the ground there. Leave out a dish of water and that would attract them too as they do enjoy a drink!

Yes, this is a Bloom Day posting where I’ve joined Carol and 150 others (as of this moment) but I want to celebrate the foliage and greens of the garden at this time of year too. I do love the greens of my garden. Now, I wonder what we’ll see this coming week from Chelsea. I’ll see what I can do with links and videos for all who can’t make it. Have a great gardening week and if you are going to visit the Chelsea Flower Show have a fantastic time! I wish I was going with you 🙂

All photos above were taken in my garden on May 16th 2009. The videos shown above were not taken by me.

8 thoughts on “Garden Bloom Day May 2009

  1. Better late than never. I’ve enjoyed the tour of your garden a lot! You’ve got many pretty blooms and buds. Spring is a lovely season!
    I’m going to Chelsea Flower Show for the first ti me tomorrow – I’m so thrilled!
    /Katarina

  2. Hi there Katarina🙂

    Yes, that’s my thoughts too 😉 I’ve enjoyed keeping a record of the garden with this and even since Saturday there have been changes. It’s like that at this time of year isn’t it – everything grows with bursts.

    Yes, I agree Spring is a great season and I do love May and early June in the garden. Wow… you’re off to Chelsea 😀 I’d like to wish you an absolutely brilliant time!!! I’ve been once around 14 years ago and would love to go back again. May is exam time here for the schools (and my daughters) so I’ll have to wait three years before I would be able to go again. Do enjoy your first time there. I’ll be thinking about you 😀

  3. Like you I like the flowers chives produce and now have a couple of clumps which are left to flower.
    Nice to see the range of plants you have there Shirl.
    Hedgehogs. The local couple continue to visit every night. I put a bowl of water near the camera as they always need a drink and it lets me get a good close up of them.
    I’m wondering if mine are preparing to mate. The larger one keeps virtually prostrating itself in front of the smaller one.

  4. Wow! Fabulous photos and garden flowers! Love the little hedgehog… Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle… so adorable but do they make a fuss and cause damage in your garden?

  5. A lovely record of what is happening in your garden Shirl, I particularly loved the photograph of the Allium bud with the raindrops.

    I have not seen anywhere near as much of Chelsea as I normally do and thought about recording it, but I have such a backlog of recorded progs that I think I will have to just catch it when I can! Of course we have the delights of Springwatch to look forward to next week, HURRAH!

    I love colour, it excites me, so have never really had any restrictions although I do try not to put too many clashing colours together! I have sometimes inadvertently ended up with shocking pink next to orange which is a bit of an eyeful ;-), but then I think if Nature doesn’t mind then I don’t either!

    Good luck with the newly refurbished Hedgehog Manor, what lucky hogs they are!

  6. All that rain does give us good green in Scotland! Your raindrops on alliums are a beautiful portrait.
    Chelsea this week has allowed me to get through much more ironing than I’d normally have done!

  7. Hi there John, Robin, Carol, ShySongbird & Linda 🙂

    John – Yes, the chive flowers are so delicate. Yes, I do have quite a few stuffed in my small space. I propagate many. I love making new plants. Ah… great stuff with the hedgehogs. Yes, water is definitely popular with the hedgehogs almost more than the extra food! Mm… can’t guess what yours are doing but heard a couple the other night. Watched them as the walked around each other. I see you’ve had probs with a posting. I had an awful time with my last one and then it didn’t appear on the feeds fro ages after. Blogger must be having probs. Good luck with the hogs 😀

    Robin – Thank-you, I do love my May garden 😀

    Carol – Thank-you! Yep… you can’t help but love the hedgehogs. Nope… Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle is a very welcome guest in the garden. She and her friends are my volunteer gardeners – they come at night and eat the slugs and snails that come at night to eat the leaves on my plants. I am more than happy to leave them some tasty bites and a drink of water for their nights works 😀

    ShySongbird – Yes, GBBD is a great way of keeping records of flowers. Thanks, I loved the raindrops on the Allium too. It is flowering now and soon will make a full ball of purple. Aw… shame you haven’t caught too much of Chelsea. I am trying to keep up but failing too. Gosh… thanks for the thumbs up on Springwatch I forgot it was back so soon after Chelsea! Sadly I’m not a Chris Packham – I fear he will spoil the programme for me 🙁 Funnily enough it is the greens and other foliage colours (like the heucheras and grasses) that excite me. I am warming to colour and have to admit that I do find orange and pink and exciting combo (pending on shades). Thanks, time will tell if we will see any summer action in The Manor. Enjoy your spring/summer colours 😀

    Linda – It certainly does, it certainly does 🙂 Thanks, I do love that pic of the Allium. LOL… my ironing started well this week (viewing recorded Chelsea footage) but too an opportunity to get out in the garden (when the rain finally gave us a break today) moved things about etc and ended up too wrecked to iron… great excuse! Mm… I could use that to my advantage 😀

Leave a Reply