Thursday, 7 April 2011

Down on my knees......

As I walked into the garden this morning I disturbed the heron.
He had been taking fish from next door's pond. Such majestic birds.
Tulip 'Lady Jane' has just come into bloom. Getting down on one's knees to weed the borders, is the perfect opportunity to view the garden close up and personal.
'Shirley' is such a lovely colour. I added the bulbs to the garden during the winter.


Snakeshead Fritillary have petals chequered in purple and cream. It is an easy meadow plant. Elizabethan ladies used them to decorate their dresses.
Epimedium 'Versicolor' is beautiful. You really do have to be down on your knees to appreciate just how lovely she is.
They adapt well to dry shade and seem to enjoy being planted beneath shrubs.

The leaves are evergreen and tinged red when young.
This is an absolute surprise. It has taken four years for Erythronium 'pagoda' to bloom.

Had I not been weeding, I think I would have missed this little bloom.
After pottering amongst the borders for a couple of hours I took a walk into the copse. The rabbits were enjoying the warmth of the day. I have not seen 'the old boy' for quite a while. I wonder if he survived the winter.......
A bee fly caught my eye. Fascinating little creatures.
They take nectar from flowers. Forget me nots seem to be the favourite today.




Hope you are enjoying your garden as much as I am.....have fun.

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16 comments:

  1. Anonymous7 April 2011 at 13:20

    Wow that epemedium is just gorgeous, I'll be adding it to my wish list for the garden, I love the warm colours.
    And snakeshead fritillary have always intrigued me, I can't quite believe they are real, one of natures wonders.
    Your garden and it's visitors are looking wonderful as always! xx

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  2. Lisa at Greenbow7 April 2011 at 13:45

    I have been in the garden a lot lately too. Such a sweet bloom the Erythronium has, worth the wait. All of your flowers are gorgeous. My Epimediums haven't started blooming yet. It won't be long. Fun fun.

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  3. grammie g7 April 2011 at 14:09

    Hi Cheryl...I so enjoyed your garden...the flower are so wonderful...and that darling fritillary, I don't like it having the name Snakehead, it is to harsh for such a beauty!!
    Nice to see the old boy as you call him...love his eyes!!
    Lovely photos...Grace!!

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  4. Cheryl7 April 2011 at 14:11

    Hi Lucinda, Epimediums are just so beautiful.
    As they spread they bring a certain charm to a shady area.
    Snakeshead fritillary are a native species, so it is a pleasure to include them in the planting.
    They are very medieval.

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  5. Cheryl7 April 2011 at 14:13

    HI Lisa, it is a fun time of year. I just cannot keep up with the changes at the moment.

    The greenhouse is keeping me busy to. I seem to be getting a little out of control. There is so much to do.

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  6. Cheryl7 April 2011 at 14:14

    Hi Grace, Fritillaries are delightful. I did have some white chequered flowers but they appear to have disappeared!!

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  7. Liz7 April 2011 at 15:19

    Hi Cheryl,

    I love your Epimedium, I wish I'd got some now but everytime I almost get some I then decide not to! lol.

    I do hope the old boy has made it through winter, sometimes they do steal your heart; even if they're also eating the plants!

    Shame to hear you lost your white Fritilaries, I have a couple and hopefully they'll multiply in the years to come.

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  8. Wendy7 April 2011 at 17:22

    Hi Cheryl, when I saw that picture of the bunny, I thought "oh no, they're eating your flowers again." Glad that's not so.
    I love your colourful flowers and imagine ladies decorating their dresses with them!
    How nice you got a shot of that heron. They really are majestic birds, especially if you are lucky enough to catch them just taking flight.

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  9. Cheryl7 April 2011 at 23:26

    Hi Liz, I expect the rabbits have eaten the fritillaries.....they do have an appetite for them. I have put a cloche over the purple to protect it.

    Epemediums would be wonderful for any shady areas you have. They spread slowly, they are magical and enchanting. I am sure, one day, I will find fairies beneath them or perhaps a unicorn?

    Have a warm and wonderful weekend....

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  10. Cheryl7 April 2011 at 23:29

    Hi Wendy, do not be fooled. The rabbits are eating my plants. I have learnt tolerance and acceptance. It is challenging. Where I used to be upset, I now look at the plants and think 'oh well' I grow many plants in the greenhouse now, so I can replace the dead plant with a species they do not eat.

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  11. Rose8 April 2011 at 17:34

    Getting down on one's knees is the best way to avoid missing anything in the garden, especially this time of year. Today I would have missed something if I hadn't looked closely--teeny-tiny buds on the 'Vanilla Strawberry' hydrangea you and Stewart gave me--hooray! I was worried last fall's drought might have been too much for it. Your Erythronium is so lovely--well worth the wait!

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  12. Wendy8 April 2011 at 17:46

    Hi Cheryl, so wise of you to grow plants in the greenhouse, out of the rabbits way. I thought greenhouses were only for the winter months. I know better now.

    I'm so sorry your emails are not getting through. I will get a gmail account and see if that works. If you have the "error code" or whatever the message is when your email is returned, perhaps you can let me know (on the comment form of my blog) so I can call my internet provider once again and try to solve this. Technology is wonderful when it works, but so frustrating when it doesn't!
    Sending hugs

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  13. Eve8 April 2011 at 18:47

    Oh I am Cheryl! and I sure am enjoying yours too! Everything is just so beautiful! Glad the bunny is doing well in the woods.

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  14. ShySongbird9 April 2011 at 03:35

    Lovely photos of your beautiful blooms again Cheryl. What beautiful weather we are enjoying, it is a pleasure to be out in it, I am sure you will agree :)

    I was thrilled to find the wild Fritillaries last weekend, hopefully, as they were surrounded by wire netting, they will multiply. I believe Oxfordshire is one of the main places they grow in the wild now!

    I love your little Bee Fly, I have never had the opportunity to photograph one!

    Your bunny looks very healthy, sadly I have seen many, very poorly ones in this area lately. I am sure, by the dreadful state of their eyes, that they are suffering from myxomatosis :(

    By the way, regarding the Bramblings, they won't be here much longer so you may have to wait until next Winter now but you never know!

    Have a lovely sun filled weekend Cheryl :)

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  15. NCmountainwoman9 April 2011 at 10:50

    Yet another wonderful post with amazing photographs. I love to visit your garden.

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  16. Tim James10 April 2011 at 11:06

    Simply love the Snakeshead Fritillary shot. Lovely work. – Tim

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