A day in May

I see myself as the sort of gardener who is very interested in individual plants and rather less interested in the overall composition. That said, I am not indifferent to it and to group plants by their cultural requirements often leads to a visually harmonious effect. I don’t have a large garden and in order to fit in all the things I want to grow I don’t have a lawn or much by way of patios or garden structures other than to grow plants in or on. Today I went round with my camera and this is what I found in flower.

When I say that I have been round far larger gardens and found less to take pictures of, I am merely saying that my garden is providing me with what I want. I recognise that we are all different and for other people my little patch could be seen as an uncoordinated mish mash of plants thrown together with no regard for design or colour or a dozen other aesthetic criteria.

Am I bovvered? Nope. I still like to see what other people do in their gardens, online or in the flesh as it were. I am always open to ideas, even design ideas, but for me the plants will always come first.

There are people about who seem to look much harder for the things they can find fault with than for the things they like. Perhaps they are afraid to admit to liking something in case it attracts scorn from someone else. I don’t know, I don’t understand that sort of mentality.

Ajuga reptans, usually treated as a weed, by me at least.

Bluebells. Could easily become a nuisance.

Uvularia perfoliata

Camellia ‘Nightrider’

Camellia ‘Annette Carol’. Like Adorable, a pitardii cross.

Papaver atlanticum, I think. Seeds about.

Malus domestica ‘Holstein’. German Cox hybrid.

Daphne ‘Eternal Fragrance’. One of the best new plants for years.

Libertia, the hybrid between formosa and ixioides. Excellent plant.

Stylophorum lasiocarpum. Easy woodlander.

Disporum cantoniense ‘Green Giant’

Magnolia ‘Ann’

Chrysoplenium davidianum. Slugs are not touching it, a good start.

Dipplarhena moraea. Nice compact form.

Rhododendron ‘Merganser’

Leptospermum rupestre

Lunaria ‘Corfu Blue’. A glow in the gloaming

Maianthemum racemosum

Aquilegia vulgaris, a weed but tolerated.

Libertia formosa

Corydalis ochroleuca. Seeds about a bit, I’d be happy with more.

Primula vulgaris.

Camellia ‘Bob Hope’

Wulfenia schwarzii

Cardamine trifolia. Very good ground cover IMO.

Lamium orvala. Seeds around modestly

Magnolia ‘Heaven Scent’

Dicentra formosa form, invasive but lovely.

Daphne ‘Eternal Fragrance Pink’

Camellia seedling from ‘St Michael’. Similar ones abound, I’m not going to make my fortune with it.

Disporum sessile macrophyllum BSWJ4316

Rhododendron atlanticum seedling.

Chaenomeles speciosa

Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’. Some inferor seedlings have come up, most I have weeded out.

Azalea whose name I have forgotten

Camellia ‘Spring Festival’

Camellia ‘Adorable’

Dicentra spectabilis ‘Valentine’

Muscari ‘Blue Spike’, still flowering after the rest are gone

Iris, bought years ago for the Hesperantha that had seeded into its pot.

Camellia ‘Spring Fling’