Back after a week out. Last week I was “up country”, sampling the delights of the M25 and M3. I was judging camellias at the RHS show at Savill Garden; now that is a lovely garden, and I managed to spend all of Friday at Wisley, a garden that seems a little less to do with my sort of gardening every time I go there.
Back home it’s all picking up in pace, most things starting to show signs of growth, lots of flowers, seeds popping up like mad. Six on Saturday is moving away from trying to make six out of three and becoming a matter of choosing from lots of contenders.
Here then, are my nominations for this week:
One.
My Camellia of the week has to be Camellia reticulata ‘Mystique’. This is puzzling me somewhat as it is not in the Camellia Register (never registered?), not in the New Zealand Camellia Register (it was raised in New Zealand) and not in commerce in this country, the Plantfinder saying it was last listed in 2013. The reticulatas are quite hard to propagate and it was not very vigorous as a young plant, but it seems to me to be worth a bit of effort.
Two.
Last year I did a friend a favour and replaced their spring bedding with summer bedding. A good many tulips were removed, bagged up in a plastic sack and tossed in a corner for a few months. In early autumn I went through them, expecting them to have mainly rotted, which they hadn’t, separated tulips from daffs, gave the daffs to the local school and potted up all the tulips in a big plastic pot. My expectations were very modest; I think it’s fair to say they have been surpassed.
Three.
A recent speaker at our garden club talked about her National Collection of double primroses. Suitably fired up, I bought nine. I have to admit that I like them no better than the plain, single, wild primroses that I have lots of, but I think I like them as much.
Four.
Talking of cultivated forms of native plants, my blue wood anemones are flowering. I think I have planted three or four different ones over the years but they all look identical. They’re not really cultivated, more selected. I know of one patch of blue ones growing wild not so far from here. So far I have resisted the temptation to dig a bit up.
Five.
Erythroniums are not native to the UK but I’m not going to hold that against them. This one came from a local nursery and is a selection they have made, called ‘Illand Pink’. I bought five and they seem to vary in colour so presumably were not a single clone. I hope they will produce seed so I can bulk them up quickly. I love the leaves just as much as the flowers.
Six.
Pleione formosana. I’m not very good with things in pots that are doing nothing for most of the year. My concentration wanders and things die. This one is into its second year though and is so lovely when it’s flowering that I have made it all sorts of promises to look after it no matter what. Till death us do part.
There will be many other sixes to enjoy, all linked from meme-meister The Propagator’s six. Sowing the seed of six on Saturday, about a year ago, must rank amongst his finest propagational achievements. Take a bow good sir!
garden ruminations 
That tulip display is dazzling! Not bad for a freebie! Lovely selection of flowers – didn’t you say you were a veg-grower?
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I must nip out and take a picture of the tulips in the SUN! Even better. I have been known to cultivate the odd carrot.
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A beautiful six. Some of those plants seem to be unavailable over here so it’s nice to enjoy them vicariously.
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Not a few plants I’ve seen in Australia I doubt I’d get here and would be unable to grow if I could. I love seeing what you grow without the flight to get there.
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Ha, yes the flight is a killer!
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The erythronium is beautiful-flowers and leaves.
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It is, I want more, lots more.
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you still dazzle us with wonderful pictures Jim ….Erythronium and Pleione… wow !😍
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My erythronium bloomed this week, & as it said on the label, is white. And beautiful. They’re such tiny little demons of delight. I love that bucket of tulips – how lucky were you? Why would anyone want them gone? Your good fortune, though. And yes, mystique was well worth the extra effort you had to give it as a youngun. Great six, again.
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“Tiny little demons of delight” is a phrase that will put a smile on my face every time I look at an Erythronium from now on. It wasn’t that she wanted the tulips gone, they were too shallow to put summer stuff on top. Her garden consists of a dozen or so largish pots which she tries to keep looking good for as long as possible.
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Yes that Pleoine formosa is worth it – does it live outdoors? Your Erythroniums are magical – and what a find with the tulips!
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The Pleione stays indoors, just kept frost free and pretty dry when dormant.
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I’ve always wanted to grow Erythroniums but I’ve read they’re tricky – have you found that?
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‘Pagoda’ which is yellow, is very easy in my experience, the others I’ve not had long.
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I love those double primroses especially the blue one and your wood anemones look pretty good too. I will have to track them down for my ‘woodland border’
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I would have bought 9 too! Those double primroses are simply stunning!
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I challenge you to look at Barnhaven’s website and resist!
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Those Erythroniums are pretty! Also the Tulips, a nice surprise.
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Bulbs seem to be getting the love this year, I want more for sure.
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Is it a year since Jon started this weekly thing? And if I remember correctly, you were the first contributor. So you can take a bow as well, sir, as without that first contribution it would never have caught on. I have looked at Barnhaven’s web site and managed to resist for this year (well, I was forced as I’ve overspent the budget already – three camellias, not two, and several of Thomas’ plants of the week and ……..). I’m beginning to fall for Erythroniums too.
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I was the first contributor and I have missed only one week since, which speaks of a man with time on his hands! Which Camellias did you get in the end?
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In the end I partly ditched the idea of keeping to muted colours and have ordered Bonanza, Gay Sue and Yuletide. The last wasn’t one of your suggestions but is destined for a spot in the back garden where its bright red plus the blousy yellow centre will work. Navaho may appear in the front garden next year. At the mo I’m making circles in the lawn but wondering whether I’ll remove all the grass and plant up the entire area.
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The last of our grass went one Christmas Day years ago when I had nothing better to do. I have never missed it.
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