I’m all behind and I’m not even sure why. I took pictures yesterday, was out at the Cornwall Garden Society Spring Show in the afternoon but escaped the evening reception but came back and just didn’t get the job done. We have visitors coming for the weekend and I’ve a million things need doing, not least pricking off all the pots of seedlings on the window-ledge right beside me. If this seems rushed, it’s because it is.
One.
Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Akebono’. This was looking very pretty in the morning sun yesterday. I don’t do well with the snazzy asiatic Epimediums, too dry in summer and too many slugs AYR, but this is yer basic grandiflora and is resilient. (I nearly said ‘bombproof’, but reproached myself)
Two.
Lunaria ‘Corfu Blue’ and an Azalea whose name is lost in the mists. First thing it was in shade, pretty but a bit subdued, later on in the sun it was all shadows and harsh contrast. Take your pick.
Three.
Aquilegia downy mildew arrived two or three years ago and one of the mainstays of our early summer colour is looking very much under threat. It doesn’t seem to be treatable beyond rigorously removing any infected plants and since that is around half of them at the moment, it will make a big dent. Reluctance to remove them only means they die anyway and spread it to more.
Four.
Camellia ‘Fairy Wand’. This poor thing languished in a pot for too many years under the misapprehension that it wasn’t hardy enough for the open garden. It seems it is, but it is taking forever to get going. It has these tiny red flowers which should be in abundant clusters along the shoots. Like me, you’ll have to use your imagination.
Five.
Muscari ‘Valerie Finnis’. This could be my favourite muscari, making relatively tidy clumps, spreading but not yet invasively, powder blue that shows up better than darker blues.
Six.
Presents for the garden usually come in the form of plants and since all plants are liable to unexpected demise, there is always an explanation for when the giver comes visiting. This concrete plinth, seemingly made in a flexible mould without being supported properly, so banana-ish, and the delightful ceramic piece on top of it, donated by different people who presumably felt our garden needed more and better ornamentation, might have to meet with a different sort of accident. I put the Carex in to disguise it a bit.
Seems I now have to go and fix the newly broken front door, Sue’s parting shout having been that it wouldn’t shut. Hope it’s a WD40 job. Hope I get time to check back on other pasts, hosted as ever by The Propagator. See you later.
Oh, a bonus picture, we gave this set of three vases of camellias first prize in its section. It’s from Trewithen Gardens, so an unapologetic plug for both the GCS show and Trewithen.
garden ruminations 
Hi Jim, I have the same muscaris but they are not as early as yours. The cold of the last few days has stopped them but I think next week they will be much better. The blue massif of Lunaria is really a success
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I think we’ve missed the worst of quite a bit of cold weather recently which has allowed us to get ahead. The Lunaria is lovely, it almost glows in low light, but it is a bit of a thug.
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The lunaria are stunning in sun and shade. Hmm, I wonder what sort of accident could befall you garden ornaments – frost damage perhaps! Or knocked over by foxes? My favourite is the epimedium, so very pretty. Yours are so far ahead of mine which are only just showing flower buds.
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Frost damage would be a stretch, we’ve scarcely had any. I don’t think we ever get foxes in the garden, though I could plausibly and unfairly blame cats for the ornament if not the plinth. Some of the cats round here deserve blaming for something.
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I enjoyed the two photos taken in sun and shade so that we could pick our favorite or meld a perfect picture in our minds. I love your humor and creativity.
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Your last picture is a stunner, no wonder it got first prize. Loving the epimedium, not so sure about the pot …… Have a good weekend with your visitors.
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It wouldn’t have been wise to ay you liked the pot; I’d have wrapped it up and sent it you. I saw the bush those camellia flowers came off yesterday, there wasn’t much left.
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That is a very pretty Epimedium, strangely the two I have (which I think are both ‘Amber Queen’) seem to avoid being attacked which is nice. Your Honesty is lovely and I like it in the sunny photo. I always though that it flowered in the summer! Maybe I am thinking of the wild type. And ‘Valerie Finnis’ is such a soft baby blue, I have grown that one and then planted the bulbs in the Cornish hedge, not sure whether they have appeared this year, which is odd. I think they would look rather nice with my ‘Pink Sunrise’ rather than the bright blue ‘latifolium’ I chose to plant them with. Are you at the show this weekend? I considered it, but still reluctant to spend time where there are too many folk.
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I can’t remember when the ordinary honesty flowers, need to look back through the sixes to find out. Later than this for sure. I saw enough of the show when I was judging friday afternoon to have rather liked to have gone backbut we had visitors and it wasn’t on our itinerary.
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Sunday would have been a good day. Maybe next year when hopefully things / life / covid has calmed down.
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That deserves its first prize, so flowers are stunning. Hope the front door was an easy fix.
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The door was no problem, fortunately. Sometimes people wonder why they don’t win prizes at shows and the answer is simple, someone else’s entry was better. The other two in that class never stood a chance.
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Your Lunaria and epimedium are my favourites and your Muscari is way ahead of mine, just in the next county! We have had a lot of frost this last week and even horizontal snow the other day, our plants have a lot to put up with.
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We had one sharpish frost on friday or saturday night, I’ve already forgotten. Did a bit of damage but could have been worse.
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That combination of Lunaria and Camelia is stunning. I’m with N2oGardener, but a little whimsy may grow on you.
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I’m not really a whimsical type.
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I can’t decide which photo I prefer of the Lunaria and Azalea. Initially I thought shade but now I’m not so sure. I think I have a very similar Muscari in a pot that I’ve yet to plant. It is rather lovely.
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Like most of the rest of the world I used to think that the deeper a blue was, the better. Pastel blues are far more effective though, I’ve come to believe.
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Fabulous camellias from Trewithen Gardens. I had a plinth that wasn’t set on a completely even base and it just developed a crack. Possibly the vase would bother me more though. Maybe a visiting young person would fall in love with it?
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When we opened the garden last year there was a near total absence of young visitors, but anyone, of any age, who says something nice about it, is likely to get it to take home.
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‘Valerie Finnis’ grape hyacinth is excellent, and its light blue color is exquisite, but is it as totally awesomely RAD as my Skooter approved white grape hyacinth from Tangly Cottage Garden in Ilwaco?
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There are honest answers and there are politic answers. Of course not, how could it be?
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Well;
1. Skooter approved
2. Tangly Cottage Gardening approved
3. Port of Ilwaco approved
(4. white, although not necessary, since it has such exquisitely pale blue color)
It is possible (except for #4). I can not remember all the names of the grape hyacinth at the Port of Ilwaco, but ‘Vallerie Finnis’ could have been among them.
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Muscari ‘Valerie Finnis’ is a good performer here also. ‘Manon’ is similar and a good performer as well.
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Not come across ‘Manon’, another to look out for.
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At first glance, the final picture looked like ranunculus (sp?).My aquilegia haven’t succumbed to any disease…they are taking over the garden anywhere the perennial geraniums have left them any space.
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I still haven’t got rid of the diseased aquilegias, I must, to give the clean ones a chance.
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Your azalea looks a lot like ‘Coral Bells’, an old (1940 or before) and very charming plant.
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We’ve had it a long time but have never thought it was anything unusual; pressed I think I’d have said ‘Amoena’, but in truth I have no idea. The frost finished it off.
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I hope it wasn’t ‘finished off’ for good, but just had this season’s blooms finished off.
I just found out today that another name for ‘Coral Bells’ is ‘Kirin’. If the blooms are petite and hose-in-hose form, it’s likely that and not ‘Amoena’. A pretty thing, whatever its name.
Cheers from South Carolina
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