The season has been very different this year compared to previous years. There has been a significant delay in trees and shrubs leafing out. However, the resilient spring bulbs are currently putting on a great show. First to bloom are the snowdrops followed by a carpet of scillas. The rockery plants are coming along nicely and will soon be blooming. Clumps of violet and crocus are in flower and throughout the beds are miniature daffodils and a variety of hyacinths. I am patiently waiting for the tulips to bloom. I have had to put extra protection on the beds as a friendly deer decided to start feeding on them despite all the deer fencing surrounding our property.

Spring Flowering Bulbs & Plants

Meanwhile in my greenhouse the plants that I wintered over are doing really well with the help of a heater cable. I have started to plant up the hanging baskets using the mainstays (fuchsia and geranium) and bought basket stuffers. My favorite fill ins are diascia, nemesis, lobelia, calibrachoa to name a few. I have held off sowing seeds until this past weekend as the nights have been very cool. I have sowed a combination of vegetable, herb and favorite annuals including cosmos, godetia, nigella and tithonia. The tithonia (mexican sunflower) did so well last year that I have sowed this seed again. I have also potted up some dahlia and ranunculus. The ranunculus has done very well, however, the dahlias are only showing a few shoots. Again this could be due to the long stretch of colder temperatures.

Preparing Hanging Baskets in Greenhouse

New perennial shoots are showing up in the beds daily. Clumps of aquilegia, pyrethrum, peony and lupin. A lovely sight to see.

Perennial Shoots

Once the weather warms up the scene will look very different in my English Cottage Garden.  Until next time….