I am expecting great things from our band of SoSers this week. Specifically the UK department. Unfortunately we must exclude residents of the subgroup The Western Isles. Something very strange has happened. IT HASN’T RAINED FOR A WHOLE WEEK, NOT AT ALL, NOT ONE DROP! If you find this hard to believe, and I wouldn’t blame you, pop over to our very own Sun God Prop’s site and read all about it yourself. And at the same time you can console any contributors from Stornoway where there is aways a rain cloud lurking. I possibly exaggerate.
To begin with we have Anemone coronaria ‘Bordeaux’. I planted these in the same pot as Hedychium ‘Pradhani’ once it had died down for the season. Succession planting, extremely grown up. Little did I know quite how wonderful the blooms would be. The first blue bossed, deepest burgundy flower literally stopped me in my tracks when I spotted it earlier in the week.
Next we have a crocus with its violet veins on the palest lilac background. It has a name. It is a secret.
Now the new foliage of one of our apple trees. Look at the vibrant lime green leafettes with the softest indumentum, everything at this time of year begs close examination and praise. Come on apple tree do your best or I will chop you down!
On to Pelargonium cordifolium var. rubrocinctum which has spent the winter outside tucked in a corner, with the barest wisp of a covering when absolutely undeniable. Flowers are on the way, along with some new leaves. Much tougher (apparently) than you would imagine.
What lies beneath? When I tipped Potentilla ‘Brohna’ out of her pot to settle into the garden, I found that the base was being used as doss house for all manner and size of slugs. They hadn’t nibbled this plant but I imagine they nipped out at night for general rabble rousing and munching away from their own doorstep. Do not fear, they will nibble no more.
Lastly Tulipa ‘Blue Diamond’. How the mighty have fallen! It wasn’t long ago that I was coo-cooing over this tulip, it had prime position outside the back door, and its every wish was catered for. Now it is languishing up by the barely standing shed, the pot overtaken by oregano and residence of the horse’s head. It is still not blue, but it was forgiven for this misdemeanour a long time ago. Exile was harsh punishment.
All done for another week, may the sun continue to warm our hearts.
Off The Edge Gardening 
*Checks clocks*
Lovely crocus. Secret name eh? Are you short of plant labels? 😉 There seems to have been a slug and snail population explosion here. Too cold for nematodes; having to use organic slug pellets to keep up. My secret snail traps have been deployed and are proving effective too.
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I couldn’t be bothered to go out and check the name. 😀 Yes, a perhaps a little early for me, perhaps I will make a habit of it. Perhaps not. 🙂
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Notes to self: dig and pot Hedychium ‘Tara’, order Anemone’s to be planted with it. Go see if Pelargonium survived in garden (it did in a pot, but had root mealy bug, bye!) I have that crocus, your secret’s safe with me.
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Ha! And thanks 🙂
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How glorious is the colour on that Anemone! Just splendid. As to crocuses…no more for me. I planted some last Autumn, but not one single one emerged. I should stick to Narcissus which do well here. Lesson learnt yet again. And indumentum..well, I had to look that one up. A new word for me.
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And such a lovely word, did you say it out loud?
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Well, of course. Several times!
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What color this anemone! Magnificent! … About the slugs, I fought with them this week to find the one who ate a lot of my plants in my heated bench. I found 12 all around! … naughty pests …
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Very naughty! They are waking up hungry I think.
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What a fabulous anemone, I remember planting it but the pot remains empty. Clearly, it’s worth persevering with it. The crocus is Pickwick isn’t it? No secret there. Not now anyway. Slugs, urgh, don’t talk to me about slugs. As we speak they are rubbing their slimy paws together in anticipation of all the delicious seedlings I have prepared for their delectation.
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Slimy paws, that made me laugh 😀
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Hey, that’s a secret! . . . . But when the reveal comes, that would be my guess too.
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Those Anemone coronaria are divine aren’t they? I bought 25 bulbs for this year and they have been flowering since late February and still going strong! I also found several slugs hiding under pots – I am going to try the Nemaslugs stuff this year and see if that helps keep the population down.
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They are the best! But can you keep them or are they best treated as annuals to avoid heartache?
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No idea. First time I have grown them, but I shall definitely try. Dry them out and then soak them for 24 hours before planting again in the autumn. You can plant them now to flower later in the year. I might do that next year, save some bulbs for later planting.
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Anemone of the bulbous kind have fairly passed me by so far. Must rectify that. Lovely six. Glorious sunshine here. Tomorrow less so.
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Sort that out at once! Thanks 🙂
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Wish I could grow Pelargoniums better. I love them, but they don’t all love me back. Sidoides and Ardens being the main heartbreakers.
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Both sidoides and Ardens have broken my heart too! This one seems to be made of sterner stuff.
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Are the other anemones not bulbous? I want to try Anemone blanda. Are they not bulbous, or something like that?
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Blanda are, I believe. Japanese anemone are not bulbous.
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Quite right, just demons intent on world domination.
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Well, at least Japanese anemones have those tough roots that are difficult to kill, which is great for those of us who like them. That is good to know about Anemone blanda. I don’t need to grow many. I just want to see how they do here.
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They are corms I believe 🙂
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Close enough for government work!
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Corms? You would thin that the genus would find something that works, and just stick with it; but corms is good enough for me.
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I would complain to the management 🙂
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Oh, I got plenty of other issues to complain about; such as my fruitless mulberry makes no fruit, and my single date palm can’t get a date. I won’t bother complaining about corms, bulbs and tubers and such that I can’t see after they get planted.
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Love the Anemone, I have a few in the garden, they are of my new favourites!
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Perhaps it is a good year for them, these seem particularly hearty!
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No rain for a week! Next week the powers that be will impose a hosepipe ban. 🙂 just kidding.
I’ve never noticed before how striking anemones are.
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They probably will, this country is crazy enough!
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Lovely colours, apart from the yellow slugs. Yellow slugs seem far worse than the rest for some reason. Succession planting?! Get you!
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I know! I doubt it will happen successfully again 🙂
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That anemone is glorious! Such a beautiful colour.
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I grew a pot of the ‘Bordeaux’ anemones this year too. Lovely flowers but the leaves look a bit sad. I think I should have watered them more. As you say, no rain in weeks now…
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Echoing all the comments above – saves me from trying to spell everything! I have been watering my tulips in pots and bemoaning slug damage on brunnera. The season has started!
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