The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, or Two

We're very excited as we're getting our own Mrs Tiggle-Winkles - two to be precise.

Hedgehogs are in serious decline and our gardens here don't have any access to them for hedgehogs to find us so my neighbours had a bright idea. They contacted a hedgehog rescue centre and asked if we could be considered to re-home some injured ones that aren't ever going to be able to be released into the wild.  The lady (rather tall and formidable) came and assessed us and said that we could have two.  They will either be one eyed or 3 legged - many hedgehogs are injured in road accidents or by strimmers etc, but as we have safe gardens with no lawns to need strimming or any chemicals used by any of us, we are ideal candidates!

One neighbour has been very busy digging tunnels under our fences

and cutting hedgehog sized holes in them (the size of a CD apparently), so that they can roam freely between the three gardens.

I didn't know that they can roam up to a mile each night, but the lady was happy that between our three gardens we'd have plenty of space for them.  Mine is the middle garden and I'm really hoping they linger and eat all the slugs and snails.

They arrive next week sometime I think - we're all very excited!

In other news this tulip is currently my favourite.

It's tulip Menton from Peter Nyssen and has done really well.

Also, these irises have opened today - don't they look gorgeous with the rain drops on them.

I've no idea what variety they are as they were here when I moved here, they're quite short.

Sadly several of my other irises are suffering from slug damage - but that will all change when the Mrs Tiggy-Winkles arrive :-)

Bursting Into Life

Despite the cold spring my garden has been bursting into life over the last week or so. The colours are vibrant and despite the lack of rain in this area the plants still look lush. 

Patty's Plum is one of my favourite oriental poppies and I love how a self sown euphorbia is nestling next to it, a perfect colour combination by pure chance!

The roses are just starting to open, this one is Lady Emma Hamilton and has a delicious fruity scent.

Even the plants in the densely shaded bed are doing well.  Lots more self sowns here, all the aquilegias have arrived by themselves, as has the purple heuchera peeping through them.  I generally leave self sowns, especially in areas like this that are difficult to find plants for.

More Patty's Plum dot their way through this bed on the way down to the pond.

 And in the greenhouse the tomatoes are doing very well., some even have a few flower trusses on!

Cup of tea anyone?

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

The temperature's dropped and the sun has generally stayed away but it did stop raining for a little while today so I rushed out into the garden to see what was flowering.

There are red tulips,

pink dicentra,

and, bizarrely, a peachy rose (Abraham Darby)!

There's white exochorda (The Bride),

white lilac,

and white 'blue' bells.

There's a white and blue iris (Knick Knack),

bluebells (proper blue ones!), 

and tiny blue forget-me-nots.

But my favourite has to be this wacky, black parrot tulip.

It's in a pot by my front door, and they've actually done very, very badly (only about 1/2 have flowered) but the few that have opened make me smile!

Let's hope it warms up again soon!

The Sun Arrived!

What a difference a week, or there abouts, makes.  I went from wearing socks and boots to baring my feet in sandals practically over night!  And flowers seemed to open over night too, I'm sure the ceanothus went from no flowers to this in 24 hours.

And the irises have opened too.  For the first time since I bought them the two Cedric Morris ones have opened together (in previous years it's been one or the other), and they actually look quite nice together.

By the pond this iris Siberica has also opened, I like how delicate they are.

But my real favourite are these ones, and there are masses of them this year!

 

I've no idea what they're called as I inherited them.  In previous years I've been lucky to get 2 flowers, but I moved them last summer and they obviously like their new spot. 

 

They are so dark they're almost black, except when the sun shines through them and they turn this gorgeous purple.  I do have a bit of a thing about dark flowers!

So Nearly

My goodness it's February already, how did that happen?

I found my snowdrops this morning, hiding under some hellebore leaves.  I thought they'd disappeared (I think that every year, I really should learn!).  They're not quite flowering - but are so nearly.

Also so near to opening is this bud:

I think it's an Iris Reticulata.  I know I planted some last year, trouble is I thought I'd planted them in the front garden so I could see them when I came home each day and this one is very much in the back garden!  As there's no sign of any in the front garden I guess I thought one thing and did another!

Clematis Freckles

But these are definitely out and look so cheerful winding their way through the rose stems.

Winners (and a not winner)

Some plants are simply winners aren't they?  This magnificent Cedric Morris iris opened this week, for the first time ever.  I bought it a couple of years ago from Sarah Cook at the NCCPG plant sale at Helmingham Hall in August, it's Benton Caramel.  Cedric lived near here, just outside Hadleigh, so it's nice to have a little piece of local history growing in the garden.

Cedric Morris Iris - Caramel

Cedric Morris Iris - Caramel

It looks magnificent against the Abraham Darby rose, which is always a winner in itself - both in looks and scent:

Rosa Abraham Darby

But this plant is definitely not a winner as far as I'm concerned.  It was sold as Papaver Orientale 'Royal Chocolate Distinction', and is supposed to have "chocolate-maroon flowers above the grey-green leaves" and it looks promising at the bud stage:

Oriental Poppy

But when it opens it's like a faded version of Patty's Plum, far more maroon than chocolate:

Oriental Poppy

Of course it might have been labelled incorrectly and really is a different variety, but a chocolate coloured poppy it isn't!

Look What I Found

When I moved here the garden was covered with bluebells, not the native ones but spanish ones - still pretty but rather invasive.  I've dug loads up but have also kept some, along the fences and in places where they can't smother my other plants.  But look what I discovered this week - white bluebells!  I've never seen them before and as they're growing in dense shade where not much else grows they can stay, as long as they don't start taking over.

White Bluebells

I also found these flowering this week - a whole 3 weeks earlier than last year!

Dwarf Iris - Knick Knack

This week I also started to tackle an area of the garden behind the veg patch that hadn't really ever had any attention from me:

Before

The sharp eyed among you will notice that the wonky post has been removed and replaced by some equally wonky decking - I'd hate to break the habit of a life time and do anything level!  Personally I'm blaming the pallets underneath for not being straight, but it's better than it was before! I'm planning to plant some roses and clematis to climb over the pergola and put a bench underneath.

After

Fran and I acquired one of the pallets a couple of years ago, we saw it next to a skip in the front garden of a house enroute to a local garden centre.  On the way home we knocked and the rather bemused owner let me take it.  Incidently Fran has just posted some really lovely pictures of her garden over on her blog Lazi Dazi, if you haven't already visited her over there already, do pop over and take a look.

What else have I been doing this week - sewing, but that's another post another day!

Around Midnight

Earlier this week I spotted this little gem at the back of a border.  In the spring I thought it had died as there was no sign of life anywhere, but eventually the leaves appeared but no flowers.  I fed it with tomato feed and it has rewarded me with 2 flowers.  They are tiny, but beautifully marked, (and are actually darker than in the photo).  Maybe if I look after it a bit better, and cut back some of the surrounding shrubs to give it more light, it might reward me with more flowers next year?  For the moment though I'm very happy that it's alive!

Iris Chrysographes Around Midnight

Cedric Morris Irises

Last autumn I bought 3 Cedric Morris irises at the NCCPG (National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens) plant fair at Helmingham Hall from Sarah Cook.  Sarah now holds the national collection of these irises and her display was one of major temptation.    The irises I bought were just tiny rhizomes, but yesterday one opened to reveal this beautiful flower.

Unfortunately I can't remember what it is called, but as Sarah has open days on the 5th and 6th June this year, I may be able to find out then. (The NCCPG Spring Plant Fair is on the 30th May, also at Helmingham Hall, and as the entry fee includes a free plant I may have to attend that too!)

Edited - it's Benton Deirdre