The three As in May (and a couple of extras)

The three As in May are Aquilegia or Granny's Bonnets (above is a self sown one (I think)...

This was one from my sister's garden which has a lovely flower with lots of petals...

Then there's Astrantia and this may be Burgundy Manor but it could also be Star of Love.

The third is Allium, which I love but they don't seem to like my garden.  Even the ones I grew in large pots with the roses haven't come back as much as I hoped they would.  I like the ones I have got though. These are Christophii I think.

The couple of extras are this new acquisition, a geum (the label says Total Tangerine, but I am hoping it is Totally Tangerine). It will provide a fabulous contrast to all the pink and purple in the garden.  They are supposed to be good in pots so that decided me.  They are also supposed to flower for a long time and not require staking. 

The other extra is this lovely apricot foxglove.  I didn't think any of the apricot foxglove seeds I sowed last year did any good, so I think this may be a self-seeder from two years ago.  Whatever it is, it is so welcome!

Just because I can, here is another shot of the aquilegia.

It is the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this coming week, so I shall be watching the TV coverage as usual.  It is always interesting to see which plants are popular. 

Everything's coming up roses...and alliums (part two)

Here are the rest of the roses, with the exception of New Dawn, which is on the arch and which looks better when Clematis Perle D'Azur is in flower with it, so it will appear another time.  Above is Constance Spry, which only flowers once but is impressive when it does.  

Roald Dahl is not in the best place as it is shaded by the lilac tree and I will need to find somewhere that gets more sun for it, I think.  However, it is managing to flower. 

This is a Persica rose, which is supposed to be a good one for our hotter temperatures/less water.  It is Eyes for You.  I had one of the these before, but it was a spindly plant and I bought a replacement, which is doing so much better.

Another Persica rose, 'For Your Eyes Only' which is a reliable and lovely rose, with flowers ranging from apricot and peach to orange and pink.

Rose Dannahue, planted in a big pot on the north facing side of the garden and seeming to be doing well.

Emily Bronte, which is a pretty flower, but  to me, it should have a deep red/purple coloured rose, rich and deep - something like William Shakespeare 2000.  This one is a bit 'pale' for her, I feel.  However, the bush itself is strong and tall growing, so perhaps that's more like the author.

My most recent rose purchase is Bring Me Sunshine, named in memory of Morecambe and Wise, who used this song as a theme tune.

Geoff Hamilton, a rose named for the much missed TV gardener who inspired me to have a go at gardening.  It doesn't like getting rained on, so I caught this flower before it was ruined by the rain.

Finally, the alliums.  I am still astonished by the size of these...

...they are beauties, aren't they? Here with astrantia Burgundy Manor and erigeron karvinskianus. 

I didn't realise I had quite so many roses but as they are one of my favourite flowers, it's only to be expected!

The three A's in May

May is all about the three A's - Aquilegia, Allium and Astrantia - and I love to see them.  Above is an aquilegia (Columbine or Granny's Bonnet).  They have moved themselves about and self seeded in various places too, so it is a surprise to see where they will appear next.  

My alliums in the border are not doing so well and I assume it is because they are getting too hot and dry in the summer months.  With this in mind, last autumn I planted some in the big pots with the roses,  as I thought that roses and alliums always look good together.  These are some of the ones in pots and so far, are looking good.

I enjoy seeing them gradually open up and become fuller.

For Astrantia, here is Burgundy Manor, a lovely deep red.  It is also in a pot where I can keep an eye on it. They seem to like a little bit of shade and moist soil.  I have some of the white varieties too but they are not  quite in flower yet.  They obligingly self seed, so I have several smaller plants in pots too. 

Some of my roses are almost in flower too, which is quite early, but probably caused by the very dry Spring/early summer we had/continue to have. 

My garden in Chelsea week - all about the A plants - allium, aquilegia and astrantia

I have been enjoying seeing my own garden grow and change during Chelsea week.  It's always about the alliums and I have two varieties, Purple Sensation and Christophii.  Above is Purple Sensation.

This aquilegia has self seeded, but it looks good here.

Allium Christophii starting to flower.

A lovely red astrantia given to me by a colleague at work.

More alliums...

...and more.  I don't remember planting these here, but they look happy.

This is my favourite combination in the garden at the moment - allium, a blue (quite tall) aquilegia and a single rosebud.  Nature does put things together so well, doesn't she?

Another pretty combination of allium christophii, the pink aquilegia and another red astrantia from my colleague at work.  It will soon be rose season and I always love that.  May/June is my favourite time of year.

Great Excitement! (In my world, anyway...)

 I almost feel as though this post should be preceded by a drum roll!  However, in the absence of sound effects, I would like to announce that my peony Athens is flowering!  It is absolutely beautiful and I am delighted.  I know that this isn't world shattering news and in the great scheme of things, it means very little, but to me at this moment, it is wonderful.

 Isn't it beautiful?

 In other news, my clematis Warsaw Nike is flowering for the first time with velvety purple petals.

 Clematis Crystal Fountain is also putting on a good show.

 Alliums are still in flower too...

 and allium Christophii is just unfurling.

 It has lovely silvery lilac flowers.

Cirsium rivulare atropurpureum is also coming into flower, echoing the peony which is behind it on the border in a pot.  The cirsium may be a short lived perennial but this is its second year with me and it is doing well since I potted it on.

And finally...another look at the peony earlier tonight, just starting to go over a little.

There is another bud getting ready though.  I do need to get these peonies potted into bigger pots as they are drying out very quickly, which can't be good for them.  I have promised myself some gardening time on Sunday and in the meantime, I'll water them daily.
After all that excitement, I may need to go and lie down...

Purple in the garden

 

 The vibrant colours of the tulips have gone, to be replaced with delicate shades of lilac and purple.  Above, Clematis Ice Blue starts to unravel its petals, showing just the faintest hint of lilac/blue.

 The alliums are in flower and looking wonderful (they always seem to flower for Chelsea Flower Show week!)

 They are amazing in close up too...

These alliums (Christophii, I think but am not sure) are just starting to explode into life.

 Reliable and beautiful geranium Rozanne (complete with a coups of aphids - yuck- which are plaguing my roses and pretty much everything else at the moment.

 Here's a more tropical flower.  It's more on the pink side than purple, but I am delighted because it is flowering for the second time!  I am not that good with house plants, so when my Mum gave me this orchid, I was rather concerned.  I put it in the bathroom because I thought it would like the humidity and I think it does.  It probably needs a bit of food now though.

Nothing to do with actual flowers, but I was intrigued by the pattern the sun made shining through the net curtain this morning. It has been lovely to enjoy the sun, but all my pots now need watering!

A Floriferous post

 Here are a few of the current stars in the garden.  Above is anemone multifida rubra which I bought from a market stall last year. It just had seed heads on it so I was curious to see what the flowers would look like.  It has lovely ferny foliage with tall stems, topped by these small but beautifully formed, brilliant cerise flowers.

 This was sold as gladiolus byzantinus, but I am not sure it is.  It is a graceful plant and I put a few of these in last autumn so am pleased to see them flowering now.

 A crumpled cistus flower.

 Two clematis flowers (I can't remember which variety this is, but I do know it is a patio type).  I really need to pot it on a bit!

 Allium Oreophilum, which was included in a bulb pack and which I really like.  It isn't very tall and was unceremoniously planted in a pot last autumn with grape hyacinths and crocuses.

 My first Gertrude Jekyll rose of this year.  It smells wonderful!

 The astrantias have done really well, despite such a cold spring and being planted in a dry spot.

 Allium Christophii, just starting to flower.

 Allium Gladiator.

A self seeded love in a mist.

Clematis Ice Blue.

Oriental Poppy Checkers, which is tantalisingly close to flowering, but just needs a bit more sun (but then, don't we all?) 
I do enjoy watching and recording the constant ebb and flow of the plants.

Just a little addition (17th June 2013):
As I don't know what will happen with the list of blogs I follow in July when Google is going to retire something or other, which may or may not cause problems for us bloggers - you may be able to tell that I'm not really technology minded(!) and I really don't know what effect, if any, it may have - I have finally decided to join Bloglovin'.  Several bloggers I follow have done that too and said it was easy and was a kind of insurance policy against Google's changes.
I had some techno-phobe challenges to be overcome on the way, but I think I have done it. The link is here, if you would like to follow feltabulous with Bloglovin'. I think I have also managed to add a follow button down to the left under the housework image. Hope it works! I am not on facebook, so if something pops up about joining when you go to the Bloglovin' site, please don't feel you have to sign up.
(This slight worry about blog lists may, of course, turn out to be totally unnecessary, but I won't know until after 1st July.  Google really haven't made it clear what the effects will be.)