Plants in Chelsea Week

 I always know that it's Chelsea Flower Show just round the corner when my alliums start flowering.  These are Purple Sensation and seem to come back reliably.

 A pink aquilegia has been flowering for a while now.

Allium close-ups...

 ...such tactile flower heads.

 Cirsium rivulare atropurpureum with Ballerina behind it.

 The very last of Ballerina - their petals were removed by the rain this week.  Nemesia Confetti is to the right.

An unnamed but pretty aquilegia which one of my sisters gave me and which is growing well for me. I like the white with tinges of pink and purple.
I have just watched the first programme about Chelsea this week - giving a little preview of what is to come.  Needless to say, I shall be watching all the programmes and featuring my favourites in a later post this week.
We are hoping that June will bring the rebuilding of our garden wall, giving us and our neighbours some much needed privacy and giving my plants a lovely backdrop. I am really looking forward to seeing it go up and I am sure there will be photos charting its progress.

My plants in Chelsea week 2016

 My plants have been busy during Chelsea week too.  The recent sun and rain has helped everything to shoot up.  Above is Clematis Asao.

 Cirsium rivulare Atropurpureum with its beautiful maroon flower heads.

 Clematis Guernsey Cream, which I had planted and totally forgotten about.

 Astrantia Hadspen Blood, I think, but am not sure, as it could be Moulin Rouge or Ruby Wedding...

 Lilac and Magnolia looking lovely together.

 Allium Purple Sensation against the shed.

 A rather pretty combination of Gladiolus Byzantinus, Nemesia Confetti and Chive flowers.

Clematis Arabella.

 The star of the show has to be my patio peony 'Athens' which is in its second year with me and looking amazing.

Even when the flower is shut up in the rain, it still looks beautiful.

Wow!  Peonies may not last long in flower, but when they are in flower, nothing else comes close to them for sheer glamour.  They get my gold award this week!

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...