Category: Spring Bulbs

Tulips, Daffodils, Freesias, Grape Hyacinths, Snowdrops, and more

Feather flowers, Narcissus, & Snowflakes in a vase on Monday

On By CathIn Flowers, Spring Bulbs4 Comments

Feather Flower (Phylica plumosa) is a South African shrub. It doesn’t really like our clay soil, but this one is clinging to a steep slope and still doing well after three years. Bumble bees love it.

The tall bird head like flower is an ornithogalum. It has pretty green and white flowers up close.

There are a few different narcissi which are similar to the little Paper Whites. The one with the darker yellow cup is Avalanche. I’m not sure of the name of the one below.

As always, thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for reminding me to enjoy flowers inside as well as in the garden.

Spring bulbs and Scabiosa in a vase on Monday

On By CathIn Flowers, Light and dark, Photography, Spring Bulbs, Weather and Seasons3 Comments

Scabiosa ‘Black Night’ is another summer flower which put on a growth spurt during the extra warm winter weather in June. Luckily it’s in a dryish sunny bed close to the house, so was sheltered from the frosts and cold rain which July has brought. I love this flower, and Penstemon ‘Raven’, which is growing in the same bed, along with Osteospermum ‘Buttermilk’ which is making a fairly unenthusiastic attempt at flowering. Crepuscule roses farther from the house are covered with drooping buds.

The first of the Dutch Iris has bloomed, and a dill is blooming in a well drained bed. Narcissi of all types are blooming in most places and smelling sweet.

It’s interesting to see that vases from all around the world today have calendulas – this one is a self sown one from an original sowing of ‘Snow Princess’. Osteospermum Buttermilk looks a bit the same in this photo, but it has the darker coloured back of the petals and a darker center which isn’t showing.

It’s another cold and rainy day today, and while I am shivering, it’s comforting to see Cathy’s Sizzling Vase and other hot weather flowers at Rambling in the Garden.

Salvia flower with Erysimum

Lots of scents in a vase on Monday

On By CathIn Flowers, Spring Bulbs12 Comments

A mixture of strong scents are in my vase this week. One of the strongest and and a favourite of me and the bees is the yellow Erysimum, a shrubby perennial wallflower which flowers all winter.

Vase of cut flowers - narcissus

The Narcissus Earlicheer, Soleil d’or, and Grand Monarch all have strong scents, each a little different. The kniphofia is a small, fine leaf type, maybe poco yellow, or yellow popsicle.

The Salvia is either ‘Amore’ or Salvia sagittata. I’ve only taken a little of that as all the bees love it and I like to leave it for them when it’s warm enough for them to venture out. Thank you to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden who has Zinnias this week.

Scent of Spring on the Shortest Day

On By CathIn Flowers, Spring Bulbs18 Comments

From this day on the days will get longer, thank goodness. On these dark rainy days I get the wood stove going to make sure we don’t need to use electricity for cooking or hot water, and hope we can get through to the next day without having to use the generator.

It’s a warm winter so far with no frosts as yet, so we have roses blooming at the same time as the earlier spring bulbs are starting to pop up.

Narcissus Soleil d'or, paper whites, and snowflakes in a beaker
Narcissus ‘Soileil d’or’ with Snow Flakes and Paper Whites
spring bulbs in a beaker by window
A tall beaker supports the long stems of the narcissus.

Please forgive the quick phone snaps. Life has been crazy busy and if I get the camera out I will never get to doing the post.

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for continuing to host this theme, even in the midst of getting ready for opening her garden to the public.

cut flowers dutch iris and narcissus

In a Vase on Monday – a sad week

On By CathIn Bees, Flowers, Photography, Spring Bulbs22 Comments

C’s Dad passed away this week, having fought cancer bravely and gained a hard won year. For him, the end was a blessing I think as he was in a lot of pain yet struggled with the effect of the painkillers on his ability to communicate.
I know this doesn’t really belong in this meme – however growing and gathering and photographing flowers is my main creative expression at the moment so… all things come into it.
cut flowers iris and kniphofia and honeywort
Continue reading “In a Vase on Monday – a sad week” →

anemones and poppies with ixia

In a Vase on Monday – more Spring Bulbs

On By CathIn Flowers, Photography, Spring Bulbs, Weather and Seasons20 Comments

It’s been a wet Spring, and this seems to have lengthened the bulb season. Roses are starting to bloom, and we still have a few Narcissi and Freesias, and lots of Iris, Ixia, and Anemones. There is even one last Tulip. The Columbine are just starting, and Lily seedlings are coming up like grass in the humus-ey soil where I’ve retained the bank with old logs.
anemones poppies columbine and iris cut flowers

Continue reading “In a Vase on Monday – more Spring Bulbs” →

cut flowers freesias and anemone

In a Vase on Monday – Purples

On By CathIn Flowers, Photography, Spring Bulbs18 Comments

Well, mostly purple anyway. Everything is growing now, in spite of or because of the rain. Anemones are producing continually as I planted them gradually, and they obviously had no appeal to whatever ate the tulips. Dutch Iris are still brilliant. There are still some Freesias and Geranium Narcissus for scent, and perennial Stocks.
purple dutch iris spring bulbs and cineraria
Poppies are out, and the Cineraria have been flowering for a while. I bought a mix and I love this almost white one.

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narcissus geranium and anemone

In a Vase on Monday – Iris and Anemone

On By CathIn Flowers, Fruit Trees, Photography, Spring Bulbs14 Comments

Dutch Iris are the most accomodating plant I have, I think. No matter how neglected and surrounded by weeds, they send up their waving silvery leaves in Spring, followed by tall clumps of flowers over a long time. But they don’t seem to seed down, so not a plant that wants to take over the world.
cut flowers iris anemone ixia freesia
I’ve photographed some tamarillos and an orange with them, both fruits which are coming to the end of their seasons. Tiny plums are on the plum trees now and the apples are starting to flower.

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daffodils and narcissus cut flowers with california poppies and forget me nots

In a Vase on Monday – Sparkling Daffodils

On By CathIn Flowers, Photography, Spring Bulbs9 Comments

I noticed tonight that the petals of the white daffodils are spangled with little sparkles, tiny reflections of the artificial light. I didn’t catch that in my photos, taken outside in a cold light just before yet another hail storm.
The first wave of daffodils and narcissi are going to seed, but some of the later yellow ones and the lovely white Thalia are coming on now, and there are still new ones coming up – I’m enjoying the Poet’s Narcissus and some truely radical ones which came in the mixed batch.
daffodil flower photograph
Continue reading “In a Vase on Monday – Sparkling Daffodils” →