He's at it again...

As soon as I turn my back , another old shrub disappears . Philip's been at it again. It started with the dozen Arborvitae. Then  the old Philadelphus went. Last year year two twin red Rhododendrons left a huge gapping space at the front of the house!

That's when Arctostaphylos'St Helen's comes in...by the way the twin Rhododendrons are happily blooming away in the hedgerow in the company of the  other Rhodys.

Of course it was all my doing , Philip just following orders...

And it's my fault that he's had to dig the Viburnum davidi  out, why plant a tree with a beautiful trunk behind a whopping big evergreen shrub ? 

Bugles, Poppies and Saxifraga...

I pull this Ajuga out by the hand full all summer , but I love the blue blooms with the Celandine poppy.Speaking of which I've found tiny selfseeders all underneath the Poppy, and have potted them all up !!!!

Saxifraga rubrifolia with beautiful red, red stems this evening

Early this glorious morning....

Spring time....sleepless nights , waking up , with too many plans dancing round my head for the this sunny morning. 

And to get a few things planted in a new area !

April 2013 Bloomday..

The huge Acacia pravissima and the Eurphorbia's are the main attraction in the garden this month. Chartreuse  and yellows everywhere I turn ,which is fine by me. 

Those Eurphorbia's again , this time a dab of red from the Camillia 

I 've never been one to put together containers with any skill or style, but this one with just the three : Saxifraga ,Sedum and Licorice plant is possibly my favorite group in the garden at the moment 

I think the tulips are on Hiatus this year...where are the ' Ballerinas' I planted over 50 blubs a few years ago , just a handfull have bothered to show up, so few that I just had to bring them indoors , so they wouldn't look so bitty.
But, these T. Rococos have come out in force.

More red with these Bellis

Rather than post blooms  shown in past Aprils , I 'm posting very new ones. Blooms I brought home from the Hardy society of Oregon plant sale! This lovely ground cover Cornus canadensis will be one to take the place of all the Vinca Major I pulled up over the years.

Geranium phaem'Margaret wilson'

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Geranium phaeum 'Samobor' 

This one not from the sale, but a new bloom , the difficult to get my mouth around, Omphalodes 'parisan skies'

Lysimachia paridiformis var,stenophylla another shade plant, I did intend to get things for dry /sun , but came back with mostly shade lovers.

Yep, another shade lover Saruma henryi

And finally a very very nearly blooming Dianthus 'Baths pink'
Well that's my bloom day done dusted !
  Click over to Carol to see more April Blooms !

A few almost blooms...

Chedder pinks 

Tulip Rococo

Tulip Estella Rjinveld

Those seeds ... again

After swearing off any seed sowing other than directly in the ground...I've been slowly ... sowing in containers ! I got so fed up with all the trays sitting arround for weeks in previous years . But then I lost my resolve , when I saw how tiny and how few seeds were in some of the packets. So , I've gone out bought seedling mix and even Vermiculite !

And what seeds have I sown: Erygium Leavenworhii, Lysimachia Atropurpurea , Nigella "African Bride' , Salpiglossis 'Kew blue' , Dianthus 'Rainbow loveliness', Zaluzianska capensis ' Midnight candy', Nicotiana 'Crimson bedder', Calendula 'Neon' , Amaranth 'Chinese giant orange' ...phew !

Leplinella Platts black

Yesterday I spent some time picking out tufts of grass from my Platt's black brass buttons path , I must have been negligent last spring, so lots and lots of tufts. Those clever things hiding within the moss. My technique is to scratch away at the moss exposing all those awful bits of grass, then it's just picking and picking away !

And with all the rain today, I'm sure the tufts of grass I missed will be be back with a vengence 

And the Acacia just glowed in the rain and grey skies

The Bear grass ...nearly in bloom

The Bear grass , not really a grass but a lily relative. Has been bidding it's time , but now has started to bloom, Sadly this plant will DIE after setting fruit. Ah ...but it will set seed and I will have many more baby Bear grass blooms .
 

Spring has sprung...

Acacia pravissima  just in time for Easter with it's fuzzy little blooms

J