This year the blossom and flowers in the garden have outshone themselves. It must surely be something to do with the wet mild winter, lack of frosts, and early spring.
Cercis siliquastrum - Judas Tree
It is strange the way the blossom springs forth from the sturdy branches and trunk of the tree. Judus is a corruption of Judean where the tree once flourished in the hills. Of course there is a legend associated with this tree that Judas Iscariot hung himself in one, and the blossom is said to be the tree blushing in shame.
Some call it a Love tree, perhaps because of the pretty heart shaped leaves
We are fortunate to have this lovely tree in the garden. When it was just a young sapling, a deer came visiting and rubbed his antlers up and down the trunk. The tree was distressed and died. We cut it down, thinking it was lost, but the next spring it sent up some new shoots. Fifteen years later it is a joy to behold
Allium aflatunense - Purple Sensation
Geranium phaeum - Black Widow
Oooh yes, what a delicious breakfast for the eyes Rosemary. I love your seasonal plant posting from the WFVM garden.
ReplyDeleteI would love to squeeze a Judas tree into the garden somewhere. Obviously the deer was rubbing the tree for luck.
Increasing I discovered just how resilient some of the things we plant are. Through wild weather, munching wildlife and the odd oblivious tradesmen they still seem to shine again.
Why is it that the window cleaner just doesn't get just how precious that "Bush" is. Fear not I have him well trained now!
Dear Mr. Paul - A little man came to change our electric meter yesterday, strange as it is less than 20 years old. Tucked away in a cupboard outside it has a lovely blossoming Weigelia in front of it. He wanted to hack it down, but H refused. H put some heavy planks in position to hold it back whilst the man did the job. When I peeped out of the shutters at him, he was not a happy bunny.
DeleteHello Rosemary:
ReplyDeleteWhat an absolute joy this post is with your wonderful images, and they never fail but to delight, reminding us of so much of an English garden at this time of the year.
We too grew Cercis siliquastrum and also the white form, C. silquastrum f. albida but never, on either, had the profusion of flowers which you show here. Do you by any chance also have C. canadensis 'Forest Pansy' with its leaves of a deep burgundy red? It is a small tree which we should thoroughly recommend and one which, slow growing as it is, makes for a very good container specimen.
Hello Jane and Lance - for the first time ever the Cercis siliquastrum is looking as good as trees that I have seen growing in southern France and Italy.
DeleteThank you very much for the recommendation, I am always happy to know about plants which will flourish in containers. I will watch out for one.
P.S. For the first time we have spotted your rotating cube. Amazing, and such fun!!
ReplyDeleteYou can make one yourself, they are easy to do - http://www.photocube3d.com/
DeleteI can always help you♡
Wonderful images, Rosemary. Your garden must be a glory to behold at this most beautiful time of the year. We too are noticing how prolific the flowering is after an almost frost-free winter.
ReplyDeleteDear Perpetua - I am always surprised at just how many plants we have in the garden. We don't put new ones in these days, maintaining it is enough - just some annuals and the odd new plant for pots.
DeleteHello Rosemary, I just got caught walking in a rainstorm, then came back and saw your wonderful and sunny garden pictures. Everything looks so fresh and vibrant there. I am guessing that when the sun comes back out here, it will only be to fuel oven-like summer temperatures!
ReplyDelete--Jim
It is certainly not oven hot temperatures here Jim, but very pleasant weather to sit out in the garden and enjoy a cup of coffee.
DeleteWonderful blossoms especially the Black Widow Geranium.
ReplyDeleteI love the Black Widow Geranium - it makes good drifts and looks particularly lovely in front of a pale lemon coloured Peony tree.
DeleteAhhhhh - how beautiful!!! Thanks for sharing your garden with us. I think Highgrove has the same geranium in the black and white sundial garden. Such a dramatic one!
ReplyDeleteThe sundial garden at Highgrove is very beautiful - he is a near neighbour of mine as the crow flies.
DeleteYour photos a lovely, Rosemary. I expect you have a beautiful manicured garden, would be good to see a photo of a section at a time.
ReplyDeleteI know the Judas tree.
Regards, Margaret
The garden has good structure from the box hedging and balls. We have divided it up into so called rooms.
DeleteWe were very relieved that the Judas Tree survived - they are quite expensive to buy.
"I'm totally overwhelmed by the beauty of your garden Rosemary"………..she says as she tiptoes outside this morning before the rains come to cut roses and pretty odds and ends to fill the vase. My own in no way compares to this - your colors and the mix of flowers, shrubs and trees is so beautiful, the ornamental items delightful……..dare I ask if you have garden help? Please tell me you don't manage all this by yourself - it would be a full-time job! Whatever, it's fabulous and I love how you share such a mass of gorgeous plants with us - nothing lovelier than a true English garden to get my heart beating faster! The Judas tree is special, how exciting that it actually came back after the deer attack - the heart shaped leaves are so pretty.
ReplyDeleteHappy week dear - Mary x
My dear Mary - Thank you very much for your very kind comment. We do have help in the garden these days otherwise we would not have time to go travelling and visiting our family. A man cuts all of the lawns for us ever since H had surgery on his back. He makes lovely stripes on the grass which H could never be bothered to do. We have another chap who cuts all of our bushes, hedges and trees, however, H will not let anyone else do the Box balls and hedging - they are his baby.
DeleteOnce a month a young women comes and weeds. It probably sounds as if we do nothing, but we do work quite hard in the garden ourselves too.
We were delighted that the Judas Tree survived the deer, we were lucky.
Hola Rosemary
ReplyDeleteIt was a pleasure to visit and walk through your nice garden.
We all can see the miracle of the nature in this spring showing life, trees and blooming flowers.
Lovely place and photos.
Kind regards from Brasil: Geraldo
Hola Geraldo - Thank you for visiting and for your very kind comment. Glad that you enjoyed seeing the photos, please call again.
DeleteDear Rosemary, I love all of your garden flowers and your beautiful garden. But my favorite is the black geranium. The're not easy to spot in a garden but once discovered and admired close up they are very, very special. ox, Gina
ReplyDeleteDear Gina - the little black widow Geranium seems to be a hit with everyone. I fell in love with it the first time I saw it and had to have one in the garden. It is a wonderful plant for filling in the gaps, and happily spreads itself around. Hope all is well with you and that you are now nearing completion of your big tile order.
DeleteDear Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks lovely in every season. I, too, had a tree that revived after all hope was lost, and it is a wonderful feeling, especially since my Lazarus is now shading a bedroom window.
I just reread your posting on the tea cozy that became a hat, and it still makes me smile.
Dear Mark - you must feel as if you know my garden back to front having seen it so often. However, when the flowers newly appear I just can't refrain myself from photographing them.
DeleteI am pleased that you enjoyed re-reading about the tea cosy that became a hat, one day perhaps my grandchildren will find it interesting to read about their father when he was young.
Your garden is a delight - so much in flower too - I wish my garden was larger so that I could incorporate more trees your Judas tree is stunning.
ReplyDeleteI recall the first time I ever saw a Judas Tree and didn't know what it was called - you don't see many of them around. I didn't know what it was called and spent time checking through my gardening books until eventually I found it. Isn't it funny, today you just look on Google and the answer pops up within minutes. I was determined to have one, so was really upset when the deer came and damaged it. As a garden tree it is not very big, quite dainty in fact - perhaps you could squeeze one in.
DeleteYour garden...eye candy really! Absolutely beautiful and wide. Oh Rosemary, I missed the previous post which was really marvellous. Did you visit the archeological museum of Vergina?I think that some of the findings you are showing are exhibited there but perhaps they do some transfers from time to time. Vergina museum is really unique because it's located into the tumulus protecting the royal tombs and looks like an earthen mouth.If you ever come back, it's worth a visit. I also want to thank you for your kind comment and wishes.
ReplyDeleteDear Olympia - we had the chance to visit Vergina and quickly put our names down to go on the trip, but very sadly there were not enough people to make the trip viable - we were both very, very, disappointed.
DeleteI still have two more posts which I have done to show about our visit to Greece.
What a beautiful garden, Rosemary. Such a nice variety of flowers and plants. Very English looking, which is what I love abut them. The first mention of the plant 'weigelia' was heard by yours truly in an Agatha Christie movie, SLEEPING MURDER, starring the wonderful Joan Hickson as Miss Marple, The gardener in the film mentions them when they have to clear away some plants to find the 'hidden' steps. :)
ReplyDeleteNow I wish that I had shown the Weigelia as it is covered in blossom at the moment, and you could have seen what it looks like. Sadly no hidden steps behind my - just the gas meter and the electric meter
DeleteWhat a lot off flowers in youre garden...I think you are right...because we have no Winter there are a lot off flowers.
ReplyDeleteVerry nice Rosemary.
Have a nice Weekend.
Greetings,
Inge, my choice
Thank you Inge - May is a month which I love - everything is so fresh and beautiful.
DeleteHope your weekend is happy.
Your garden is looking beautiful with such a wonderful selection of flowers. This is always my favourite time of the year! I have been out taking lots of photos of the garden too! Sarah x
ReplyDeleteYou just feel as if you want to capture the flowers on camera before they wilt and are gone until next year again.
DeleteWhat a beautiful garden you have...this is my favourite time of year! Oh I must find some allium, they are so lovely.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice evening and take care Rosemary!
Love,
Titti
There are some lovely alliums from pale pink through to purple like the one I have shown. They are so easy to grow and multiply every year. I keep meaning to get some of the very large globe ones, must try and remember for next year.
DeleteThank you for your kind comment Titti.
All of your photos are so amazing, the flowers are so beautiful, it is wonderful to be able to wander and look and enjoy. Very interesting to hear about the Judas Tree, I didn't know any of that, so thank you! xx
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind comment Amy - the flowers are perfect at the moment - they are complimented by the luscious new green surroundings too.
DeleteYour garden is such a treat to see Rosemary, and the Judas tree, the purple sensation and the black widow geranium are all very unique and special, things I have never seen. Springtime must be so enjoyable for you and H. Thank you for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteThe garden is looking floriferous at the moment, everyday new things are opening up and showing their faces. If I could make May last a little bit longer, I would be very happy. Glad that you enjoyed seeing some plants that were new to you.
DeleteYour garden is spectacular Rosemary. I do love May in England...all that new greenery and if we are lucky, such gorgeous colours. I have to say that it is the wild flowers here in Caunes that are amazing this year. The wild orchids in the surrounding garrigue are wonderful. Thanks for showing us these great photos. J
ReplyDeleteThank you Janice - the wild flowers are also wonderful on the common surrounding our house. Cowslips, wild orchids, and buttercups - they look like fields of gold. It must be all of the winter moisture in the ground here and in France too.
DeleteDear Rosemary,what a beautiful garden you have!!So many preety flowers and trees!Its always a joy seeing your gorgeous pictures!!Wishing you a lovely weekend!
ReplyDeleteDimi...
Dear Dimi - Thank you for your very kind comment. I know that you love flowers as much as I do, and it wonderful to see how lovely they all are in this month of May.
DeleteWhat a gorgeous garden with great variety of trees, shrubs and trees, very good for animal life . Cercis siliquastrum flowered here in Milan in april , I have a little 'piazza ' near my home with 5 of these trees flowering contemporarily ...a spectacle ! Wish you a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteI can just imagine how spectacular 5 Cercis siliquastrum must look in the little piazza near to your home.
DeleteThe Judas tree is just beautiful! A tree with a story attached to it, a happy one, giving me hope that the little apple tree we've planted en I had to cut down (yes, after this gentle winter) will find its second breath again as well. I decided not to put it in a pot in the end because I have too many pots as it is.
ReplyDeleteLove the Alliums as well. I planted some again last Autumn. Crazy because I know they never do well here but I just wanted to try it once more. Leaves came and a flowerbud but then it always goes downhill, no beautiful flowers. Think it's the lack of sun and light. Luckily we have some Columbines still standing up straight to enjoy ;)
I want to thank you for the tip about the daffodils in pots Rosemary. I'll leave them in the pot, thanks for the advice.
Marian
Sometimes it is necessary to give up on certain plants and grow only the ones you know will survive well in your own particular garden. I have spent a lot of money and time growing many different plants over the years that I have lost, didn't like our soil or conditions. Now I just stick with the ones that do well.
DeleteI am surprised that the Alliums will not survive with you as they are pretty tough and will thrive in any soil, but I do recall you showing some very muddy ground in your garden during the spring. They do like to be in well drained ground that is why they are drought tolerant. You could try growing some in a pot that could drain well and add some grit to the soil.
There are many, many, lovely varieties of Aquilegia apart from the normal ones. Some have very pointed flowers, and there are double ones that look like bonnets. You can get them in pink and white together, yellow and pink, purple and white etc. You could try some of those, they are very pretty, lots of colours and you know that they are happy with you.
Have a look here to be enticed into getting some more:-
http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/perennials/columbine.html#gsc.tab=0
You make me want to learn how to make those photo collages. Good; I love a challenge !
ReplyDeleteThey are extremely easy to do - go here:-
Deletehttp://www.picmonkey.com/
It is a free site to use. If you need any help from me, I would be happy to assist.
It's a fabulous time of year for the garden and the gardener. I never thought we'd have such a good spring/early summer start after the storms.
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful Suzie - lets make the most of it whilst we have it.
DeleteOooh, lovely - blossoms blossoming!
ReplyDeleteNot so lovely - my sneezes!
Atishoo!!! bless you
Delete