Follow up on Spalding Plant & Bulb Company's bulbs

When we came home for a couple of weeks at Christmas I took a look at how the bulbs I had from Spaldings were getting on (see my post dated 5 January).  There was little or nothing to tell other than there were signs of life.  I expected most of them to be done and dusted by the time I got back.  I am pleasantly surprised to find they had waited for me.  

Your winter has been so cold and extended that everything is miles behind.  I actually have three lots of snow drops which I find utterly thrilling as it has taken me many years and several gardens to actually produce.  Thanks to my friend H who gave them me 'in the green', fresh from her garden, two years ago.  Here they are amongst the dross of last years crocosmias.  Yes, I know it badly needs a tidy up but it is too cold, I have too much else to do and I would be disturbing the critters who might need it all...... greenfly and slugs (!!!) come to mind.

How English and full of Spring promise are these wonderful tête-a-têtes - from Spaldings.  I had ten bulbs and they certainly have  all appeared in full bounce.  They are my long-standing favourite and I have them dotted all around the garden.  I have moved a few of them from garden to garden each time we have moved house.  Again it is a flower from a friend.  My friend D used to turn up at school at regular intervals at this time of year with a pot of dead daffs for me, which everyone thought was odd and/or funny. They had done their thing in her apartment and came to me to go in the garden.  They do really well and multiply year on year.  I keep any large daffs in separate beds as I don't like the looks of either when the sizes are mixed.  However fancy the big ones are these are still the ones I love best.

To tell the truth I am not sure if these are the Iris.  (Spaldings too)  I had 20 Iris and 20 Allium and I didn't put a label in.  I never learn.  I always think I will know what something is when I see it and then ..... I don't.

Here are photos of both pots.  The ones I think are alliums are looking great.  Maybe the poorer pot will come into its own later.  Maybe I should have not left such a big gap above the soil.  Why did I do that?

I had 10 Tulips (Darwin Hybrids) and again everyone has produced a great looking plant, full of promise. 

Have you noticed how bulbs move around a little?  I promise you they were evenly set out in the pot but have shifted slightly as they grew.

These are kind of doubly exciting as I haven't a clue as to what the flowers will be like.  The pink edged ones will be a warm colour for sure.  Watch this space.

The 20 muscari are great looking too.  I am assuming they are the common blue variety which I adore but I know there are all sorts of shades now and white are very popular.  I have even seen a sort of lime green colour and a yellow with pinkish tops!!  It is a good job the horticultural world doesn't depend on me as I love the simplest version of pretty much every plant - plain yellow daffs, no frilly tulips, things that 'should be blue' need to be blue etc.  So, if I ruled the world, I would have robbed myself of some glorious roses and peonies and camellias to name but a few.  Still, I just hope these are blue.

Finally the last of Spaldings bulbs are the lovely, lovely anemone blanda.  These really are a woodland plant.  When they find a happy place they make carpets of blue through the trees and look just wonderful.  I don't have Monty Don's garden so a handful (20) in a pot will have to do it for me.... and it sort of does.  These are on the table immediately outside my patio window so I see them several times a day and they make me smile.  I try to do this inside as I do begin to look like a loony grinning at a bowl of plants.

They have clearly come out in a good spell of weather and have got knocked back by some frost, but they are struggling back and I think they will be great if we can get a bit of gentle into this dreadful cold we are having.

So thank you Spalding Plant and Bulb Company for a great gift and I hope I am doing OK with them.

If you want to see these pictures larger just click on them.  If you want to see them for any reason without the nattering along with a handful of others showing some more things making their way in the garden, go to photo albums - link in the right hand column.  Garden - 2013.  I am sorry Picasa Web albums are rubbish and don't let you nest albums into a few main headings.  This means a bit of a search if you want something.  Its default position is by date order so usually if you go there from a Blog the album I am sending you to is pretty much at the beginning of the stack.  If you ever want to just look at Garden albums they are all preceded with the word 'Garden' so if you click on sort by album title they are all bunched together at 'Garden'.