Unlike our London garden, which is having an unscheduled green moment, our coastal garden is a riot of colour this Easter. For the first time this year I feel that everything is coming good, the investment in all that arduous autumn bulb planting finally paying dividends. A mild winter and even milder start to spring has ensured that plants normally battered and bruised by the cold have barely stopped growing for twelve months. Agapanthus africanus (in the background below) and Zantedeschia aethiopica are rudely luxuriant, whilst tender plants such as Melianthus major and Echium pininana are already coming into flower. No such luck with Beschorneria yuccoides, which is apparently biding its time, saving its phallic flower stems for a more appropriate occasion.
The backdrop to this barnstorming floral bonanza is a seven year old Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’ which, despite being stripped of its leaves during the winter storms, is now plastered in posies of custard yellow flowers. They carry a light aroma, but it’s nothing to write home about. Last year we saw no blooms until late May / early June but, happily, this year we can celebrate Easter surrounded by these pretty, fleeting flowers.
Much of the colour in the garden is thanks to tulips, all planted in pots and arranged carefully around the terrace to maintain a succession of blooms. A new discovery for me this season is T. ‘Exotic Emperor’, a Fosteriana type which emerges early and lasts for weeks. Plump buds were in evidence at the end of March and the petals are only just starting to drop now. They leave behind curiously contorted seed heads which are almost as enthralling as the flowers. I’d plant T. ‘Exotic Emperor’ again alongside late daffodils, emerging ferns or other white tulips, but the combination of yellow, green and white ensures it looks fabulous with just about anything.
Another tulip I would not be without is T. ‘White Triumphator’. This is one of the most regal tulips; tall, statuesque and purest white. The flower stems are strong and upright, making it ideal for the back of the border or to cover for earlier, shorter varieties. T. ‘White Triumphator’ has been around since the 1940s and was an essential part of the original white gardens at Sissinghurst and Hidcote. I plant the bulbs, ten to a large black plastic pot, in October and keep them as back-up for any gaps that emerge in spring. Should gaps not emerge, they make a superb cut flower, so much more elegant than anything that’s available in the shops.
Quite by accident, as I rescued them from the bargain bin at our local garden centre, I have several pots of cheerful, white and yellow, highly scented violas. They are brilliant to have around for their profuse flowers and wonderful sweet fragrance. I find them very therapeutic to deadhead when I should be attending to more important tasks.
I shall leave you, on this Easter Saturday evening, with my favourite of all spring bulbs Fritillaria imperialis ‘William Rex’. He’s not grown as tall this year (it surely can’t be for lack of water?) but the baby snails, which are rife this spring, are finding every part of him utterly delectable. If it’s not lily beetle it’s snails, I can’t win! Between wafts of scent coming from the violas I catch the odd whiff of old William. It’s a foxy aroma, but it certainly keeps the neighbours pesky cats at arms length.
I hope the Easter bunny is generous when he visits you in the morning. In the meantime I’ll wish you a very Happy Easter – may your garden grow bountifully!
Categories: Bulbs, Container gardening, Flowers, Our Coastal Garden, Plants
Your garden look gorgeous, the colour combinations are really lovely and I absolutely love Exotic emperor. We have a lot of small snails this year too, I chuck them over the fence into the field behind but am sure they are finding their way back. Happy Easter.
Love your garden and your writing style I’m hitting the allotment tommrow morning to clear up the strawberry patch and also plant the potatoes read all about it on my website quint.simple site.com log on to allotment news and retford gardener keep sending me your articles happy Easter to you as led Zeppelin said oh let the sunshine down on me
Thank you. It sounds like you have been seriously busy on that allotment! Please keep checking back for new posts as I keep the blog updated quite regularly. Wishing you a very Happy Easter! Dan
Dear FG – what a scrumptious Easter treat to receive! The garden is divine and I am green with envy as my bedraggled garden limps out of our hottest summer ever. Even my aggies are badly heat affected. The courtyard is truly beautiful, uplifting and so pretty. House and Garden should be out with their cameras. Took my mother to church today and shared these photos with some of her friends who were also ‘wowed’ by the beautiful display. Wishing you a very peaceful and happy Easter. Thank you for sharing the pics, it really made my day.
Am on count day to Chelsea – so excited!
Chelsea is exactly one month away today. I am looking at the tickets right now. It should be a cracker – there’s already quite a lot of publicity about it here. Thank you for sharing the photos and glad they were appreciated. You will marvel at how tiny the garden really is when you see it – nothing compared to your ‘estate’! It’s raining a bit today so I am finally catching up on indoor jobs – I’d rather be outdoors though! Have a lovely Easter Day x
Absolutely gorgeous! I am going to take heart and plant more bulbs in pots – and I love the ‘Exotic Emperor’. Thank you
You should. Because our garden is quite lush and evergreen we don’t have the spaces come the autumn to plant bulbs, so I cheat by brining them on in pots and dotting them around where needed. It’s not especially economical, but the money buys me a lot of flower power. Happy Easter to you!
Wow, your garden is looking fantastic. Love the tulips and Rosa bankiae ‘Lutea’. We tried lots of new tulips and narcissus this year at Sissinghurst and it’s been interesting watching them flower this Spring. Some are not as expected! Have a great Easter in that splendid garden of yours. Helen
Yes, the thing about experimenting is that not everything goes to plan. I tried a few combinations this year that I didn’t like so much when the flowers came out, but nothing ventured, nothing gained! Have a very Happy Easter. Dan
Your garden is gorgeous, your photos are spectacular, and I wish you a wonderful Easter. My mother’s favorite flower was the simple Viola, so I especially love your pots of yellow and white ones. 🙂
Happy Easter to you! Love the:
a) rose
b) violas
c) tulips
d) fritillery
e) the bloomin’ lot! x
What a wonderful display. I am specially jealous of your gorgeous banksiae rose. Mine stubbornly refuses to flower. Dear little violas and gorgeous tulips. It all looks wonderful.
Thank you and Happy Easter to you! We grow our Rosa banksiae in a very dry, sunny raised bed with not much of a root run. It grows up a tree and along the east-facing wall of our house with great vigour. I am not sure where it gets its energy from!
An Easter floral feast! Thank you. Hope it wasn’t followed by a culinary one too 😉 Those T. ‘Exotic Emperor’ are quite amazing.
I’m afraid it was. We have eaten very well this weekend, including our first proper barbecue of the year. Exotic Emperor is no more, the rain knocked off the remaining petals, but they’ll be back again next year I hope!
What beautiful floral photography. It makes my heart sing.
How lovely. So pleased you enjoyed the pictures 🙂