My Blog List

Monday, April 19, 2010

POPPY FRENZY

This certainly is the year of the poppy in my garden. Even the normally single petalled poppy are turning up with can can like frills.

Not that the bees like these new frilly ones. They couldn't find their way in to find the pollen even if they tried. It's fun to watch them as they revel in the multiple numbers of pollen loaded stamens. This bee couldn't stuff more into his pollen sacs if he tried.

The corn or Flanders poppies must be thinking they are in Europe this year after the cold winter and all the rain.

What do you think of your cousins, California poppies? They don't need the sun to shine to open up! After all you can't rely on the sun to shine over the pond. We haven't had much sun over the last few days.

So many of my flowers didn't get a chance to join bloom day this April because there were so many. The mealy blue sage for one. Not in a good spot because underneath is growing the blue flax and flax took pride of place on bloom day.

The yellow mound of basket of gold, Alyssum saxatile. I started from seed last year and wish I had done more this year. I hope it likes its new home in the English garden.
Talking of English, this is an English daisy. Not the pom pom pink flowers that were on the seed packet. I am often disappointed by the picture on the packet. Even so it's a nice little flower.
Rose campion, began to flower last week. This area of campion, heart leaf skull cap and gulf coast penstemon got together to form a completely different planting from last year. They pushed out the yellow columbine that was growing there last year.

This year the pyracantha espalier and the philadelphus flowered in unison. Not good planning. I really need to put in a purple clematis to break up the white. Nevertheless, I am starting to train the pyracantha round the corner of the wall. keeping up with the pruning is a big job.
I think the philadelphus could cope with a pretty little Texas clematis twining among its white flowers. I have just the one, purchased at the Wildflower Center plant sale last Friday and still looking for a new home.

8 comments:

  1. Looks beautiful! Did you climb inside that poppy with the bee, Jenny?

    I'm having good luck with 'Etoile Violette' clematis, which is a deep purple one. I'll have pics of it up tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Just beautiful Jenny. Just like an English garden -- makes me quite homesick :-) I like that basket of gold allysum. I have some plain white sweet allysum that has been blooming for months. I knew it came in purple too, but didn't realize there was a yellow variety.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Pam- I just took a look at your clematis. It's lovely and i think it would go well climbing through the white.
    Jayne- I just have to have a few of those English flowers- well quite a lot actually!n I have masses of the purple and white alyssum and all shades in between but this one quite different. You won't see it at the nursery so seeding is the only way to grow it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You have so much blooming. Those poppies are beautiful...and the philadelphus...wow!

    Again..amazing.

    ~~Linda...

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love the shot across the pool. Beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jenny, I bought the Etoile Violette clematis last year at Barton Springs Nursery, if you're planning to look for it. Or I could save you seeds in the fall.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Patchwork- I'm glad you are enjoying the blooms. It really is a big year this year.
    Ruth- The poppies have gone crazy this year. I'm sure it is the weather pattern.
    Sweet Bay- The pool was meant to look more like a water feature than a swimming pool. Small with dark bottom. It sort of blends into the flower beds which is just how I wanted it.
    Pam I am not sure it would come back true from seed as it is probably a hybrid. It might be worth a try though. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Rose campion is a favorite of mine - although for the past several years I've forgotten to sow seeds (I haven't had luck with them reseeding here). Fun to see them pop up here.

    ReplyDelete

I love your comments unless they are spam comments which will always be removed in comment moderation.