Winter took longer than usual to finish with us in Melbourne this year. September brought some much needed rain but didn’t feel particularly spring-like because the garden was still mostly asleep. It made me realise that I really need to work on my ‘winter interest’. Once I have more summer shade I will hopefully have better luck with hellebores…
Clumps of snowflakes made bright spots in the garden through the winter. While not as glamorous as their relations the snowdrops (galanthus nivalis) I do love snowflakes (leucojum vernum). The tiny green splodges on the tip of each pure white petal look as if they were put there by a fairy with a tiny paintbrush.
Then August arrived and after months of relative drabness, the garden was suddenly sprinkled with pretty things. Most of which seemed to be purple.
Hyacinth ‘woodstock’, whose rich red purple colour my camera fails adequately to capture.
‘Pickwick’ crocus. I have an ambition to have a whole carpet of crocuses covering the lawn like I remember seeing them on roadsides in Holland but for now these two small pots had to suffice.
And tulips. This year I tried to choose varieties reputed to be capable of repeat flowering.
This is ‘Negrita’, which appeared crimson before opening and got increasingly purple over a couple of weeks.
Here is is with ‘Attila Graffiti’.
It finally opened to reveal the beautiful blue and white markings at the base of its petals.
Down the back by the compost bins clematis montana ‘Elizabeth’ was briefly smothered in vanilla scented flowers.
And the little ‘goldmine’ nectarine tree was lit up with pink blossom.