It seems like ages that I’ve been waiting for Peony mlokosewitschii, or Molly the Witch, to open her fat buds. for long enough they have stayed firmly shut, in spite of us having a mini heatwave. Yesterday however, was my lucky day. When I went out to take photos for this post, I heard a loud buzzing, and found Molly wide open with a bumble bee for company.
The bumble bee was enjoying all that was on offer, wallowing among the stamens.
Soon though there was a little battle going on, a wasp was having an altercation with the bee.
The wasp won and the bee flew away.
It is now Apple Blossom time, this tree has such hard tiny apples that I leave them all for the birds. The blossom is lovely though.
My Bramley apple tree is another matter though, these apples keep me going through the winter.
A view of part of the side border with Mileum effusum Aureum and bluebells.
Lamprocapnos spectabilis, or still Dicentra to me, A new plant so still small as yet, but hopefully it will increase in size.
New last year, but just as good as the Epimedium Amber Queen in the woodland, this one in the back border really is an amazing plant, so many lovely tiny flowers.
Claytonia virginica, which is carpeting the woodland, has tiny pink striped white flowers,. It seeds everywhere, which is no bad thing in the woodland.
Anemone nemerosa Vestal, the double form of the wood anamone, flowers much later here than it’s single cousin. My little group is now spreading nicely.
A different group of Erythronium Pagoda. This group has much taller stems with far more flowers on each stem, which makes me think that my original group of E. Pagoda might be something else, maybe E. Sun Disc. This group are also flowering much later.
This plant has 7 flowers on one stem and no marking near the stamens, so I definitely think this is Pagoda and my other plant therefore must be Sun Disc.
New fern fronds are making their mark on the garden now.
They are so beautiful, such amazing shapes.
Uvularia is new this year in my new path area in the woodland. I thought they were more yellow than this, mine seems to be almost white.
This is a Speckled Wood butterfly taking a well earned rest after fighting with two others for his patch of sunshine. The males lay claim to their bit of sunshine by tumbling over and over with any other males in the vicinity, they must waste so much energy doing this, it all seems a bit poitless to me.
Fuchsia magellanica alba that got missed when I was pruning all the others. It is now flowering so profusely I can’t cut it back now!
My favourite combo at the moment!
Thanks to Chloris for hosting this meme each month, do pay her a visit at The Blooming Garden to see otherplants flowering at the moment.
Lovely to see all your spring flowers Pauline. I brought a Bramley tree with me from the UK as it is unknown here and I also would not be without these lovely apples. I am not familiar with Claytonia but it looks lovely so I thought I would buy some seed but to my surprise my usual UK suppliers don’t seem to have it!
You afre going to have a lovely time with your Bramley apples Denise. I would think seed sellers in this country probably consider Claytonia a weed and that’s why they don’t sell it. I haven’t noticed any seeds, but as it increases every year it must have some, I will look for some for you. My encyclopaedia says that “it likes well drained soil, which I haven’t got, sun or shade, can be difficult to grow.”!
Thank you for joining in and sharing your April favourites Pauline. Your Molly the Witch is just gorgeous. I love all these late April flowers. Your fritillary header is stunning.
It is always a special time when Molly the Witch decides to flower Chloris, she is such a special plant. My fritillaries unfortunately are over for another year, but I will be spreading the seed further this year, trying to make more in a few years time.
Oh….those fritts! Loved that peony too, how beautiful!!! So many lovely blooms Pauline.xxx
I’ll have to wait for another year to see my Fritillaries again Dina, all over for this year now. Molly is a gorgeous peony, the same lovely soft yellow as thr primroses, I hope in all this rain that she has closed her petals and doesn’t get battered.
Interesting to read about your lovely white fuchsia – I prune my red F magellanica each year and it seems to take ages to bulk up and reflower again so this makes you wonder if its worth keeping some longer stems, or not pruning at all!
Keeping half the stems of fuchsia sounds a good idea Cathy, they do take a long time to flower, although Fuchsia magellanica red or white might get a bit tall, we’ll have to give it a try!
I love that yellow Peony! And your growing Uvularia – is that the grandiflora, it looks a little different to me. Did you know the Claytonia was edible? One of its common names is “Miner’s Lettuce”.
The peony is so beautiful Jason and she did close up in all the rain, how sensible of her! My Uvularia was supposed to be grandiflora but as you say, it doesn’t look like it should. Yes, I had read that Claytonia was edible, I’ve never been tempted to try it, not yet anyway, back in the “old days” country people used it in sandwiches.