After a mixed week of weather we now have another week of hot sunshine to look forward to, although it is raining at the moment. The garden has appreciated all the rain that we have had, everything is racing ahead and growing so quickly, we are getting to that time when I feel that I’ll never catch up! Blossom is now joining in with the spring flowers, so its easy to find six for this weeks post.
Last week was the turn of the white variety of this shrub, this one is Prunus glandulosa rosea plena, just as pretty but different.
The white one always flowers first as it is in full sun all day, this one is in shade for most of the morning and just gets afternoon sun, so is later to flower.
I saw a little Orange Tip butterfly flitting round the “meadow” the other day, it was visiting lots of daisies but not seeming to find what it wanted.
Not a good photo, the camera has fixed on one of the flowers and not the butterfly! I think I know what it was looking for.
This is cardamine pratensis which popped up in the “meadow” last year for the first time. It is the larval food for the Orange Tip butterfly. Only one flower was open and it was very hard to see. I have found four plants of it in the “meadow” this year, so hopefully there will be enough for the butterfly to lay their eggs on.
Another Chaenomeles, this time C Apple Blossom looking very pretty at the moment right at the top of the garden. The only problem is that the fence I have trained it to is falling down! More work needed by someone!
The last wood anemone to flower in the woodland is Anemone nemerosa Vestal with a lovely double powder puff for a centre, I wish it spread like the single variety!
Lamprocapnos spectabilis Alba which will always be Dicentra to me! I have tried this a few times but always lose it, hopefully I will be able to keep it this time in a newish area at the top of the garden.
There we have my six for this week, more already for next week! This is a wonderful time in the garden, tree and shrub foliage is bursting everywhere making the garden covered in wonderful shades of green, so different from just a week or two ago. Please visit Jim at Garden Ruminations to see more spring gardens and their flowers.
If you were in my garden, you would have millions of Cardamine hirsuta which is from the same family but much more common; I remove them every day because they pop up here and there. There will always be some for the insects and butterflies!
For me it is a weed, impossible to manage, but it must be controlled at the right time.
The variety pratensis is much more prettier
Superb Prunus glandulosa flowers!
There seem to be so many different varieties of Cardamine Fred, I have C.quinquifolia in the woodland, but that isn’t the variety that the butterflies like. Also of course I will have to wait for a female to come and lay her eggs, she doesn’t have the orange tips to her wings! I looked again yesterday and can now see about 30+ plants growing in the “meadow”!
Oh well done for finding the flower that the butterfly needed.
The flower found me Rosie, it just turned up in the meadow, amazing what appears when you don’t mow your grass!
Lots of lovely pastel colours this week Pauline. I love the double anemone and the white Dicentra. I once had one of those in my front garden in a former home (open garden) which was stolen overnight! I ought to get another one as they are beautiful.
Horrified to hear that you had your Dicentra stolen Jude, there are some very strange people about! They certainly are beautiful, so I hope this one survives.
Spring is such an exciting time, isn’t it Pauline? I must add some of the double wood anemones as they are so beautiful
It certainly is a wonderful time of the year Cathy, something new to enjoy every day.
Fingers crossed for more orange tip butterflies!
I love the wood anemone and dicentra (no I can’t get used to the new name either!).
I will have to watch out for the female Orange Tip Helen as she won’t have the orange tips to her wings. Lots more plants have popped up and are waiting for her!
What beautiful blossom on your pink Prunus glandulosa. And you’ve found a butterfly! It’s early yet up here, but perhaps next week’s warmer weather will bring one to my garden. The flowers on the Chaenomeles is also lovely, the soft pink and white gives it a delicate look. The name ‘Dicentra’ works for me too – sometimes simplicity is all a plant needs. I hope the Dicentra sticks around this year and becomes a permanent resident.
Thanks Catherine, glad you like the Prunus! I also saw a tiny Holly blue and a Brimstone yesterday, the sun brought them all out, wasn’t quick enough with the camera though!
Fingers are crossed for your white Dicentra – I lost mine but I’m tempted to try again. Great to see the orange tip butterfly finding what it needs for it’s offspring.
I forgot of course that the butterfly with the orange tips to its wings is a male, so no egg laying for him Graeme! Lots more flowers have popped up in the meadow so hopefully the females (who are a speckled white) will be attracted.
A beautiful “six” that you’ve shared here. The Prunus is stunning, and all the white blooms are so graceful and lovely. I agree on the Lamprocapnos/Dicentra situation; oh well… Mine aren’t blooming yet, but they’re getting close. Have a great week!
Thanks Beth, so many flowers to choose from at this time of year. I like white flowers in my shady corners, they really shine out of the darkness.
Beautiful flowers and I’m happy you’re starting to see butterflies. They’re still very scarce in my garden so far (but other butterfliers are reporting seeing lots on their butterfly walks).
More butterfly varieties were seen yesterday Susie, but I wasn’t quick enough with the camera. We have more sunshine for this coming week so hopefully I’ll see more as last year was a bad year for them all.