We live in strange times. To me we seem to be living in a Hollywood Disaster Movie with bells and whistles this was highlighted yesterday by a video I saw on social media of drone footage of the roads in the Old Town of Edinburgh. It was scary stuff. I am also officially now being paid by the government as I have been put on the furlough scheme. The letter says it could be up to 12 weeks gardening leave so every cloud has a silver lining. Being furloughed will have it’s challenges and I will have to be strong and not spend very much on the garden but it’s as my mate says 80% of something is better than 80% of something.
The weather has been excellent this week with sun most days and indeed on Wednesday we had the warmest day of the year and the garden was full of solitary bees and Queen Bumble Bees. The weather did get colder at the end of the week and we had some welcome drizzle on Friday.
Spring seems to have gone into overdrive this week and flowers are appearing from all over the place. This weeks SOS is going to feature flowers in all 6 of my blogs. If you want to see any posts about succulents (granny) please read my blog I wrote on Thursday that is going to record my Furloughed adventures in gardening in hopefully a humorous way Furloughed 12 weeks of gardening.
Here is my 6.
1. Narcissus Peach Cobbler
I don’t know where to start how to describe how beautiful this plant is. It is simply stunning. I bought 4 new Narcissus last year from Farmer Gracey and this is the first one that has flowered. The colours of cream and yellow really stand out from anywhere in the garden. I have put the pot right in front of the front window so it is always the first thing we see when we look out.
2. Primula Carrigdale
I posted a photo of this a couple of weeks ago and was moaning that I couldn’t take a clear photo of it because it was white. Well as you can see I managed to capture this perfectly this week as I had loads of time on my hand. It has multiple flowers that just repeat and repeat. I will definitely be splitting this as much as possible when it stops flowering.
3. Hepatica Noblis Blue Bicolour.
I have fallen in love with Hepaticas this Winter/Spring. They are simply beautiful plants that gives you a lift after the dark days of winter. They are not cheap but are so rewarding. These are still in full sun but as you mainly find them in woodland I will be moving them to round the front of my flat in the summer so they can get some shade.
4. Hepatica Americana
Another Hepatica and this one is exquisite Small white flowers with a palma violet colour strips. If you notice their is no leaves because most Alpines always produce there flowers first all week with the hope that the pollinators will pollinate them as quickly as possible so they have more of a chance to reproduce.
5. Pulsatilla Vulgaris (Pasqueflower) Rubra
Feature last week the flowers opened last week and as mentioned last week they look like they are going to be a star this year. To be fair they always brighten up the garden in the spring. The flowers aren’t quite fully open but as the stalks grow they will open wider. The top photo was taken on Friday during the drizzle. Reading up on them they are found all over the Northern Hemisphere and are the County flower for Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The name Pasqueflower comes from the Hebrew word for Passover “Pasakh” which refers to the Easter flowering period. This shows that sometimes reading about plants is as fascinating as growing them.
6. Narcissus Mount Hood
This is supposed to be Narcissus Mount Hood except it’s not. Mount Hood is supposed to have milky white flowers. I am sure I am not the only one that gets upset when you buy a plant or bulb and they send the wrong one. However the flowers as you can see are pretty vibrant and larger than a common daffodil so all is not lost.
That is my six for this week. As you can see there is a lot happening. The weather has turned a touch cooler but that is not going to beep me out of the garden. I am going to sow some perennial seeds and finish planting my Begonias this weekend.
f you want to write a SOS blog it is not that difficult. As always to find out how six on Saturday works please follow the following link The Propagator. The don of Six on Saturday.
Until next week goodbye and stay safe.
Sedums, Dahlias and Hayfever 
Smashing Peach Cobbler! Love it.
I can’t spend too much on gardening because everything is closed and very few websites continue to work with delivery times too long … I will only grow what I have.
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Yes it’s unfortunate for the nurseries but we are living in extraordinary times and need to take a step back. I have a bad feeling about my job. Having said that their maybe one or two Sempervivums coming through the post to my house this weekend.
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minimum 10 days to be delivered. Plants could die in cardboard…
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The daffodil is pretty anyway. I happen to be biased to those that look like ‘King Alfred’ . . . as well as ‘Mount Hood’. Those are my two favorites. I like ‘Mount Hood’ because it looks like a white ‘King Alfred’.
Your first narcissus looks like a camellia, and your primula looks like a petunia. What a confusing Six.
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Lots of beautiful flowers there – I’m struggling to pick a favourite. Possibly, based on name alone, I’d go for Peach Cobbler!
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Fortunately, I read Thursday’s post before I came to this Six-on-Saturday. How could I complain with you posting such a stunning collection of flowers? I used to have Number 5 in my garden but I don’t know what happened to it. Lovely Six-on-Saturday as always.
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Fabulous flowers this week! I am swooning over the hepaticas and the pasque flower is wonderful with its dewy coat. Hope the sun continues for a while yet. Stay safe and well x
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What a lovely flower and name – Peach Cobbler – how tall is it? I know what you mean about bulbs. I planted what I believed to be 10 tulips of the same variety, but at least two of them are different. Oh, well, as long as they are beautiful. Like Fred I won’t be ordering any more plants this year – well for now anyway. I shall make do with what I have and see how they progress. Give everything time to settle and breathe this year. Hope you keep safe Paul!
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You had me at Peach Cobbler
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Oh, I do like that Peach Cobbler, and will now try to locate some for fall!
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Lovely ‘Peach Cobbler’ – and your dear little anemones/hepatica and pulsatilla as well. Funnily enough, I was sold some ‘Mount Hood’ that didn’t seem right this year either. Mine started with a pale yellow trumpet, now fading white. I don’t remember it like that, but maybe bad memory?
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Thanks for your comments. It looks like the ones that were. Sent out could have been King Alfred.
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What a gorgeous display – really brightens up a gloomy day here.
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Thank you I hope all is well across there.
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I can understand why you would fall in love with Hepatica as it’s a charming flower. I don’t think it would be easy to find anyone selling it in Australia. Peach Cobbler is a stunner. The flowers are perfect. No snails where you are??
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No it’s still March so no snails or slugs yet. Unfortunately I think you are right and the climate would be to warm to grow Hepaticas
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Your hepaticas are doing great guns there Paul. Glad they’re doing well for you. The red pasque flower looking amazing with the water droplets. Try to enjoy your furlough and start that shopping list for better times ahead.
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Yes the Hepaticas have been great this year. Shopping list has been started and keeps getting added to all the time. The good thing is I cannot go anywhere to spend money. I still have a nagging doubt that I may lose my job somewhere down the line or there will be big upheavals one the company. I suppose I will have to go with the flow!
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Peach cobbler is really exciting, as is that primula, which looks like there might be some pink overtone in the white. Glad to know you’ve had such luck with Farmer Gracy, as I’ve been eyeballing their stock this week. Sometimes a mistakes is quite fun, like when there’s a pale blue amongst the darker grape hyacinth. In your case, however, there’s reason for complaint.
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Thanks Lora. Yes you are right there are some peach overturns in that primula.
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Your pictures are so beautiful this week – the peachy daff being a superstar! keep safe and well.
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Thank you
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Is it just me who wants to go look up a recipe for peach cobbler? I might have a tin of peaches at the back of the cupboard. Lovely six.
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Peach Cobbler gets my vote for favourite. Thanks for sharing your plants. It’s amazing how the garden keeps on going well and this is what we need in this difficult time. Gardening can be so rewarding both for sight and in mind.
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Love the Primula, such a delicate colour. And the Pasqueflower. I’ve sown some seeds so maybe I’ll have some flowering in my garden in a few years.😏
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What a lovely selection for your six. If I had to pick just one to take away with me – it would be the delicate and quite enchanting Hepatica Americana.
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What a lovely collection of flowers – so nice to see spring.
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Thanks. It’s great to have had a mild April and dry April. The garden is really coming to life.
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The pasqueflower is my favorite. They grow in the mountains here.
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Thanks. They must look wonderful in the wild…
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