My spring flowers

I have already had some crocus and iris in flower this year but for the purpose of my new blog here are some plants which are in flower this week.

I love daffodils and narcissus, there something about them that really heralds spring, although there are quite a few plants that are in flower earlier they still steal the show for me. This year with the cold spring they seem to have lasted longer than usual.

Personally I always deadhead, let the foliage die down naturally and, if I remember, feed with a high potash liquid feed such as Tomorite.

Amongst the springtime greens and yellows the plugs I planted last year add a splash of bright colour. Heucheras are fairly forgiving given sun and a reasonable soil but will not tolerate overcrowding.

Reliable easy to grow alpine phlox, almost garish colours provide a real splash. Best grown in a sunny spot on fairly poor but well drained soil. The thing to remember about most “rock dwellers” is that they don’t need a rich medium to grow well and will grow “soft” and not flower well if overfed.

Geum is one of my favourite genera other than the weed Geum urbanum which had become a real pest in my last garden. There are plenty of cultivars available now as the genus has become a popular subject for plant breeders. Although many are very showy the one pictured below is quite muted. They are tolerant of shade and will grow in even fairly poor soils, not only that many have a very long flowering period.

Here’s to the next time!