BLOOMING ALPINES
Almost everything in the garden is in bloom at the moment and I would love to have time to sit down and admire the most relaxing sight. It must have been the exceptional mild winter or maybe the spring, but I never had such an abundance of flowers as this year. Of coarse I did put in a lot of extra plants when clearing out the frames and alpine house.
All the Dianthus is in bloom (14 different varieties) filling the air with perfume and mingling with the fragrance from the double Surfinnia, 'Priscilla', in the hanging basket. It is enough to make one want to sit down in the peace and quiet and enjoy it all, but the work must go on. There is weeding to be done, as I now have an invasion of the common orchid, Dactylorhiza fuchsii, along with the usual Betula pendula and thyme. Another one I have noticed is starting to get out of hand is a little viola with a purple flower; seedlings coming up everywhere.
It does give me reason though to get down on my knees and get a closer look at some of the flowers. If anyone passes a comment, I have the excuse that the weeding must be done and this is the only way to do it.
Diascia 'Ice Cracker' that I planted last spring has survived and is spreading so well that I might have to remove some of it. The beautiful white flowers light up the garden, as it is a colour I don't have much of at the moment, apart of course from the Saxifraga 'Tumbling Waters', which is spreading its large sprays of flowers all over the path.
Cytisus decumbens (Cytisus prostratus) has made a nice mat now almost a metre square and is covered with small lemon flowers. The Violas are late this year and is just starting to do their duty, with 'Molly Saunders' leading the way as usual. Planted beside Nemesia 'Confetti' it makes a wonderful companion. V. 'Rebecca' and V. 'Molly Mott' have grown into nice little mounds but V. 'Etain' is rather slow to make new growth and produce flowers.
It is also the most difficult to root from cuttings and keep over the winter. I lost half of the cuttings that were rooted last autumn and kept over the winter in a cold frame.
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