Spring started with a bright fresh day of sunny spells and scattered showers. We were lucky enough here with only two showers all day. The recent cold spell slowed the progress of some of the early spring flowers with the result that snowdrops are just appearing above the ground. Those such as Lady Elphinstone and Sophie North that are pot grown and given the protection of a cold frame are already in full bloom. I take them out of the frame when the flower buds show to give them more light and stop the flower stems form becoming too elongated and toppling over.
The entire dwarf Narcissus collection is treated in a similar fashion only they are usually placed in the alpine house where pollination and seed production is more easily controlled.
The camellias are much later than usual with no buds showing any colour yet. Three years ago some of them were in bloom at the end of November and bloomed sporadically all winter. At least this year all the flowers will be open more or less at the same time. That should make for one spectacular display, as I can't remember them all in bloom at once.
The Cyclamen Coum scattered round the front garden are in full bloom and look much fresher that those in the alpine house. These plants don't like protection from the elements and can take anything that Mother Nature might throw at them, but for the usual reasons of identification, pollination and seed collection, I have no other choice but to keep some of them under cover in a more controlled environment.
With the extra daylight the South African bulbs are really getting going now and some are even starting to produce flower buds. Tropaeolum tricolorum is growing like a weed and requires daily attention to keep it within its own boundary and twining round the support provided, instead of anything within reach. Small green buds have started to appear all along the twinning branches.
Lewisias are all starting to wake up now with bright green new growth at the centre of each plant. That is a signal to give more water, as some serious growing is about to begin. Lewisias need lots of water when they are growing fast at time of the year and a failure to provide it will lead to reduced flower production as the plant will abort a lot of the buds if adequate moisture in not available.
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