Iris
Last Saturday I told you all I was off to the Oxford Botanic Gardens whilst my daughter did vaccination training with St John’s Ambulance nearby. Well I went and it was very cold but also very lovely. Just look at this display of bulbs. The snowdrops and Crocus tomassinianus are pretty common bed fellows but what really lifts this ensemble is the drifts of pale blue Iris. I think this is probably a cultivar called ‘Katharine Hodgkin’. The whole colour scheme is something Monet would be proud of.
I have to admit the pale blue would not have stood out for me in a bulb catalogue as it’s so understated. I now repent such thoughts. Meanwhile back at home, the rich dark tones of Iris reticulata ‘Blue Note’ were in bloom. That’s a colour that really jumps off the page of a catalogue.
Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postil’
Also at OUBG was this stunning, fragrant daphne in full bloom. This is an often talked about shrub and it’s easy to see why. On a freezing cold day it warmed the heart.
Back home, I took a peek at my new one, planted just before Christmas. Whilst her Oxford compatriot was dazzling, my own Jackie P was a shrinking violet. I’m sure she’ll settle in soon.
Bulking out the snowdrop walk
Now’s the perfect time to move snowdrops about and I’ve been bulking out the display along this lovely path. I call it the top path as it’s on a narrow upper tier of the garden, above the main lawn. I’ve never before called it a snowdrop walk but it’s so attractive at this time of year with hellebores and the odd snowdrop, I’ve decided to go all in and make a winter feature of it.
Luckily I have some lovely large clumps of double snowdrop Galanthus flore pleno elsewhere in the garden wanting a new place to shine. I dug them up and planted mini clumps at intervals all the way down the path. The sun was out and it made me optimistic for the winters to come.
Crocus vandals
Last week I shared the handsome crocus ‘Ronald Ginns’ with you all and earlier this week crocus sieberi ‘tricolor’ was blooming too. Both were in the cool porch of the greenhouse. Come Wednesday all the flowers had been munched off. I thought it must be mice and set some traps. So far I have caught three of the little nibblers.
Luckily I have many more crocuses to come, including these small but striking Crocus chrysanthus ‘Fuscotinctus’ in red wine and mustard tones. When they open they’ll be golden yellow like a streaky sunrise.
It seems counter intuitive that the crocuses are safer out in the garden than in the greenhouse but maybe the shelter of the glasshouse is just too appealing for the mice.
Inspiration from afar
I recently attended a zoom talk about flowers in the hills of South West Turkey. The speaker, botanist Christopher Gardner lives there, and unable to travel during the pandemic, he had been spending more time in his own backyard. He shared some stunning photographs of delightful flowers.
Chris has published two great books recently – one on Mediterranean flowers and one on the flora of the Silk Road. Both are crammed with fantastic pictures of well known and unusual plants in their native habitats. The books are the perfect lock-down leaf-through.
Edible Dormouse
Who’s seen one of these? It’s an edible dormouse, a delicacy of ancient Rome, otherwise known as a Glis glis. Look at those eyes – cute aren’t they? But my heart doesn’t melt when I see one as they are a worrying pest around the Chilterns – munching electrics and partying in lofts in the early hours.
This little one appeared in the sitting room one lunchtime and we think it came down the chimney. We shooed it out through the patio doors but it could well be back. Why is this relevant to a gardening blog? Well, the Glis glis is not native to the UK and it is thought they’re now endemic to the Chilterns, having escaped from Lord Walter Rothschild’s mini zoo at Tring Park.
I could curse Lord Rothschild but then I remember that he was a keen plant hunter and collector and we can thank him for the introduction of many lovely plants to the UK too. So the appearance of the Glis glis gives me the perfect excuse to share this Gloriosa lily with you all. Gloriosa superba rothschildiana. It’ll be sprouting in the greenhouse soon.
This seasonal diary is part of a weekly link-up of garden bloggers from around the world, called Six on Saturday. For more information and links to other blogs crammed with gardening activity, check the blog of host The Propagator.
The double nivalis is a wonderful plant as an underplanting to shrubs and makes a beautiful carpet of white at this time of the year.
Hi Paddy – yes I think the double has a bit more impact than the single from a distance. They’re a bit messy up close – I think they look like cinderella’s bedraggled skirts…
Crikey – that must have been a shock to find a dormouse in your living room. Wonderful capture of the spring carpet at the Oxford Botanic Gardens – a colour scheme worthy of Monet to be sure!
Hi Ciar – my son spotted the glis glis and called out to me. I didn’t believe him at first. I’ve had friend open up airing cupboards to see one peeking out at them – that really is a shock!
The snowdrop walk looks great – and will look even better after your efforts!
That’s the second time I’ve seen Flora of the Silk Road mentioned (Noelle featured it a couple of weeks ago) – it must be a sign!
I came for the edible dormouse, I stayed for the Irises 🙂
You have your priorities straight – the irises are the real draw right now. I missed Noelle mentioning the book but as you say – it must be a sign.
What a beautiful display at the Botanic Gardens, a sight for sore eyes indeed! Those books are very tempting, if its not plants its books that lead me astray. The dormouse is so sweet, please don’t eat him.
I promise not to eat it – I’m not sure there’s much meat on a glis glis anyway! The Romans used to fatten them up in a terracotta enclosure called glirarium. I can really recommend those books. I never hesitate to buy a book I like the look of. I get that proclivity from my Dad who told me I’d never regret a book purchase and when it comes to gardening books, I never have.
For a pest the edible dormouse is rather cute (though if they ever make it to Somerset and do damage here I doubt I’ll feel the same way). Wow to the display of snowdrops and Crocus at Oxford Botanic Gardens and also to ‘Blue Note’ which is going on ‘the list.’
Hi Graeme – yes you don’t need the glis glis round your way. They like it round here because they’re arboreal and there are many woods round here. Blue Note is a great Iris – highly recommended.
How lovely to see that beautiful display of spring flowers at the gardens. The dormouse is very cute.
Hi Jane, yes the spring bulbs were sheer perfections.
Beautiful crocuses carpet in this garden ! I’d like to visit it… I didn’t know the “glis-glis” , it looks like a cute animal. Pay attention for some of your plants. I’m sure it could eat some bulbs…but maybe you could tame it ..?
Hi Fred, I’ve just looked it up and you have glis glis in France but not in NW France and Aquitaine. They love it round our area as there are so many trees and also apple orchards – they love apples! Otherwise they eat nuts, fruit and insects. I’m not aware they’ve nibbled my vegetables but you never know.
Your mice have different tastes from mine. Mine ate broad beans and baby courgettes last year, not crocuses. Your iris must be the darkest colour this week – very striking.
I was bemused about the crocuses but I heard that they are full of vitamins and mouse are partial to them. I’ve now sown my sweet peas and am worried there’ll be next on the menu!
The display at the Oxford botanic gardens is so lovely. One I would love to recreate, but no doubt would just result in a lot of bulb expenditure and no flowers. (I’m still miffed about the 80 crocus that I planted two years ago of which not one came up). As for your pest problem, I did once have all my planted sunflower seeds in the greenhouse eaten. I was a bit surprised as I didn’t think they would get in there. I think a cat is an essential piece of gardening equipment, otherwise everything gets chewed.
I love your Dad’s attitude to gardening books and I will adopt it too if I may.
Hi Catharine – we’ve just got two kittens so that may well help with the pests. I’m very happy usually to coexist with mice but when they eat precious plants it’s difficult to be happy about it!
[…] and Basak Gardner). It was on my list on the recommendation of Noelle, and when I saw it again at The Tea Break Gardener I took it as a sign that I shouldn’t wait any longer. It has more than lived up to […]
Oxford Botanic Garden was one of my favourite places to visit when I was close enough. The spring displays are wonderful, and seeing how plants are put together is a joy. I was at that Zoom meeting too…what a book! I bought mine too, and now am counting my pennies ready to spend on the Mediterranean one.
They are such beautiful books aren’t they – he’s a great photographer and so knowledgeable about plants.