Bulb heaven

Buds on the cherry trees. It’s only January and things look spring like here. Back after a short break in London buying Farrow and Ball paint and other frivolous necessities. I spent the day painting shutters so I only had a visceral experience of the garden. Apart from adding bark chips to the path. I ran out earlier in the month, so brought back two more mighty bags from the shop. I think the colour is a bit bright but at least the weed issue may abate.

Painting the planters for the rose bushes is the closest I have to helping the plant world at the moment.

My suitcase was groaning with lots of bulbs this trip. There is an Aladdi’s cave of a cheap store in Camden called the 99p store and I find it is a haven for cheap garden bulbs and equipment. Annoyingly you never know what is in stock; and if you find any treasure it is gone the next day. But just before I left I came away with an amazing haul of plants all for 99 pence a packet. Bargains galore. Except of course I bought way more than I probably need. But this is a big garden (I justify to myself) so here is the embarrassingly confessional list:

Mont Blanc lilies x 6
Liatris Spicata   x 12
Echinacea purpurera   x 8
More alliums drumstricks x 12

Lot of white flowers for the wisteria garden
Acidanthera peacock orchids
Lily of the valley x 9
Brodiaea white   x 20
Mero star x 6

White collection bulbs
30 iris white excelsior
24 gladioli white prosperity
2 dahlia snowflake
24 anenome the bride

And then there were the free bulbs from the Camden garden centre
20 white narcissi spring dawn   – not sure where to put them.

Then I had a thought about where on earth to put all these perennials. Not sure about the brave step. So I thought it might be an idea to plant up a mini meadow of these colourful perennials up near the potting shed. Mini drifts. That way I can see what they are like: especially for the purple loosestrife lythrum salicaria

For the vegetable garden I brought over land cress (which works well in London and I hope that it will be too sharp and peppery for the deer that stalks my garden
And when the roof goes onto the potting shed

Asparagus pea
Beans purple king
Sweet corn
Greyhound cabbage

Such bounty. Shame I have a day of more painting of shutters and no time to get into the garden until tomorrow.