Spring has sprung a bit in the UK

[monocotman]

So here are a photo photos from the garden. The winter has been fairly mild so there are shrubs, hellebores and snowdrops doing their stuff.

0AB53915-1E0A-40C0-8F61-BD54BE6429A8 by john quaife, on Flickr
926B70CF-E54D-4723-A6EA-1E6ADF3F81C2 by john quaife, on Flickr

This is just most lovely shrub at this time of year - Daphne bhloua ‘jacqeline postill. Grows quickly and can get to large shrub size with flowers with the most amazing fragrance. Everyone who can grow it should do so.
Next is a well known clone of the snowdrop ‘magnet’.
24A06A7C-6EC5-4E79-A911-DC1A1E04F9FF by john quaife, on Flickr
Next are a series of hybrid hellebore seedlings. They are all grown from seed produced by plants that I selected when visiting Ashwoods nursery. They are probably world leaders in this field.

1E29D502-6EB0-4299-97F3-E4371F1B84B5 by john quaife, on Flickr

57596B87-B2E0-44AB-9AD2-A335D7D73D31 by john quaife, on Flickr
5076013E-02DB-4555-8045-8FF165A82DE6 by john quaife, on Flickr

Next is the Chinese shrub edgeworthia chrysantha. It is also a quick grower and provides scented flowers in early spring.

42085F9E-ECFB-43AB-8BF6-F3F4A6622743 by john quaife, on Flickr

Regards

David

 

[SlipperFan]

Lovely. My garden is covered with over a foot of snow.

 

[Wendy]

Wonderful! Thanks for this bit of spring. Like Dot, my garden is covered in a DEEP blanket of snow but I know the hellebores are starting to wake up. I went out a couple weeks back and saw the buds poking up. We're headed into some milder weather this week so I expect to see some growth on my species tulips and hellebores when the snow melts back a bit. Come on spring!!!!!

 

[Tom499]

Really nice. I hope the current cold snap doesn't cause problems.

 

[Erythrone]

Wow!!! Wish I could grow your Daphnea and Edgeworthia here...

 

[NYEric]

I like the white and green snow drops!

 

[Ozpaph]

interesting how all these northern hemisphere spring flowers open down-wards.
It's been 90+F for days on end here - people are melting...............

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Crazy! You're ahead of us!

 

[Don I]

That's great. It is forecast to be above freezing here for the rest of Feb., but we never know what March will be like. I should start checking for Snowdrops though. Thanks for the pictures.
Don

 

[abax]

The Daphne is lovely. Do you know the zones in which this variety is
hardy?

 

[monocotman]

Daphne bholua

Abax, sorry I am in the uk, no idea of its hardiness in the US.
It will take several degrees of frost no problem. Just the flowers are affected.
It is such a spectacular shrub, there will definitely be information out there if you have a google,
David

 

[monocotman]

Daphne Hardiness

Abax,
One web site says that Daphne bholua is hardy in zones 7-10.
It is the most stunning shrub and the scent is almost overpowering.
You need to grow it near the house, preferably where you walk past it frequently.
I have friends in a favoured suburb of London where a plant reached over four metres high before the dreaded honey fungus killed it.
They hung Christmas lights off it.
These are a group of seedling cyclamen coum growing in the garden. All from one plant. They now naturalises around the place and in mild springs send up these lovely flowers. You can see loads of seedlings at the bottom of the photo.
They seem to like to sit in the shade of a large magnolia.
77DA58EA-6309-45C1-8633-B2B146FEE91B by john quaife, on Flickr
David

 

[Linus_Cello]

Supposedly there's a cold snap in Europe. How are the spring blooms? (I'm hesitantly planting conifers now, hoping there won't be a severe cold snap in mid or late-March.)

 

[monocotman]

Linus,
The spring blooms are looking a little the worse for wear here in Cambridge, but here in the maritime north west a cold snap is minus 5 degrees at night and zero during the day.
It may kill a few flowers but not the plants,
David

 

[Linus_Cello]

Good to hear not as bad as I thought. Our late cold snap last year destroyed my tree peony blooms. Hopefully this year isn’t a repeat

 

[Linus_Cello]

Another "beast from the east"- how'd your garden fare?

 

[monocotman]

Linus,
the cyclamen and hellebores are fine. Nothing to show in the way of damage. However the Daphne and edgeworthia were affected. Flowers and leaves on the were damaged but both plants will be ok,
David