Through the garden gate in April
Another month has flown by and again I am leaving it until the last moment to take your through my garden gate and look at what has been happening in our garden this month!
Our garden is full of forget-me-nots (which seem to set seed everywhere) and tulips, which are one of my favourite flowers. Although I bought this collection from Sarah Raven last year, it has done well again this year. I noticed looking back on previous posts that the purple variety on the left has been flowering since February!
These are some of the other tulips growing elsewhere in the garden. They are all so different, but equally beautiful. What is the best plant in your garden this month?
We also have some bluebells in one corner of the garden, they were one of the few flowers that were already there.
In the cutting patch/ fruit garden the wallflowers are just coming into flower, we also have a corner of wild garlic.
Everything seems so slow at the moment, our first sowing of seeds has not been as successful as last year. I'm not sure if it is due to the temperature or the appearance of snails, who have suddenly discovered the greenhouse!, We had snow too this week, it quickly melted but some days, it has felt bitterly cold. We visited Powderham Castle yesterday, which was running a plant fair. Although the views were lovely looking down to the Exe estuary, it was freezing and we didn't hang around admiring the views.
Of course we didn't come away empty handed, there was just too many plants to tempt us. We added to our collection of carnations and geraniums. Below are a few things that I admired at the show. I loved the idea of a hanging basket of cut and come again salad leaves.
Other who usually participate "Through the garden gate " are :-
Margaret's Patch
Vintage sheet addict - (Down the garden path)
Country Lovers
Thank you so much for the comments on my last post it was so lovely reading about all the birds you have seen migrating where you live too. Thank you also to Em from Handmade by Em for nominating me for a Liebster award. I decided a few years ago to make the blog award free so unfortunately I won't be participating but if you haven't met Em and her dog called Barry do pop by and say hello.
Wishing you all a good week,enjoy the bank holiday.
Sarah x
Such a lovely display though it is early. Much further ahead than things here in PEI.
ReplyDeleteSarah, the forget me nots are not quite out yet in my garden, but the bluebells are and the tulips are just starting to open up. But it is very cold still and we have woken up to snow on a few mornings this week. Here is my 'Through the garden gate' post for this month http://margaretspatch.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/through-garden-gate-planting-alpines.html
ReplyDeleteYou have a lot of flowers!! I can hardly wait till all flowers are blooming in here as well.Your garden looks beautiful. Wishing you a lovely weekend!
ReplyDeleteSo pretty, springtime is lovely but I think someone has forgotten to tell him upstairs that the weather is supposed to get warmer too! My neighbour at the allotment had forget me knots and of course now they are all over mine too, but I don't mind as not a lot else is growing right now xxx
ReplyDeleteIt has certainly been a good year for Tulips. They are much more in evidence this year, probably because some other things are a bit behind schedule. It's also apparently a bumper year for slugs and snails - which is a less welcome fact!
ReplyDeleteThat's not good to hear about the slugs and snail's we hardly saw any last year. I think it was because we put in so many plants and they hadn't realised there was a new food source! Sarah x
DeleteOh, my! Spring is in full bloom and everything looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteTulips are one of my favourites too, particularly the double kind that are more like paeonies. I bet you were cross with those snails, somehow a greenhouse should be a safe place. I will try and join you this month for through the garden gate. Meant to for April but not sure where the month went. Have a good bank holiday. B X
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean. I still haven't had time to do another artist post! Sarah x
DeleteLovely tulips, Sarah. They're the stars in my garden at the moment too, as are the forget-me-nots. You can never have too many of either in my opinion! Hope it warms up for you - it's definitely warming up here. Sam x
ReplyDeleteI missed Powderham. I'd so wanted to go because it's a great show. But there's a lot of walking at that one and the ankle isn't up to it yet. Glad you came away with some goodies!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you missed Powderham too, because of your ankle. You too would have found some lovely plants to buy! Sarah x
DeleteI'm sorry you missed Powderham too, because of your ankle. You too would have found some lovely plants to buy! Sarah x
DeleteForget-me-Nots are wonderful little flowers aren't they, for they need no tending and just pop out into flower when the time is right to splash the garden blue.
ReplyDeleteI love them!
The forget-me-nots are so pretty at this time of year scattered around the borders, they make a perfect foil for all the other flowers. The locally grown Devon bunches of flowers look lovely, and I would have been very tempted by that metal planter filled with tulips.
ReplyDeleteThe tulips underplanted with forget-me-nots are so pretty. You have a lovely variety. The double ones almost look like petunia flowers!
ReplyDeleteYou have a delightful garden.
ReplyDeleteI have an unusual Erysimum which I found while visiting a lovely garden last year. It's flourishing in my garden & has grown to be a big plant; perhaps I can split it.
Dearest Sarah, FORGET ME NOTS are one of my favorites! That bright blue just says, "HELLO, BEAUTIFUL!" Yes, I think most of us who take great joy in the "everyday" things are tickled with joy at seeing life spring back. How lovely is your garden. You should see us here. Finally, color has arrived!
ReplyDeleteHappy day to you and Tavi and your family!
The combination of tulips and forget-me-nots in your garden is lovely. I'm happy to see the forget-me-nots spreading in my garden, they add such a soft colour at this time of year. I haven't really got going with seed planting and other gardening tasks either this year, but hopefully now it's warming up I can get on with them.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful garden you have, simply delightful. Looking forward to seeing more 'Through the Garden Gate' posts. xx
ReplyDeleteI love the combination of tulips and forget me nots. We went to Great Dixter last year and they had many such arrangements. Our tulips have been excellent this year.
ReplyDeleteI love your tulips Sarah and have just sown a tray of forget-me-nots to try and get that effect next year.
ReplyDeleteEverything is late this year, but after another wet and cold week we finally had a beautiful sunny day today. I love a garden full of forget-me-nots especially together with other spring flowers like the tulips.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking lovely - those are my favourite colour for tulips. Although forget me nots are lovely they do seem to self-seed everywhere don't they - I seem to spend most of my time pulling them out but do panic a little when I think the garden will look bare without them. It is a lovely time of year in the garden that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteFantastic views, and I do love a plant fair, there's always something unexpected and tempting. Your garden's looking absolutely gorgeous. Well done on getting the tulips to flower again, that's a tricky thing. I hope you have a lovely week. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteDear Sarah,
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking delightful with the pretty forget-me-nots, tulips and bluebells and loved seeing what was behind your garden gate.
Thanks for showing us and wishing you a happy May
hugs
Carolyn
I love forget-me-nots! I bought seeds from Tasha Tudor's garden, but only one plant grew. It has self-sown and reappeared this year. Maybe it will multiply eventually. I especially love your Tulip that looks like a Peony.
ReplyDeleteWhen you plant is beginning to go to seed pull it out and shake it over the border and you should end up with more plants next year! Sarah x
DeleteHi, I also visited a plant fair saturday - it was so impressiv, what have you baught? Do you have perennial forgetmenot (Brunnera) in your garden? Spring is a wonderful time of the year - your garden is looking beautiful. Sigrun
ReplyDeleteWe used to have Brunnera in our previous garden it always used to get attacked by the slugs and snail's and rarely looked good. Sarah x
ReplyDeleteWe used to have Brunnera in our previous garden it always used to get attacked by the slugs and snail's and rarely looked good. Sarah x
ReplyDeleteI love seeing what is growing in your garden, Sarah, and am sorry you found snails in your greenhouse! Cheeky of them to invade it. We just found our first snail in our garden today and two slugs. I put a board out by the slug munched plants and plan to check the board in the morning to see if any slugs are clinging to the underside of the board, a tactic I hope will work. Happy May! xx
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks gorgeous! Forget-me-nots are so pretty aren't they? I don't mind that they seed everywhere, the more the better! My lilac's nearly in flower, one of my favourites.
ReplyDeleteJess xx
How lovely to see your garden in spring glory. I will post a photo of my front garden in contrast to yours as it's all dug out and just bare earth. Powderham Plant Fair was mentioned on our local news and Toby Buckland looked like a member of the Wurzels...so my husband thought anyway. It did look cold.
ReplyDeleteI'm slightly envious of your forget-me-nots....I need to buy some seed and then let them run riot. I've always had a special fondness for self-seeding plants - I'd rather be pulling out extra than wondering what to do with gaps! I think I may have the same Sarah Raven tulips - a lovely dark mix although only one variety is in flower yet, the others are getting close. The salad hanging basket idea is a fun one! Here's hoping we all get a warmer May! Juliex
ReplyDeleteLiebe Sarah,
ReplyDeleteda hat sich viel getan in deinem Garten.
Und was für eine wunderschöne Tulpe ist das? Erst dachte ich es sei eine Pfingstrose, aber das hätte ja nicht sein können. Wunderschöne Blüte.
Vergissmeinnicht ist doch so eine dankbare Pflanze, ich mag sie sehr.
Wie sieht es in deinem Gemüsegarten aus?
Jetzt kommt wieder die Zeit der Garden Festivals. Wir besuchen jedes Jahr eines zu Pfingsten auf der Burg Hülshoff bei Münster. Ich freue mich jedes Jahr darauf und hole mir stets Anregungen.
Ich wünsche dir eine schöne Maienzeit und viel Freude beim Gärtnern, alles Liebe Barbara
Your garden looks lovely Sarah! I have a few tulips which I planted a few years ago in pots, in flower, also a few bluebells and what I think might be wild garlic. Sadly nothing else is in flower, but my roses which I pruned right back have lovely new leaves so promise to give me a good show when it gets warmer. Wishing for warmer weather down south! Happy week for you! Sharon x
ReplyDeleteSo lovely to catch up with your garden news! We used to have a lot of forget me nots but I got good at weeding them out and seeing yours has made me miss them. I might just plant a few! Well, sow some seeds. I thought that the beautiful tulip in your third photo down was a peony to begin with, it is stunning isn't it!
ReplyDeleteYour garden is so BEAUTIFUL, full of inspiration! We have had some lovely and warms days now, such a JOY!
ReplyDeleteHave a great day and take care...
Titti
Always nice to walk through your garden gate and see the lovely display of blooms.
ReplyDeleteLove the colour of your tulips.
That was a lovely view you took of the Exe estuary.
The weather has certainly been topsy turvey this year - apparently we are due a mini heat wave this coming weekend!!!
All the best Jan
I love forget-me-nots, I wish I could grow them here in Georgia!
ReplyDeleteI confess to you, the flowers in England have spoiled me, I not only take photos of the flowers in the gardens there, but also of flowers that I buy when I am there!