It is almost tulip time, given the speed at which spring seems to be accelerating just now. Magnolia blossom has exploded in our gardens and cherry blossom isn’t far behind. I planted up 15 litre containers last autumn with Red Apeldoorn, bright-pink Barcelona, lily- flowered-bright-orange Ballerina, sultry-dark- plum Ronaldo, tall-red Doll’s Minuet, white-becoming-intensely violet-purple Shirley’s Dream and greenish-white Berlin. Orange Crown imperials too. Not forgetting hyacinths – the deepest, most intense and richest blue of Peter Stuyvesant and the pure white of Carnegie – colour and fragrance.
I was reading Sarah Raven’s ‘The Bold and Brilliant Garden‘ when making these choices. Bring it on!
The Teddington Gardener 