Crocus and polyanthus, brightening up my windowsills
My favourite is the three-toned yellow-white-blue Crocus tricolor, which has come through again despite a regime of benign neglect. The pots were shuffled away last spring to the side of the house and left to their own devices – brought out when the first promise of green began to peep through the gravel. I might give them a feed of liquid seaweed this year, as a treat.
I have Sugar Rush primroses coming through too – in shades of primrose yellow, delft-blue and white violas, hyacinths and later, Fritillaria michaelovski coming through.
I’m not sure whether these are early or just on time, these displays, since despite the appalling weather, it has mostly been mild and we have had very few frosts, and here in West London, none serious. No snow like we had in January, nor the threat of the month-long sub-zero that was March, reducing all of our plants to shivering twigs and tightly closed buds. I am sure to have posted something about these particular plants last year, so will check up and see where we stand.
Having said this, on walking down to my van earlier today, I passed a perfectly happy Poppy, of the Allegro variety, with one big flower and lots of plump lychee-sized buds too…. February?!
The Teddington Gardener 