Happy weekend and welcome to another Six on Saturday. I am again joining with The Propagator and the other Six on Saturday folks in presenting you with six photos of garden-ish things. After last week’s indoor alternative, I have ventured back in to the garden to seek out the Orphic emergence from the underworld of some Corydalis (plus a few extras). Before we get to that, I’ll start with some classics of the winter garden. Without further ado:
1. Obligatory Snowdrop Photo!
It’s that time of year again; I can’t seem to move for photos of snowdrops, and of course it’s just too tempting not to join in. We’ve all heard it said that the best things in life are free and these snowdrops certainly support that theory. They were originally growing in someone’s lawn, and I was invited to take a few. The offer was not refused.
2. A Chilly Hellebore
A rather phrosty photo of a deep purple hellebore doing it’s thing. They’re just so flipping’ tough, aren’t they!
3. Hazel Catkins
Here are some dingly-danglies from the weeping hazel. What with it’s weeping habit and pendulous catkins, this hazel is a seriously pensile plant. Last year the catkins were systematically removed from the tree by my darling children. This year a compromise has been struck: they can continue in their wicked ways as long as I don’t notice. Ignorance is bliss.
4. Corydalis solida ‘Purple Beauty’
Huzzah! I realise that this might not mean much to an innocent bystander, but those of you who are up to your knees, perhaps even your necks, in muck and horticultural obsession will perhaps sympathise: it’s tiny little shoot. This one is ‘Purple Beauty’, although I realise at this particular point in it’s growth, it doesn’t make much difference which one it is. I do like the way they come up fully formed: leaves, flower spike, whimsical disposition and all.
5. Corydalis integra
Corydalis integra never fails to make an early showing. This one’s actually in the greenhouse, so slightly earlier than it’s friends outside. Although it’s perfectly capable of growing outside, I keep any pots in the greenhouse to protect them from squirrels and magpies and crows and children. And lions and tigers and bears (oh my!), just to be on the safe side.
6. Lonesome Seedling
A very eager Lamprocapnos seedling. The seeds in this pot were taken from ‘Valentine’, a cultivar with deeper red flowers than the species. ‘Valentine’ usually shows a strong red colour on the stems and has darker leaves, and I’ve found this colouring generally shows in the seedlings, but this particular seedling doesn’t appear to have this darker colouring. It seems to be a bit of an outsider, both in it’s timing and it’s genetic make up. Not to worry, all are welcome here, even the funny looking folk.
That’s all for today, but feel free to have a nose at some other Six on Saturday posts. Thanks for visiting, do come again!
A lovey selection, a chara.
On a more serious note, would you consider upgrading to a glasshouse?
I’m waiting for the National Trust to accept my application. Just trying to break through that green/glass ceiling.
Nothing quite like waiting and seeing the first corydalis. Great pictures….
I completely agree!
On a separate note – are my comments getting through on your blog? I might be doing something wrong…
Thanks!
You might feel like everyone else has a snowdrop picture but I can’t find any snowdrops in my garden – I am sure there were some but I didn’t plant them so for some reason I pay less attention to them. I am off on a serious hunt.
Maybe they’re just a little late – another clump (that are from the same original group of snowdrops) are only just poking through the soil.
Good luck on your hunt!
First Sea Lord Custard here. Just checking in to check you as keeping everything up to date.
Dear 1stSL Custard BTech (DisHons),
All shipshape here. Thanks for your enquiry.
Yours horticulturally,
Me
P.S. Just polished off your pickled red cabbage for lunch. Om nom.
Nice pics! Especially #2 and #3 …
Thanks! #2 was from earlier in the week. #3 has a deliberately blurry background so you can’t see the mess at the side of the greenhouse!
Nice snowdrop photo, gets across how fresh they are. So you have catkins too, I love the way they suddenly seem to ask to be noticed.
Cheers!
I completely agree – the catkins seem to appear very quickly. I’ve never really noticed them forming, they’re just there! If you look carefully at hazels you can often see the tiny red female flowers, although they didn’t seem to be formed yet on my hazel. I’ll see if they’re out for next time.
It’s exciting to see first shoots of the year appearing in garden beds and borders. My snowdrops have yet to make an appearance so it’s nice to see yours.
It is indeed! Funnily enough, last week I was looking at other people’s snowdrop photos and wondering where mine had got to! Once they get going they don’t seem to take long to flower.
Your photographs are incredible. I can see the bluish powdery blush on the snowdrop leaves (I’m sure there’s a proper technical term for this). I can almost feel the scaly, fluffy texture of the catkins, picked and rubbed away when you’re not looking. You are right that photos of emerging plants may fail to thrill the general public, but this reader is delighted by the emergent shoots – the corydalis in particular, which already so closely resembles the mature plant. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, that’s too kind! Most of those are taken with a macro lens which does a lot of the work for you in terms of capturing the detail. It has a very narrow range of focus which throws the background out of focus (and looks sort of artistic!).
I’m glad you liked them 🙂
I shouldn’t be asking you, but why haven’t I got Corydalis integra? And why didn’t I sort out my Corydalis solida clump with a big self sown primrose in the middle of it? I haven’t looked to see if it’s up yet.
Ah, ours is not to reason why…
In terms of winter jobs in general, I often find they don’t get done because I feel I have so much time to do them. I think to myself `’No rush, I’ve got all winter” and before you know it, spring has sprung again!
I guess it’s not an understatement to say that Corydalis are important to you! I have planted one in my garden, although the weather may be too hot for it here. Time will tell.
Of course you should have a snowdrop pic. I would too, if I could grow them!
Out of interest, which Corydalis have you planted?
You might not be able to grow snowdrops but you’re certainly not short of colour in your garden!