The gardens at Le Grys Farm are a haven for wildlife and a beautiful place to relax and enjoy the view. An owl swoops low over the fields, hares race across the farm track and on a clear night, the vast Norfolk sky shimmers with stars. Painted by artists; studied by historians; and loved by anyone who treasures wildlife, Le Grys Farm is a very special place indeed.

Monday 14 April 2014

GBBD - When Plants Get Muddled

There is no denying that spring has arrived at Le Grys Farm. Bulbs planted last autumn are strutting their stuff with Tulipa 'Cream Perfection' and Muscari armeniacum punching through swathes of Narcissus 'Ice Wings' under the young medlar in the farmhouse garden.


In the barn garden, Clematis 'Early Sensation' is laden with flowers.


Some plants are all at sixes and sevens though. Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens', which normally comes into flower during June has been flowering since March.


Cirsium rivulare 'Atropurpureum' is already blooming;


and Tiarella cordifolia is putting on a wonderful early show.


Meanwhile, Lathyrus vernus is clinging on. Its reluctance to bow out is a joy to me as I love this plant.


At least some flowers know what time of year it is. Centaurea montana 'Alba' has made a timely arrival.


Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' is flowering its socks off.


Bergenia 'Silberlicht' is reminding us that it is not just a fabulous ground cover foliage plant,


while Bergenia 'Overture' shouts its status as a flowering plant.


My favourite tulip this spring is Tulipa 'Peppermintstick'. It grows in the barn garden and has been such a star that I plan to introduce it to the Garden Cottage garden in the autumn.


Pulsatilla vulgaris has many common names including Easter Flower and April Fools. With so many flowers blooming outside their usual season, it is reassuring to see one plant which knows that Easter is just around the corner. 



I am joining with May Dreams Gardens' Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day http://www.maydreamsgardens.com and will now pop over there to see what is flowering in the borders elsewhere on the globe.

Wishing you a Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and a wonderful Easter. 

22 comments:

  1. Looking lovely! That clematis is gorgeous. Interesting that your flowers are blooming early this year - we are very late. I love the look of that April Fools plant. What a cute name!

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    1. Thank you! I have grown the Clematis for years and it has always stayed quite neat for a Clematis - it has lovely glossy foliage too.

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  2. What a lovely looking garden. I particularly like your choice of white flowers - the tiarella and centaurea are both enchanting.

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    1. Thank you, Helen. Tiarella is a pretty plant - and so frothy!

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  3. How beautiful! I am still waiting for my tiarella - and all my little bulbs. Only the snowdrops have been brave so far.

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    1. Thank you. You have it all to look forward to!

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  4. Oh, my, what a wonderful variety of blooms you have. Love that 'Peppermintstick'!

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    1. Thank you! It is a fab tulip - it opens to a bright white in the sun and closes to the pink/white in duller weather. I absolutely love it.

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  5. Such a lovely assortment of blooms; I particularly like the Pulsatilla! Our winter was so prolonged this year that a lot of our blooms happened at the same time, instead of being stretched out over several months. It has made for a beautiful spring!

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    1. A well-earned reward for all that bad weather.

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  6. My brunnera just woke up and hasn't put its sock on yet so no blooms for me. ;o) But I love that you have cerinthe! I'm growing that this year for the first time. Your spring garden is beautiful. :o) How fabulous to have so much blooming. :o)

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    1. Thank you - it is great to have so much in flower at this time - especially for the bees! I bet that Brunnera's socks are well and truly on now ;-) Enjoy your Cerinthe - it is heaving with bees in our gardens here at the moment.

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  7. I love that Clematis, had no idea there was a variety that bloomed so early. Also fond of Tiarella, but for me it spreads v e r y slowly. Is 'Peppermintstick' a species tulip?

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    1. It is a species tulip - Tulipa clusiana. It is supposed to be a good self-sower - I hope so!

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  8. OH...your blooms are just breath taking! I must say that your first shot just made my heart sing!! So very beautiful! Happy bloom day!!! Nicole xo

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  9. Beautiful gardens! :) It's great to finally have the spring blooms!

    It's only been about 7 to 10 days that we are getting warm weather!

    Check out a few of my post!
    Michael
    http://michaelswoodcraft.wordpress.com/2014/04/14/ostrich-ferns-emerge/
    http://michaelswoodcraft.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/what-i-saw/

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    1. Thank you! I hope you've had a few more days of warm weather now.

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  10. Happy GBBD! Wonderful to find and enjoy your blog! It appears you've had a mild winter with so many of your blooms coming early this year :) My tiarella is also blooming away with exuberance :) Cheers!

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    1. Thank you - and welcome! It has been a surprisingly mild winter - and compared with the rest of the UK, we have had very little rain. Our Alliums are now starting to flower - I swear we will be in autumn before June!

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  11. I love the Tulip Peppermint Stick and your Clematis Early Sensation is stunning. It is a funny season with so many plants flowering early but here in East Anglia we have been so lucky with days and days of gorgeous weather.No wonder they are confused.

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    1. You are right, we have been extremely lucky in East Anglia, the weather has been wonderful - let's hope it stays wonderful all summer long!

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