Ten Top Blooms for February.

I forebode a look in the greenhouse for my next post but this will have to be postponed because this is not the sort of conditions for mill about indoors , outside wonderful things are go on . unbelievable to think that last year at this time we were cowering from the Beast from the East . This year the thermal undies have been cast off and coats too and we are whoop it up in spring- like weather . Yesterday , we had lunch out of doors and I saw my first yellow Brimstone butterfly . Even more exciting , I latterly see to it two huffy March hare having a boxing match . I used to think this was two males push over the ladies , but I have checked and it is really the lady rabbit , sorry Energy , fighting off the over- torrid advance of the male . I wish I had had my camera handy .

But back to the garden which is alert with buzz bee and court dame . I hope your February garden is enthrall you , but if it is not very colourful , here are some idea to replete the winter garden with looker . My favourite February bloom is no surreptitious , but I remember I have speak about it enough this class , probably too much for some people , so I will not cite the S word here , let ’s take number one as read . On the other hand , perhaps I can be forgive a very quick look at the rather oddGalanthus‘Blewbury Tart ’ , and with that we will move quick on .

Galanthus‘Blewbury cyprian ’

Galanthus‘Blewbury tart’

lease ’s have a looking at at another footling snowy charmer , Leucojum vernum , sometimes called Spring Snowflake , though not by me , as I am a stickler for using Latin so that we are all on the same Thomas Nelson Page . Anyway it looks nothing like a snowflake . It looks more like a little lampshade or a pixie chapeau if one is a little whimsical . It is dead delightful and the only intellect that snowdrop junkie are n’t going unhinged about it is because they are all the same and it is the little variation that we all go excited for .

Leucojum vernum

But you could get one a little unlike where the tips of the petals are yellow or else of cat valium . It is calledLeucojum vernumvar.carpathicum , sadly it has vanished from my garden , I suspect it fly dupe to Narcissus fly . The female flies like to lie there ballock in the sun so these little smasher are salutary in the shade . They do n’t spread very quick so carpets are not easy to achieve . Leucojum vernumvar . vagnerialso has yellow tipped prime and it has two flowers on each shaft . It is taller than the otherLeucojum vernum .

Galanthus‘Blewbury tart’

Leucojum wagneri

in reality I have just been out to look at myLeucojum vernumand I have find one clump with no coloured tip to the petals so they are not all the same .

The Summer Snowflake , Leucojum aestivumalso bulge flower now . It is not as attractive because the flower are quite small and not such a pretty rounded shape and they have long stalks , but still it does source about merrily and it is quite ready to hand for a vase .

Leucojum vernum

Leucojum aestivum

I have trouble with crocus , something deplete the corms as tight as I imbed them . I think it was mice until I caught a squirrel in the act of eating the tulip bulbs I have in wad the other day . He waited until they had nice chubby buds . But the shiner are not without sin they use up all the crocuses in the greenhouse apart from the one I covered with a superman if ice . But I have carpets of sweet little Tommies , Crocus tommasinianuswhich semen everywhere and they are never touched . So I ca n’t quetch . I am not very nifty on the big avoirdupois , shiny Dutch crocuses anyway , but the delicate species crocus are delicious and the pest that pounce on fresh planted corm snub these carpets . They come in a range of colours from the pale lilac to deep purpleness .

Crocus tommasianianus

Leucojum wagneri

I also have a few ball of Crocus ” Cream Beauty ’ and the bee have understandably chit-chat these before they landed on the lilac Tommies and some of the child are beautiful .

Crocus ‘ Cream Beauty ’

As well as crocus there are little pools of jewel -like colour provide by minor irises . I grow some in pots in the greenhouse so that I can enjoy them even sooner . In the garden some of theIris reticulatadon’t last very well , these are usually the ones with narrow petals . The chunkierIrishistrioideshybrids keep going longer and spread too . dependable spreader in my garden are the reliableIris”Harmony ’ .

Leucojum vernum

Iris reticulata‘Harmony ’

The lovely sky blue air ‘ Sheila Anne Germaney ’ has yellow grading and clumps up well .

Iris‘Sheila Ann Germaney ’

Leucojum aestivum

Iris histrioides ‘ Lady Beatrice Stanley ’ is another favorite which just get well each class .

Iris histrioides‘Lady Beatrice Stanley ’

When I finally take you into my February glasshouse I will show you some more of these endearing little irises .

My first daffodils come out in other February . The very first isNarcissus‘Rijnveld ’s Early Sensation ’ which sometimes bloom as betimes as January .

Narcissus‘Rijnveld ’s Early Sensation ’

Another early one isNarcisssus‘Spring Dawn ’ . It is delicious with a creamy white perianth surround a frilly yellow trumpet . you’re able to see the bee like it as much as I do .

Crocus tommasianianus

Narcissus‘Spring Dawn ’

I have a few early squill blooming in jewel like color too . The first in bloom is the periwinkle blueScilla‘Spring Beauty ’ , soon I trust there will be rug of breast .

Scilla siberica‘Spring Beauty ’

And then there is the squill with the ludicrously unpronouncable name . It seem just like a Puschkinia but it ’s not .

Scilla mischtschenkoana‘Tubergeniana ’

There will be more lovely scilla next month .

Crocus ‘Cream Beauty’

Hellebores have been delighting me for week now . I am golden that a former possessor get laid them and planted them everywhere and they have seed about so I have lots .

I have introduced some exceptional ones too . There are ever more gorgeous crossbreed but I am still fond of a very old variety which I bring from my honest-to-god garden . It has huge pure lily-white flowers with star shaped wavy petals . It is visit ‘ Petsamo ’ .

Helleborus‘Petsamo ’

Some of the new doubles are woolgathering .

I also do it the sea anemone bloom ones .

Oh , I love them all and one of the joys of February is turning up their faces to look at them .

The wintertime flowering honeysuckle has been in blossom for weeks and get safe and better .

Lonicera x purpusii‘Winter Beauty ’

But now my rarerLoniceraelisae is in heyday at last . It gets going later but it is deserving the wait .

Lonicera‘elisae ’

Close up the flowers are color with pinkish and hairy .

Lonicera elisae

I have been enjoying Witch Hazels for hebdomad now and the red and orangeness are over but the yellows are looking upright .

My favourite yellow is ‘ Arnold ’s Promise ’ , it is the last Witch Hazel to flower . It makes a dainty vase shaped shrub and is full of spidery flower .

Hamamelis‘Arnold Promise ’

I will finish with my two beautiful Nipponese Apricots . The first has deep pink individual flowers and has been in bloom for the whole of February . It is calledPrunus mume‘Beni- chidori ’ which is Nipponese for ‘ The Flight of the Red Plovers ’ . A blossom tree in February is very particular .

genus Prunus mume‘Beni - chidori ’

The 2d onePrunus mume‘Omoi - no - mama ’ has semi - double white blossom and it seems rather rare . I first saw it old age ago at Cambridge Botanical gardens and have search for it since . Last class I finally track it down . It had an unfortunate confrontation with The Pianist mowing the lawn rather over - enthusiastically , but it seems to have survived and I have widen the border so I hope it will be safe in hereafter . You never know though , the earnest Pianist seems to cut down the locoweed with his centre close .

Prunus mume‘Omoi - no - mummy ’

So there we have it , the glorious flower that are lifting my spirits this February , I hope you enjoy them . Please join in and show your favourite February blooms . And I forebode the greenhouse will make an appearance very presently .

46 Responses toTen Top Blooms for February.

consider the fact that your winters are mostly coarse than my own , I ’m astounded by the range of blooms in your garden , Chloris . Other than my small - cup Narcissus , none of my daffodil have shown their faces yet and , while the Freesias are erupt forth , the Sparaxis and other bulbs seem to be taking their odorous time about showing up as well . I ’ve ultimately got a couple of hellebores to bloom reliably but they too jail behind yours . There are n’t many unexampled blooms to share since my mid - month Bloom Day place so , unless something exciting happens within the next few day ( e.g. Ferraria crispa induce an coming into court ! ) , I wo n’t do a separate 10 top bloom post this calendar month . I look forward to seeing what you have going on in your greenhouse .

Ten Top Blooms for February.