Flower Combinations

When thinking about plants, you would usually take into consideration flowering times to achieve a succession of flowers. You would want plants in flower to be surrounded by green to show them to their best.
The strange weather this year (spring only started mid April) means that many plants are late (bulbs were most affected by the weather, most are around 4 weeks late) and flowering in combinations you wouldn't usually see. This makes the garden busy, different, but not unattractive.

As you can see tulips and flowering cherry at the back of the garden are both in flower (the cherry is Prunus 'Taihaku'). While some of the acers are already in full leaf, some are only starting to unfurl.

 Acer palmatum 'Garnet'

Some daffodils are also still in flower, this is a late one, but it has never been this late.

Any hope of spring?

My optimism at the end of February has been premature. The weather has been so cold as to prevent me from going out into the garden for over a month.
At this time of year the apple tree would be covered in blooms, but I just looked out, and there are barely signs of buds. On the other hand my clematis armandii seems to flower according to the calendar (or perhaps the amount of light available) rather then the weather.
As in previous years it is in full bloom.

 

 

In previous years, on a warm spring evening the scent would be quite strong. You could smell it walking under the garden gate over which the plant drapes. I took this picture a few minutes ago, in fairly decent warm sunshine, but, it has no scent at all, which is not quite the same.

Is it Finaly Spring?

My optimism at the beginning of January was slightly premature. Spring was not there yet. A nice weekend mid February quickly turned into freezing weather which lasted until today.
I finally managed to get out into the garden and finish pruning the roses.
Plants on the other hand seem unperturbed by the freezing weather, and all signs of spring are out there. The Hellebores, the snow drops (Galanthus nivalis, I am not much of a galanthophil, and can't really tell the difference while standing)  and the Witch Hazels (Hammamelis).

 

Helleborus 'Anna's Red'

I hope the nice weather will last long enough so I can complete tidying up the garden, the brown bin has just been emptied, and I still didn't prune the tips of the Wisteria.

Helleborus x hybridus 'Harvington Shades of Night'