My Spring Favourites

[gillianbc]

The most favourite things in my garden at the moment ...
Old fashioned favourite Nora Barlow
 
Simple but even more orange than oranges! -  pot marigolds

Perennial cornflower (centaurea montana) it seeds everywhere but it repeat flowers 2 or 3 times.
Lords & Ladies - I know they're a weed but I transplant them into my borders as they're stunning with their spathes in Spring and again when they have berries in the autumn

[gillianbc]

[tim]

Beautiful !
1. Who & what is Nora?
2. L&L - yes, lovely. Except that the g/children were found partaking the other day. Will they never learn?
3.Who cuts the hedge? = Tim

[budgiebreeder]

Beautiful.What lovely colours .I love all the old type flowers too,they have so many memories for me.Thanks for sharing.

[Gardengirl]

Absolutely gorgeous Gillian, lovely photos :)

[Mimi]

Lovely pictures Gillian.  I never think of Lords and Ladies as weeds, just as wild flowers.  Love them and have loads in our woodland walk(along with wild garlic, snowdrops , daffs and bluebells.)

[Palustris]

Very pretty too, Marigolds are early for you are they not, ours are only seedlings at present.
This is the flowering spathe of the variegated Arum.

Seeds will be available later and they come about 50/50 variegated and plain.

[ina]

Pretty as a picture, all of them. Thanks for showing them.

[MagpieDi]

Stunning photos Gillian !

To answer Tim's query, ....call me sad   ::)    but I just happen to know that Nora Barlow was the granddaughter of Charles Darwin, and the double aquilegia was named after her !!  :)

[gillianbc]

MagpieDi, thanks for answering that.  I had no idea who Nora was.  This is the first year she has flowered so I'm quite pleased.  And to answer you Tim, my husband (after copious nagging) cuts the hedge perched precariously on step ladders with me holding on and getting covered in branches.  We only do it once a year thank goodness and have to pick our moment before the birds start nesting.  When we moved in, the leylandii were around three sides and twice as high - about 30 feet.  As the garden is only 50ft square, it was like a green prison.  That side is the only remaining complete side that remains.  My hubby took some out and we have pleached the rest.

Palustris - the marigolds are self seeded from last year so there's plenty of big ones by now.  I love your arum - is it the marbled  one (marmoratum I think)?  

[Palustris]

Arum italicum Marbled leaf form.