Allotments 4 All

Some photos taken on this wet and windy day in my garden.  Sorry for the focus but the wind kept moving the flowers as I tried snapping them!

Anemone Borage I think
Osteo Pansies
More pansies
Pelagonium, looking scruffy but sill outside and pretty in pink.
Primulas
Skimmia I think.

Nice pics there EJ. Nice to see whats in flower (but perhaps shouldnt be  ::)).

I am particularly surprised to see a pelargonium still outside and OK, especialy in Essex, which i always thought to be one of the colder southern counties. Mine are all safely tucked away either in my (unheated) greenhouse or the conservatory.

I have always thought of Essex as one of the warmer counties, I know it is one of the driest counties in the country.  To be honest, the pelagoniums that are still outside are looking better than the ones that reside in the greenhouse.

love the osteo EJ, is it in/outside. and do you propagate afresh or does it come up each year? mine don't seem to last long at all before getting leggy.

Tis outside Kerry and I just hack lumps off when it starts sprawling.  I take cuttings which I dot around the garden, but this particular one seems very forgiving and I can chop it back real hard and it just resprouts again.  It is a low sprawling one.  I love them and love to see them down my nans road in Devon where people have planted them in the tops of their stone walls, glorious colour!

How gorgeous! I'm surprised to see the Osteos out (still) and the anemones out (already!) I don't think I remembered to replant my anemones yet. oops. I still have a box of various bulbs from last year that I still haven't planted - ran out of pots.

In my little bit of ground yesterday, I noticed my dark purple hebe was flowering, the dark pink penstemon still had buds on (they flowered up until the snow last winter), and a few primulas out. My geraniums (the hardy sort) and aquilegias are producing new green growth too. And loads of daffs, tulips and crocuses are popping up all over the shop.

So very excited!

Those anemones were freebies when I ordered seed from somewhere or other, and they have pretty much flowered constantly throughout the year.  Everyone comments.  Shame there are only about 8 or 9 corms there.  Such simple pretty flowers.

Yes a very strange winter this year in the south. To have some of what i call 'summer' flowers (penstemons osteos etc) still flowering when the smowdrops and primulas start coming out is very surreal. its as if a whole season has been skipped and we have gone straight from autumn to spring.

Me, I had promroses out well before Chrismas and the first of the snowdrops out before new years day. Strangely enough it is they that look out of place rather than the out of season summer/autumn stuff. The garden just hasnt stopped for a rest this winter at all!

I do wonder if some plants will suffer for not having a rest Richard.  I am sure they must be 'exhausted' constanly growing and flowering.  Our lawn is like a shag pile carpet and I mowed it mid December and it really needs doing again now but the ground is just toooo wet. 

Good point EJ - I wonder if that's why my penstemons didn't do as well in 2004 as in 2003. Or maybe it's just because I rarely bother to feed anything. hmm.

I didn't realise anemones flowered for so long. I yanked mine out in the spring after they'd finished flowering. Maybe I'll give them a permanent place this year.