Monday, March 25, 2013

Sleeping Snowdrops and The Flowers I Left Behind

White on White.

Only one of my snowdrop plants braved the unrelenting snow which just wont go away. I planted four new ones last spring, but they are still sleeping. Of the four, only two pushed up tender new shoots, but I am hopeful that they will all awaken next year. I truly believe in the old gardening adage: The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap. The one that is blooming, hesitantly, in my snowy spring garden is an old friend of several years.

Old and True Snowdrop Friend
I arrived back in PA before England was enveloped by its own late snowfall, so if I want some spring cheer, I can browse through pictures of the blooms I left behind. A walk from my mother's home to the nearby church took me past snowdrops, crocuses, primroses and more ...

Essington Church
There were masses of snowdrops under the trees.


Crocuses covered in drops of dew.
I found helebores under the hedges.
Clumps of pink primroses everywhere.
Pink ...
... and Yellow.

Please, someone tell me the name of this English beauty!

I couldn't leave England without visiting my favorite garden center, the Hollybush. Click here for the first article I wrote about this fabulous place.

Spring plants abound in February at the Hollybush.

Delphiniums

Yasminum nudiflorum
Jasmin is a deciduous wall shrub that I wish I could grow in my PA garden. It flowers on bare branches from November to February in England ...

 

I do love heather, and think I may be able to grow it here if I give it winter protection. I like the way it was used in planters at the nursery.





And of course my favorite English spring flower, the primrose, was there in abundance.


Now that I've browsed through photos from my trip and had my spring 'fix', I can go back to planning my own spring garden. Now, if it would only stop snowing! I WILL be able to get dirt under my nails soon, wont I?

Pamela x

PS. I have neglected my blog lately, and I search for inspiration to return to regular posting. As spring is the season of renewal I am making some changes to my blog. As a small step, I am using a more simple template.  I hope you like it.



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