It’s all about the Tulips this week. In our garden and most of the neighbouring gardens Tulips are the shining stars at the moment. In fact everywhere I look I can see tulips in bloom! We grow all sorts of Tulips because trying new varieties each year is fun and it’s amazing how they all have different flower shapes and colors. I love the pastel creams, the pale pinks and lemons. I love the bold red, deep purple and bright cerise tulips too. It’s hard to choose my favourite but I do love orange…
There’s an orange theme going on in our Summer Border where I’ve planted them with red Wallflowers.
The bright orange flowers with pointed petals is Ballerina and I think the others are Princes Irene. I love their glaucous greeny-blue foliage too.
And Tulip foliage isn’t the only thing looking good right now… some of our Hostas are beginning to unfurl and their leaves are looking at their squeaky fresh best right now. Pre slug nibble of course.
With a bit of luck the Hostas may stay intact this year because our pest controllers are at it again. These wild ducks visit us daily and rifle through the borders and grassy areas in search of slugs, snails and tasty creatures of all kinds.
What’s looking good in your garden this week? I’d love to know. You are most welcome to leave a comment with a link to your post.
Hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather. Happy Gardening Gillian 🙂
Beautiful tulips; it is interesting that although there are thousands of different varieties most of the blogs I read are growing mostly the same varieties. Bearded Irises are still at their best in my garden with the roses now making their presence felt. Here’s a link to my post about some of the roses: https://myhesperidesgarden.wordpress.com/2016/05/05/may-5th-2016-evening-light/
Thanks for hosting Gillian
I think most plant groups have some that are very reliable and so they become popular until the next fad hits!
You are way ahead of us here with your Irises and Roses… it will be another 4 weeks before they are looking good here!
Thanks for joining in Christina.
Breathtaking!
Thanks very much Christine.
Love your tulips – they always put on the best show, don’t they? Delightful slug control – wish I had a few here (too many carnivores 🙁 ).
Thanks Eliza. Yes they do indeed put on a great show if only for a short time. We have foxes here but thankfully there are a few large ponds around for the ducks to escape to if necessary. We lost six chickens to a hungry fox though!
Too bad about your chickens. All my neighbors have given up having chickens because the predators are just too good at what they do!
I love tulips. In fact, they are on my table right now in much the same color as you show. I love the way they change every day.
I adore them too Lulu… mind you I’ve yet to find a flower I’m not fond of!
Lovely tulips. I was pleased with myself for recognising Ballerina, but it is very distinctive isn’t it.
I too love all the different varieties on offer and plant lots every year. Some come back more than once, and others don’t. That is always disappointing. Tulips are probably the best thing in my garden just now too, though the rhododendrons are just coming out.
Ooooh! Rhododendrons are lovely Annette. We don’t have any at all so I do tend to drool when I see them in other gardens.
Gillian his tulips are beautiful and the color you chose is wonderful, I love it. And luck is having these wild ducks as heavy infantry to destroy all eaters leaves and other bugs. Greetings from Margarita.
Thank you very much Margarita.
Es muy amable que los patos silvestres estén en su jardín. Saludos de Margarita.
Beautiful varieties, you have there! Such eye popping bright colours. I have a few tulips in a bed close to the house which are blooming, but the others aren’t quite ready to open up, yet.
My crocuses have just finished up. Daffodils and grape hyacinths have just started to bloom. The sunny, bright daffodils make me think of our time in Wales.
I noticed one iris with a flower bud, still tight and far from ready to open, but it’s there!
Thanks Leah! You are quite right… they are bright. I also grow some lovely pastel tulips but the oranges appeal to me the most at the moment. My Irises have sent up lovely strong new leaves but no buds yet.
For some strange reason, my aunt, sister, and I are all so averse to orange that jokingly claim to have an allergy to it!
Orange is one of those colours you either love or hate I think.
Very true!
Hello Gillian. Those Tulips are beautiful! We have a wonderfully Gothic looking Tacca flowering in one of our glasshouses https://diggingfordirt.wordpress.com/2016/05/01/may-notebook/
Thanks very much! I’ve just had a look at your Tacca. I’ve never even heard of it before never mind seen it. What an unusual flower.
The tulips in your summer border look fantastic. I can see we have similar tastes!
Thanks very much! Isn’t that amazing Jason… you are in Chicago USA I’m in Lancashire NW England so far apart and yet we have managed to grow a similar display of Tulips!