Spring delights and easy on the yellow
Suddenly lots of flowers are starting to appear as the weather warms up a little. I’m not keen on too much yellow in Spring which is why I favour flowers that provide some contrast to the endless sea of bright yellow Daffodils.
I prefer Narcissi ‘Jenny’ with its pale colouring. It is a cyclamineus hybrid as you might have guessed by the swept back petals.
Narcissus 'Jenny'
Swept back petals are a feature of Cyclamen as you can from this pink one which is flowering at the moment.
Cyclamen coum
Magnolia stellata has just started to flower. This is a small shrub and very useful if you want a Magnolia but haven’t got the space for one of the larger tulip shaped varieties. It has lovely furry buds too.
Magnolia stellata
Then there is Pulsatilla vulgaris ‘Rubra’ with a feathery leaf providing a frame for the flower. Pulsatilla vulgaris, which is native to the UK, flowers around Easter time. This accounts for its common name of Pasque flower. Pasque means of Easter and comes from the Hebrew word for passover which is pasakh.
Pulsatilla vulgaris 'Rubra'
Who can resist a blue flower? – not me. This is one of my favourites but the camera can’t quite capture the depth of colour.
Scilla sibirica
I’ve also got two beautiful Primulas flowering in pots. This one…..
Primula 'Maria Talbot'
….and this one which has finely toothed leaves with a silver edge.
Primula marginata 'Clear's Variety'
Thus proving that Spring does not have to be yellow, yellow and more yellow!
15 comments
Seeing all your lovely primulas – it’s so tempting to try to see if I can get more varieties to winter over. They are lovely. And the Pulsatilla brought back great memories of my first garden. It coincides with Easter here only when Easter is very late in the calendar – think I had vulgaris – sadly it died when I transplanted it to my shady garden here in Oakville. Have you ever tried Thalia daffs? A really good white.
Barbara: I’ve added Thalia to my list too. They look great and I haven’t got any pure whites!
Gosh – you have some lovely things in the garden. I was just thinking to-day that I must get a pasque flower – and then low and behold I see yours.
Have a good weekend
K
PS I am with you on the “not too much spring yellow”
Karen: I must get the purple and white pasque flowers too. I find them very attractive.
I am not a big fan of the bright yellows although I have allowed some to creep in ! Much prefer the mellow yellows – I love Jenny – used to have some years ago but not sure where she went – will have to replace her. The magnolia stellata is a lovely plant – I have just visited my parents and they have one in their garden which looks a treat.
Anna: Glad you like M. stellata too. It is very impressive in flower.
I grow a lot of Ice Follies narcissus with white petals but that open with a touch of yellow on their trumpets, tying them in with the more traditional yellow of the other narcissii. The bright, vivid blue of grape hyacinths go well with them as do the white hyacinths all blooming at the same time in my zone 7.
Karen: Thanks for the suggestion. I’ve added Ice Follies to my list!
That’s so funny, I just read on Karen’s blog about her not liking yellow either, and now I see her comment here! I only tolerate bright yellow from sunflowers and a few early daffodils. Otherwise I prefer the more subtle hues too. I was just thinking I need a magnolia stellata, always admire them so maybe now’s the time! Or past the time for this year, but you know what I mean.
Karen: Yes we are agreed about too much yellow (lol). It’s a good time to choose a M. stellata. I always prefer to see shrubs flowering before I buy.
They are sweet little dafs… When I moved into this garden we had little Poet’s Eye’s everywhere…they are white with a small red corona…a very interesting daffodil. I do like your other spring flowers…the scilla is always a treat! What a wonderful blue. gail
Gail: I’ve got some Poet’s Eye in pots. I agree they are beautiful and I think it’s time to plant some of them out into the garden.
Those are so lovely! I especially like blue flowers, too.
Susan: I still find blue an unusual colour in the garden, slightly unreal!
The Narcissus ‘Jenny’ is a beauty. I don’t blame you for prefering her subtle coloring to the bright yellows of most Daffodils. Looks like you a have a variety of colors to choose from right now in your garden.
Racquel: Yes she is pretty. I must get some others that are not bright yellow.
What a lovely collection of flowers you have in your garden, I obviously need to plant more!!!
Libby: It is always a surprise when they first come out because I forget that they are there!
Looking great! I really like that pasque flower. Nice spring beauties indeed.
My Pasque flower has big buds but they havent come out yet. I really like those two Primulas – their leaves look very interesting.
I agree, too much of the same flower showing up everywhere, and I get tired of looking at them, and I miss seeing the creativity of the gardener seeking out their own style. I like your alternatives, very pretty.
Hi EG, I have to laugh at your aversion to yellow spring flowers, it is so cheering to me to see that color amid all the browns and grays of leftover winter before the green leaves emerge. But the white daffs and blue anythings are just the touches to bring serenity to the whole scene. I am intrigued by the pasque flower, love the feathery feel of it.
Frances
Lovely photos and the Magnolia stellata is looking wonderful. We’ve got a small one in our garden – I was going to photograph it yesterday, but the sky was too grey and gloomy. Today, the flowers have been frosted :-(
It gives me such a lift this time of year to see the stirrings of Spring! Is Winter really over yet?
Leave a Comment