Shakespeare and St George!

[callmemadam]

For years I kept up a tradition of a Shakespeare flower count: everything in the garden flowering on Shakespeare’s birthday. Although I have far fewer flowers here I decided to revive the idea. Here’s the list.

Alpine strawberries
Brunnera macrophylla variegated one, can’t remember its name
Dandelions!
Dicentra spectabilis ‘Alba’
Erysimum ‘Bowles’ Mauve’
Erysimum either ‘Apricot Delight’ or ‘Apricot Twist’. Whichever, it’s definitely orange, see below
Euphorbia polychroma
Flowering quince
Flowering cherry
Forget-me-not
Geranium robertianum, a weed really but so pretty I leave it in a few places
Grape hyacinths
Lily of the Valley
Omphalodes ‘Starry Eyes’
Pelargonium in greenhouse
Periwinkle, blue
Periwinkle, violet
Primroses everywhere
Pulmonarias, various types
Solomon’s Seal
Speedwell, another weed
Stitchwort in the hedges
Tulips
Violas in basket. They’ve been flowering since November and have survived temperatures of -12
Wallflowers



Bubbling under (just coming into flower)
Centaurea montana, the perennial cornflower
Clematis montana
Geranium macrorrhizum
Honeysuckle

Comments

[rosathome.livejournal.com]

I was amazed to discover that some of my violas had survived the winter too. It seems to be a particularly good year for dandelions. I am trying to just enjoy the colour and not care.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I always mean to pick off the dandelion heads before they turn into puffballs but somehow I'm never in time.

St George's day head count!

[(Anonymous)]

By George, what a wizard idea! Re dandelions, even though they look garish in close-up, or on the lawn (unlike daisies which can look rather pretty) on a bank beneath a hedge here in south Devon I saw a whole host - not of golden daffodils - but dandelions. From a distance, they looked magnificent. Perhaps we should learn to love the humble dandelion?
Love the colour of that wallflower!

Re: St George's day head count!

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

As rosathome said, it does seem a particularly good year for dandelions. Funny thing: this is my third spring in this garden and I've never seen a daisy or buttercup in the grass.

The wallflower is one of those plants that flowers for months if you deadhead. It has a rather gawky habit which needs hiding but the flowers are splendid.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm ashamed that I didn't even know it was Shakespeare's birthday. Nice idea of a list of the flowers in bloom. I need to re-read the part in Hamlet when Ophelia recites the names of wildflowers.
Nicola@vintagereads

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Are you an E F Benson fan? Lucia's front garden at Riseholme contains only flowers mentioned in Shakespeare.