We’re both in a great mood today because we’ve just reached the first milestone of the new growing season – the seed order! In spite of the fact that we swore we’d show some restraint for a change, we got a little carried away… (In other words, get comfortable – it’s going to be a long post!)
As ever, our beloved Chiltern Seeds was too tempting to resist. First, a few old favorites putting in repeat appearances.
Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’:
Helenium autumnale ‘Helena Mix’:
Cleome spinosa:
Emilia sonchifolia:
Reseda odorata:
And one of our absolute favorites from 2010 – Didiscus caeruleus:
As for this year’s new additions, we seem to have caught primula fever. We’re going to try Primula pulverulenta:
P. beesiana:
And P. chungensis:
Another experiment – violas. Viola riviniana:
V. odorata var. alba:
And V. cornuta ‘Alba Minor’:
We love poppies. This year, we’re adding 2 peony-flowered varieties (Papaver somniferum var. paeoniflorum) – ‘Black Peony’ and ‘Scarlet Peony’:
As well as a variety know for its enormous seed pods – P. somniferum ‘Giganteum’:
And a really gorgeous horned poppy – Glaucium flavum var. aurantiacum:
We both love upright, slightly spiky-shaped plants so we’re adding a mullein – Verbascum olympicum:
And two foxgloves – Digitalis ferruginea:
And D. obscura:
We’re focusing on the shadier bits of the garden this year, so here are some lovely woodlanders – Smilacina racemosa:
Disporum smithii:
Paris quadrifolia:
And Kirengeshoma palmata:
A couple of umbellifers – Selinum tenuifolium:
And Chaerophyllum hirsutum v. roseum:
We want to add some height (and some yellow) to our meadow planting – Silphium lacinatum:
A pair of ‘daisy’-shaped annuals to add some summer color – Thelesperma burridgeanum:
And Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Torch’:
One to keep the wildlife happy – fuller’s teasel (Dipsacus sativus):
Classics with a twist (sorry!) – unfamiliar varieties of well-known plants. Semiaquilegia ecalcarata:
Clematis fusca var. violacea:
Geum rivale:
Monarda punctata:
And clary sage (Salvia sclarea):
We love using lobelia as underplanting in containers, but we’ve decided to give it a year off. Instead, we’re going to try Verbena speciosa ‘Imagination’:
A multipurpose plant that we’ve always wanted to try – valerian (Valeriana officinalis):
Last year’s attempt to raise hardy cyclamen from seed was more successful than we expected, so we’re going to try again this year with Cyclamen purpurascens:
Finally, three lovely blueish/purplish blooms. Trachelium caeruleum ‘Violet Veil of Flowers’:
Tweedia caerulea ‘Heavenborn’:
And Phacelia purshii:
So much for restraint. (And this isn’t everything – stay tuned for our herb order and a try-out order with another nursery!)