Plants, Plants and Yet More Plants

We went to Hugo's for lunch yesterday and when we got home I found my first delivery of plants from J Parker had arrived. MIL and FIL went in to Berwick to try to get a chip on their windscreen repaired while I set about planting and potting on.

The Bowl of Beauty paeony (well actually a lot of roots and a couple of buds) and the bearded irises have been put straight into the garden. I may replant the irises as I was rushing to get them in...

Next I potted on the hostas. I had ordered two packs of a random selection of 6 varieties. Obviously there had been a problem with the quality control of the packing as I actually had 7 in one pack and a whopping 13 in the other. Should be almost enough for the whole of the remainder of the LBE if they all survive the trauma.

Then I planted a rather sad looking stick with a few leaves into one of my nice pots - magnolia soulangeana. I am hoping to eventually get it into the long bank to replace one of the brooms when they finally need to come out. I thought they may be in their last year now but the hard winter seems to have suited them well and they look healthier than they did last year!

My free gift rhodondendron was pot grown so will make it in to the garden in the next few days and the free gift Devon dianthuses have also been potted on.

Finally the lily of the valley - I had planned for them to be behind the sheds but that area needs to be weeded first so I put 5 behind the gooseberry bushes and the remainder are temporarily planted in a pot.

Today the sun is out, the start of a promised spell of good weather but I will 'wasting' Saturday in Perth again for the Scottish heat of the National Scrabble Championship.

MIL and FIL departed this morning.

Paul is out clearing the back in preparation to spraying the weeds yet again.

I am hoping to start planting 'my' nursery purchases (many thanks to Lilian who insisted on buying them for me when we went to pay) today but there still appears to be more traffic than normal so I will have to be careful.

Edrom nursery:

Globularia Nudicaule

Saxifrage fortunei Rubrifolia

Saxifrage 'Blackberry and Apple Pie'

Iris Setosa dwarf form

Dodecatheon dentatum

Phlox sublata Marjorie

Penstemon newberryi Amethyst

Dianthus Inshriach Dazzler

Dianthus Whatfield Wisp

Phyteuma scheuzeri

Lamberton nursery:

Globularia velutina

Geranium subcaulescens Splendens

Geranium cinereum Ballerina

Dianthus gratianopolitanus

Gentiana angustifolia 'Frei'

Verbascum atroviolaceum

Erodium 'Natasha'

Afternoon Out at Edrom Nursery

Today is not a gardening day - dull, windy, cold, drizzle turning to occasional rain. So I did the next best thing - I went to Edrom nursery. Jean declined the offer to accompany me and there was no answer when I phoned Anne. Oh well, I coped just fine on my own. I had a list...

I got the two daphnes (retusa and cheriton) and the juniper squamata blue star from the list. I also wanted a dwarf rhodo collection and a roscoea collection but the owners of the nursery were away at a show so I left a note with my phone number.

And then I went off-piste...

Three more pulmonarias:
Blue ensign (plain green leaves with the bluest of blue flowers), Diana Clare (silvery green leaves with dark blue flowers) and
Opal (silver blotched leaves with pale blue/lilac flowers)
I am hoping that I will be able to divide these in the autumn to increase my stock.

Two primulas:
Dark Rosaleen (dark green/purplish leaves red/pink flowers) and
David Valentine (mauve flowers)

Dryas suendermanii (cream flowers)

Fritillaria acmopetala (yellow flowers with maroon markings)

Aruncus aethusifolius (creamy white flowers)

Cassiope martensiana (small strange looking foliage with lots of small creamy white bell-shaped flowers)

Arisarum proboscideum (dark brown/purple spathes)

Andromeda polifolia compacta (pink flowers)

Cardamine waldsteinii (white flowers)

Dicentra cuccularia (white)

Aquilegia saximantana (blue flowers)

and something unlabelled that the lady on the till thinks begins with a P and was £2.50 - sold! If anyone knows what this is please leave a comment telling me :)

I had just relocated them to top of LB8A when a car came by slowly. A lady got out - I assumed it was someone who was lost, but no, she introduced herself as an avid reader of my blog and had come past to see my garden!

Note to Judy: Sorry but it was blowing a gale and raining and you took me by surprise, else I would have shown you around. If you want to come by in better weather I will give you a tour :)