The oriental hellebores are at their best now: dark ruby blooms in profusion with such beautiful simple faces. The site is almost boggy but they seem to thrive in it. I have under-planted them with the dark maroon woodland lily, Lilium martagon as they also like a semi-shaded location, in order to extent the flowering season in the courtyard. I will see if the lilies like it. The other plants that are clearly already thriving in this semi-shady damp site are pulmonarias and the creeping bronze-leaved Ajuga. I have tried to keep to a palette of largely burgundy, black, purple and white flowers and leaves in these raised beds. In the autumn I will also plant masses of the Fritillaria meleagris with their exquisite chequered maroon and white bells to naturalize in the damp grass on the bank above.
Feature specimens in the courtyard are the two gigantic Tibetan tree peonies, Paeonia lutea, which are now in bud and have just started showing a little leaf. Next to the front door, one specimen peony, has survived in almost total shade with very little nutrition or even soil for over fifteen years! Initially, they were both so overgrown with brambles and other undergrowth that they were virtually smothered: it shows just how resilient they are as a species, being able to withstand years of total neglect and yet remain so healthy! In the courtyard bed I have also planted my precious peony, Paeonia mlokosewitschii fondly known as ‘Molly the Witch’, which I brought with me from a previous house that has pure single, lemon yellow flowers. Just now it is showing a few spears of dark purple shoots. The beautiful large acer is also beginning to be covered in tiny burgundy shoots, the leaves about to unfurl. I have planted a white Japanese quince and a climbing Hydrangea, H. petiolaris in the shady corner next to the front door.
Indoors in the porch, the fritilllaria ‘uva vulpis’ which I planted in small terracotta pots are flowering with their quaint dainty bells; also the tiny tulip T. pulchella ‘Persian Pearl’ and the fabulously scented hyacinths, ‘Blue star’. Those bulbs that I planted outdoors will all take another few weeks to bloom in the garden in cooler conditions. Of course, many types of daffodils are also flowering now, or are in bud. The earliest ones to appear are beside the driveway: a pale yellow delicate variety that I am yet to identify. Several large clumps of different varieties of pulmonaria, including ‘Sissinghurt White’ are at their best now lighting up the lower borders. The location is sunny but the soil in the borders is quite heavy and moist which suits them. The fresh green leaves of bluebells and Scilla siberica, together with a few blue flowers of the common grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) are also springing up in the herbaceous beds and in the woodland area. It is so exciting to see what will emerge in the garden over the coming weeks.
As the month progresses, everything is coming into leaf, including the bright green shoots of the large and extremely hardy rose, Rosa rugosa 'Alba' and the Mock Orange-blossom, Philadelphus virginal. But the olive tree on the terrace is really not happy! The climate in Wales is just not suitable for it. I knew it would be risky to bring it to ‘Green Valley’ and now I will have to rescue it. Also my rather tender red-flowered bottlebrush Callistemon viminalis ‘Little John’ is looking very sad, as it does not like the extreme cold. On the other hand, it is clear that the weather and soil are suiting the rhododendrons and azaleas since it is similar to the mid Himalayan regions, having a changeable mountainous climate with plenty of rain during the monsoon. I am going to try growing the fabulous Tibetan blue poppy, Meconopsis betonicifolia from seed this year, since I have seen it thriving in a garden not far from here