Good Day

Two of the flowers i moaned about yesterday have opened today.The Oriental Poppy looks like an orange silk tent with black spots, and a sweet like centre.I love how the petals blow in the wind like shimmering silk.

The ponds resident Flag Iris has opened its first flower today.The lemon yellow flower contrasts to the green of the stem, and leaves below.I love these traditional British Iris.They are simple but elegant.

After I came back from work I suddenly spied my elusive bird.The Greater Spotted Woodpecker.The same one that Cat saw the other day.The round fatball holder has seen hundreds of birds fly into the ring to eat the fatballs.This photo shows the Woodpecker, a baby Blue Tit, and a House Sparrow sharing the circular feeder.

Prior to this morning I had only the heard the rapid drumming of our local Woodpeckers.The news of the free fatballs must have reached the deciduous trees that run over the road behind the houses.

You can see from the photo his amazing feet clutching the cage of the feeder, and the powerful beak bashing the fatballs.I wander if he was feeding a clutch of baby Woodpeckers?He came about five times this morning and fed himself for ages.They are handsome birds with their red.black, and white coloured feathers.

It is a grey cool sunday, but im so happy about two of my flowers blooming, and of photographing the Woodpecker in our garden.Good day..

Great Expectations

The Rose Gertrude Jekyll is making me wait for the first Rose Bloom of the year.The Rose buds are swollen and the petals beginning to open slightly.Everyday I look and every day the Roses are not in bloom.I always am impatient for her beautiful scented blooms.

The Oriental Poppy Pizzicatto is nearly in flower.It will probably open tonight or tomorrow when i am working. The plant has some beautiful new growth on it, and should flower for years to come.It is a perennial rather than the annuals of common Poppies.

The Flag Iris flower has been exposed but remains stubbornly shut.I love the rich yellow colour and the striped pattern on the flowers.I am impressed that my small pot bound Flag Iris will flower for a second time.This is the first year it has had its roots in real water.Last year it was sat in a container filled with water to mimic a pond.I saw a Newt today trying to burrow through the Aquarium stones.He hit a brick wall and had to dive into the deeper water instead.

The garden has been hit by strong winds today and pots have been rolling about.I love the Flowers that are blooming.The primary colours are contrasting.Purple Lupins,Violas and Pansy's.Red Geums.White and purple Aliums.Yellow Buttercups.Pink and White Aquilegias.Dark Purple and White Aquilegias.

Ever since Cat said she saw a Woodpecker in our garden I have watched obsessively.I have not seen feather or beak of any Woodpeckers.Does anyone know how to attract them?

We hear them hammering away against the Trees in the deciduous woodland (where the Bluebells are)across the road.

The expectation of flowers and scents makes me go out everyday to look around the garden.We went shopping today to buy trays for the Plug Plants.450 need re potting when I'm off again.

Tonight is the Eurovision Song Contest.I will watch it with Cat, and hope that Blue (our entry) can do better than last place.I always watch it and hope for better results.

I will do a post tomorrow about the RHS Chelsea Flower Show which starts in ten days time.I wait expectantly for Chelsea every year in May.I dream of going to see it one day in person.

The flowers of my Rose,Flag Iris, and the Oriental Poppy always excite me as much as the greatest flower show on Earth.I hope they surpass my expectations this year.

Gold Rush

One of my favourite plants of all time is the common Flag Iris or Pseudocorus. It has been growing in Britain since Anglo Saxon times. It has been the anglo saxon flag symbol too. It grows on the edges of ponds and lakes. I bought mine from Hampsons and grew it in a fake pond pot. A pot inside a water filled pot. It has grown beautifully after it was frozen solid in the winter. It got totally encased in ice. The ice melted, the temperatures rose, and it grew away.

I first saw these plants growing at Harlow Carr around the Queen Mothers Lake. I have subsequently seen them at Newmiller Dam here in Wakefield. They are very vigerous though and can elbow out other species of plants in the pond edge. They are good in water filled containers though like my plastic fatball container.

The flowers are six petaled with the pairs forming yellow flags. They have dark markings running up their throat. They are like liquid sunshine on the patio.

It was also a golden day at the RHS Chelsea flower show with the medals being handed out this morning to the expectant gardners. The rest of the day will have been euphoria or dissapointment, followed by relief that its all over. The RHS members have the next few days to admire all the gardens, and stands in the Great Pavillion, before the general public are let into Chelsea. 157,000 visitors will pass through the gates in five days.
Eight two gold medals were handed out this morning between the gardens and the exhibitors in the Grand Pavillion.
Andy Sturgeon won a Gold medal and coveted Best In Show garden for his Daily Telegraph garden. He was back presenting the BBC's coverage a few hours later alongside Nicky Chapman. He is such a down to earth guy with a really eye for planting and the balance between structure and plants.
James Wong also took a Gold medal for his Malaysian Garden. The presenter of BBC 2's Grow Your Own Drugs designed it with his partner David Cubana. He (David) was quite Shy hiding at the back of the garden clearing debris from a water feature, when the judges arrived to present the card with the medal embossed in it. James Wong said "excuse me" to Nicky Chapman and ran back to show his shy partner. They were both delighted with the Gold medal.
I have just had a look at the Gold Medal winners. One I liked was the Green And Blacks Rainforest Garden highlighting the plight of the peoples of Cameroon. They had made a complete rainforest surrounding a traditional banana leave constructed tent. The Ladys from Cameroon made the dwelling. Her Majesty the Queen loved this garden when she visited it on Monday and was asking lots of questions about it.
I loved the Yorkshire Rhubarb and Custard Garden, it received a Silver medal. The Thrive garden called The Unexpected Gardener is really good too and got a Gold medal. I will try to get some photos of the show gardens to show the ones that i liked.
The full list of awards is here: http://www.rhs.org.uk/Shows-Events/RHS-Chelsea-Flower-Show/2010/Awards
The new plant voted the best newcomer was a Streptocarpus called Harlequin Blue. It is a bi colour Streptocarpus with a yellow lip, and dark blue upper petal. I will see if i can buy it at the Autumn Flower Show or at Tatton Park in July.
Its been a day of gold then from my blooming Flag Iris, to the awards at the 2010 Chelsea flower show.
The two gardens I tipped the UK Skills Growing World Class Talent, and the Eden Projects Places Of Change got Silver medals. Well done those two teams of people.

Flag Iris

This is the least battered of all the Flag Iris.I like the lemon yellow petals with the speckled patterns on them.Thier longevity in growing since Anglo Saxon times. They grow quite vigerously.I think they have got one side of the Queen Mothers Lake.I need to go next time when they are in full bloom!

More post Tomorrow. Time for work soon.....

Yellow Flag Iris

A favourite photo from my day out, of the wanderfully named Flag Iris, growing Prolifically along the Queen mothers Lake. Its proper name is Iris Pseudacorus. A British native plant that grows on wet ground from lake and river edges, to damp woodland and marshes.
It was used by an Anglo Saxon king on his flag.They must have liked the sword like leaves and pretty flower.
I tried not to fall into the lake photographing it as i had to move to the waters edge :)
It likes full sun, and is said to be invasive under good growing conditions.It is propogated by its Rhizomes.