I long ago learned that I have no will-power when it comes to buying plants. I simply can't resist them. But I figure it's better than being addicted to an illegal substance so to be honest I don't do that much about it. I mostly just give in!
I had a particular spree the other day because we were genuinely in desperate need of some red/purple in the garden; some contrasting foliage. (What we really wanted was Red Orach, but we'll come onto that in a moment or two).
Anyway, off my Mum and I trundled to a couple of our favourite nurseries to find said red and purple, but I just knew I'd get side-tracked along the way. At the beginning I was being very good, restricting myself to interesting foliage plants, but I was quickly seduced by a spectacular speckled bloom! 'I've got to have it!' I thought. And I'm so pleased I gave in. I bought one in bud so I could keep checking it every day and have a longer to enoy the flowers. When I got home from work on Friday I discovered it had opened...joy of joys! Isn't it gorgeous?! My first Toad Lily...it's full name is Tricytris latifolia 'yellow sunrise' and I got it from Plantsman's Preference.
I was similarly seduced by the unknown Bupleurum in the picture below. I spotted it in one of Ben's beds at Blacksmith's Cottage Nursery and he found it in the nursery, but it didn't have a label. I'm sure it's obvious, but the only other Bupleurum I have is a little baby one I grew from seed, so I'm no expert! Anyway, it's an absolute stunner...it almost glistens in the sunlight. And it's lookng particularly fetching here next to Heuchera Americana 'Harry Hay', another new addition, but one which I actually bought for its purple foliage. By luck it also has these gorgeous spikes of creamy flowers, contrasting with those rich, purple stems!
It wasn't all seduction you'll be pleased to know! I did get lots of purple...a lovely, rich Heuchera and Lysmachia, which is sitting nicely amidst the various Lamiums and Meehania in 'the woods'. I'm going to see if I can pin it down and train it along the ground. I've never tried, but we'll see. It might work!
Now, a couple of paragraphs ago I mentioned that all this pursuit of purple was really just an attempt to fill the hole left by Red Orach (or Fat Hen as it's commonly known). My Mum and I absolutely love the stuff. It's a simple herb (or weed to some!), but with the most sumptious purple foliage and charming beige spires of seeds. We've had it before, but while it should self-seed madly, we put it in the wrong places and so it never did! Norfolk Herbs is usually the only place that really sells it, but everytime I've seen them at an event they haven't had any - apparently their seed didn't take for whatever reason. So, you can imagine my glee when I discovered a whole tray of the stuff at the Norfolk Herbs stand at the Royal Norfolk Show!!! My oh my!! I literally jumped up and down with glee. There might even have been squealing!! Needless to say, I bought eight little plants (they were every so reasonably priced) and am going to put them everywhere. Fingers crossed at least one of them will be happy enough to have babies. And everything I put them next to instantly looks a million times more beautiful - I can't wait to get them planted! And you can see why...I mean, look at those raindrops and how they off set another new addition to the family, my Dactylorhiza orchid hybrid (seen below in all its glory in a solo shot).
The Dactylorhiza was a gift from Ben (thank you Ben), as was this beautiful violet. It's very special...one he discovered at his nursery and so called Viola hirsutum Blacksmith's purple.
And further thanks to the Potterton family for this marvellous Primula florindae (thank you Ben's Mum!)
On the trip I also picked up a couple of lovely ferns and a gorgeous pulmonaria, but I don't have good enough pictures of those to post. I also somehow haven't got a picture on my camera of my stunning new Salvia, picked up at the Royal Norfolk Show from Hedgehog Gardens. All coming soon. But I will leave you with a picture of a new bulb in my garden this year...Allium caeruleum. Isn't it just a stunner?!
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