April 2016 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Lampwick]

Trillium hibbersonii. I acquired this in 1998 from Jack Drake; which makes it about 18 years old with me. Don’t the years just fly by, the older one gets?
I grow it in a shady trough in Melcourt composted pine bark, with about 20%    added sharp builders sand and a dressing alpine grit around its neck. It has six  trifoliate clusters of leaves, each one with a flower emerging.
I have seen pictures of it on the show bench and in members gardens looking great, my little plant looks quite pathetic!

So please tell me! . .What can I do to give it more gusto and vivacity? A week liquid ericaceous feed? A few pellets of Vitax Q4, or should I tease away some of the compost and replace with fresh?
Or none of the above?

Many thanks.

(P.S. I should have maybe put this in the “Cultivation Problems” section, but the photo was taken today - please move it if its inappropriate here Maggi) 

[Lampwick]

Amelanchier lamarckii (snowy mespilus)
It was quite a few years ago now; that our local council put leaflets through the letterbox offering a choice of one of several small trees free to any householder who could be bothered to collect one, on a first come first served choice.
My daughter chose the snowy mespilus.

[Maggi Young]

Mercy! A council doing something useful with trees!  Great! 

[Lampwick]

Mercy! A council doing something useful with trees!  Great!

No! no! . . . It was my daughter and I that did something useful with the tree!
But I know exactly what you mean Maggi, I'm just being pedantic. 

[Maggi Young]

[Lampwick]

Gunilla,
That’s a wonderful spread of Corydalis solida and seeing it in that tranquil woodland setting makes it even more so!

The first Lord Rothschild once said at a garden lecture, “No garden, however small, should be without its two acres of rough woodland”.

[Leena]

Couple of pictures from last night. The biggest snowdrop is 'Falkland House', and crocuses in the first picture are C.sieberi 'Firefly' and in the second picture 'Blue Pearl'

[Gunilla]

The first Lord Rothschild once said at a garden lecture, “No garden, however small, should be without its two acres of rough woodland”.

  

Amelanchier lamarckii is a beautiful tree both in spring and in autumn. Your daughter made a good choice. My son helped me choose the same many years ago.

Leena, lovely spring pictures.

[Hoy]

Some spring flowers here:

Corydalis sp.
Erythronium japonicum dens-canis
Corydalis solida - I have many different colours
Primula marginata
Primula x minima alba

[Hoy]

. . . .and

Primula auricula
Sanguinaria canadensis waiting for sun
Helleborus orientalis seedling
Another seedling
Corydalis malakensis

[David Nicholson]

Nice selection Trond. I liked the second of your Hellebore seedlings, very flouncy and 'Victorian' looking. I liked your Primula minima alba too, I've never seen one in the 'flesh' as it were and haven't been able to find a supplier.

[Gabriela]

Some spring flowers here:

Simply wonderful Trond! I've never seen such a nicely cultivated Primula minima (pink or white).

[majallison]

I love Arum creticum, it rivals peonies for being spectacular & it's nearly a month ahead of them...

It's visible in the second photo on LHS, in front of the greenhouse

[Michael J Campbell]

Daphne Tichbourne.

[Michael J Campbell]

Townsendia incana.
Benthamiella patagonica.