Busy weekends: the April garden and beginning the big plant out

The garden is a very demanding mistress at the moment, one that wants more of my time than I can give and I have had a very long list of things that need doing. Fitness is also an issue and I am not half as butch as I think I am.... The weather is also very mild and everything is growing including the Cannas and dahlias, and so this weekend I have begun planting out all the tender things and some Ricinus seedlings. Last year is was so cold and wet which meant things sulked forever and only got going really late in the season, so this year I am hoping for the opposite, and by getting things out early I hope they can take advantage of the warm weather and begin to establish.

Everything seems to have survived, the only plant which is near death being a  Musa sikkimensis which was gnawed by a fox.

6ft Musa sikkimensis planted out with  big clumps of Canna musifolia around the base

 

I am in love....my 3yr old Geranium maderense has just started flowering.....a beautiful plant which is currently about 3ft tall. I have never got them to flower as the frost always gets the growing point. hurrah! Behind is a Gunnera which I am trying in a pot

 

 

This continues the bog plants in pot theme with a Petasites doing better here than in the ground, although the monopeds like it...

 

A large pot of Canna musifolia and you can see it beginning to burst into life. It is a strong plant and you can see how much it is beginning to distort the pot.

New leaves of Stauntonia hexaphylla intertwined with a still flowering Cobea

Honeywort...now making its self at home by self seeding around the garden. fabulous alien flowers

Bog bean...

Large ajuga blending with the Forget-me nots which have carpeted everything

Nicotiana tabacum...leaves look rubbish but their flowers which are at head height are rather interesting

Eccremus which has a beautiful exotic flower....

The Tetrapanax forest looking jungly...

 

 I have about 5 giant Echiums which are flowering, the tallest growing about a foot a week which is great apart from if they are growing into the tree!

Planted out Ricinnus seedlings

 

Iris confusa looking so elegant that it is like you are in a Japanese woodcut

 

So lots more to do! there are still piles of Cannas to go out and although the Ensetes are coming into leaf they arent rooting yet....