Viola cornuta, scented flowers spring till autumn!

Violas are excellent front of border perennials that flower from spring till autumn, often with scented flowers. Many of them have started flowering now in our garden. The low mats of evergreen foliage require a tidy up after winter and some varieties self-seed. We acquired a whole range in white, blue or pink colours from Dove Cottage nurseries (see pictures, from top to bottom): Viola cornuta Victoria Cawthorne (pink, does not self-seed), Victoria's blush (pale pink, strongly reduced in winter, does not self-seed), Myfanwy (marbled mauve, only planted this year), Icy but Spicy (blue with black veins, only planted this year), Netta Stratham (silvery-grey/mauve, strong grower, self-seeds), Alba (white, strong grower, does not self-seed at our garden), and Belmont Blue (pale sky blue, strong grower, self-seeds). Most of the varieties that we have had seem long-lived, and perfectly hardy. I am hoping some of the seedlings that are cropping up near the parent plants might actually prove new hybrids.

Magnolia "Black Tulip"

During one of my many trips to Bridgemere, one of the UKs biggest garden centres and only 1.5 hours drive away, i came across Magnolia "Black Tulip". This new cultivar introduces a deep maroon-black colour to the magnolia repertoire that is quite simply stunning, and I needed to take this plant home there and then! I could just envisage a mature specimen making a dramatic impact in our garden, especially at a time when our blue bell drifts will start flowering. I planted it out in our purple border last year and found it made healthy growth in a single season doubling the plant size from 1 to nearly 2m (i am hoping for a large tree ultimately). I eagerly awaited this spring and could count several flower buds on our plant. Although the plant did not suffer in the harsh winter we've had, a recent light overnight frost did harm the unfolding young leaves as the first flowers opened. The flowers themselves appear less affected by the cold, and are of variable size. They are bleached to a certain extend by the sun. The recent cultivar "Genie" apparently holds it colour better, although i have not seen it yet (available only from Burncoose nurseries as far as i am aware). Black Tulip itself is now more commonly available, also through crocus. I hope to report more on how our Magnolia Black Tulip is doing in coming years!

Pennine Gardening and Clematis armandii

Following relocation to Manchester, we found ourselves having the opportunity to buy a decent size plot in a pennine village nearby (sort of). Gardening in the Pennines offers the possibility of great hill top views but also challenges the gardener with predominantly wet and cool weather. This blog documents progress in our plans to create a Pennine Garden, battling steep slopes, brambles, deer, slugs and rain, rain, rain .... Some plants have done remarkably well, while others care not for our damp acid soil. So, what can be achieved? Looking at some nearby gardens for inspiration, quit a lot! Check out one of our favourite nurseries and gardens only a few miles away: dove cottage nursery in Halifax. A wonderful perennial garden in the Piet Oudolf-style attached to an excellent and well-stocked nursery! Closer to home there is land farm gardens near Hebden Bridge, a garden perched on a hill top which combines shrub and perennial planting with sculpture. More to the north, we have been inspired by the RHS Harlow Carr garden in Harrogate and the walled garden at Scampston Hall (designed by Piet Oudolf). Both situated outside of the Pennine slopes, but with similarly cool climates.

Can we create a garden (on a slightly smaller scale) that could withstand the comparison? I hope we can. Can my penchant for unusual and exotic plants be satisfied? Never! Do we have an unlimited budget to create an instant big splash? We wish. So, this is going to be a long journey which we hope to document plant by plant. I'll start with an overview of where we are at. We have been here for 3 short summers and 3 long winters, the house walls have been clothed in various climbers (one of the first things we did was to plant wisteria and Clematis armandii, even before our furniture arrived!) and some loosely colour-themed borders have been installed.

We just had one of the worst winters for the past years, although that meant it was much drier as well. Our evergreen clematis C. armandii "Snowdrift" is heralding spring in from early April (we are a bit late this year) till this week. This plant does wonderfully well against our eastern house wall, now growing by several meters each year. Once established it needs little care except for some guidance of its shoots, but, while young, it seemed prone to wilting of the young shoots during warm days (i presume its juvenile root system could not cope with water demand). As the name suggests, it produces vast quantities of wonderfully white flowers with a strong scent. It survived the past pennine winters without any damage. So far so good. While the plant looks attractive year round with coppery young foliage that turns into glossy dark evergreen leaves, the plant does eventually become bare at the bottom, as it tends to produce new growth near the top. C. armandii "Snowdrift" and other cultivars such as "Appleblossom" are widely available at most garden centres or on-line.