I love this time of year, not only is it my birthday, but the garden has really woken up and starting to burst into bloom. The colours are vibrant and the foliage is still very lime fresh. This little corner is particularly pretty this time of year. The Daffodils and Grape Hyacinths are first to show, followed by the Lungwort, Forget-me-nots and Bleeding Hearts.
I’m a big fan of the informal cottage garden style and although to some it can look unkempt it actually requires quite a lot of work. Margery Fish was one of the most important influences on English Cottage Gardening style creating the now famous garden at East Lambrook Manor. I’m really lucky because the gardens are just up the road from where I live and I’ve managed to buy some rather unusual plants from their nurseries. If you’re a cottage garden fan, East Lambrook Manor is is well worth a visit.
However, most of the plants in this little corner are readily available from friends gardens! Lungwort (Pulmonaria) is an old favourite with its white spotted leaves and pretty flowers that change from pink to blue as they open. It’s a great ground cover preferring shade and needs a little water in dry weather. I love it because of its spreading habit, it’s so easy to divide and share or move to other parts of the garden. The other little beauties are the Forget-me-nots (Myosotis). They are an annual but once you’ve got them they will happily seed and spring up in surprising places year after year. I love these little surprises! In this corner, they form a lovely carpet and offset the Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra) beautifully.