It’s a sad farewell to the tulips today. Cold weather has given them staying power this year, but I can see they are fading fast. I love the dark purple tulips. They remind me of a bishops’ sash, an amethyst ring, a royal cloak. A stained glass window. Silk.
This is Purple Queen of the Night. I’ve noticed tulips vary in colour, depending on supplier. So this one came from Taylors Bulbs, the one below is also Queen of the Night, from Parkers wholesale.
I’ll be planting more of the the Walkers variety; these stood up to the weather well, and didn’t “melt” when it rained.
I shall miss the jewel-like colours of tulips. It’s been the best display I’ve ever had, and didn’t cost much. Most of the bulbs were bought in the sale at Christmas and planted the first week of January. Waiting to plant until it’s really cold helps prevent viruses which spoil the flowers and leaves.
When the tulips fade, my garden turns green. This is the view from our bedroom window today. The beech trees are at their freshest now, lime green leaves highlighted by sunshine. Gradually they shade out the woodland floor and I say goodbye to the spring understory; bluebells, wild garlic and the last of the white narcissi. Wild clematis and honeysuckle provide some compensation. I didn’t plant these climbers, but they are welcome here. Honeysuckle crowns a silver holly pyramid. No harm seems to come to the holly. It’s a cheerful combination. A happy co-incidence.
The evening scent drifts around the garden and in though bedroom windows. A wonderful scent to end the day. A feast of nectar for night-flying moths. For daytime-flying insects, crab apple blossom provides a banquet. It’s usually smothered in bees. This one I think is Wedding Bouquet.
If you have a small garden, Malus Laura is the one to choose. This gorgeous small tree grows in an upright, vase- shape, doesn’t cast much shade and has wonderful dusky pink blossom, purple new leaves, and plum coloured crab apples. So much interest in just one tree.
Links: Six on Saturday : https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2019/05/18/six-on-saturday-18-05-2019/
Queen of the Night : https://taylors-bulbs.com/spring-flowering-bulbs/
Malus Laura : https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/124642/Malus-Laura/Details
Malus Wedding Bouquet : https://www.frankpmatthews.com/catalogue/malus/10139
Bramble Garden 
Is that coral honeysuckle, or some sort of Japanese honeysuckle? I do not think of coral honeysuckle as fragrant, but have never grown it.
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I’m not sure which honeysuckle this is as it’s just grown on its own. Probably a bird dropped the seed. I’m taking cuttings to spread it around the garden. The flowers are lasting a long time.
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It looks like some cultivar of Japanese honeysuckle., but I really don’t recognize it. If it grew from seed, it is either a native species, or a feral plant.
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Love your honeysuckle flowers, it’s a lovely picture. I have a few new honeysuckles this year which I hope will all flower. Coming to a SoS soon…
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Beautiful!!
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Thank you
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What a great view you have from your bedroom, wow! Beautiful blossoms. Thank you for the tip on what kind of Malus to take for a small garden. I’m going on a hunt for it. What a beauty that is! Enjoy!
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Thank you 😊
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Love the crab apple trees, I wonder if you can grow Malus Laura in a container? And how wonderful to have honeysuckle in flower already! Such a lovely scent.
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Yes you can. Large half barrel would be best. John Innes no 2 compost mixed with multi purpose. Drip watering system would be best.
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Thanks Karen. I have made a note 🙂
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Malus Laura seems perfect for a small space
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Karen your photos are wonderful as everything you have in your fabulous garden. The Purple Queen of the Night Tulip has a magnificent color. The Tulip Queen of Walkers Night I like much more for the reflections that are so beautiful in the sun. What a wonderful view you have from your room! I love the Silver Holly. I love the wild Clematis and the Honeysuckle. I really like the flower of the Honeysuckle, it’s a jewel. I also have two Honeysuckle in my garden and when they are in bloom I only smell them. The flower of the Manzan of the Crab is an authentic beauty, I love it. Malus Laura is a tree jewel because she has it all: lovely flowers, leaves that change color and is suitable for small gardens like mine. Karen thank you very much for teaching us all these wonders that you have in your fabulous garden. Thank you very much for the links, they are very interesting. Karen love, health, strength and happiness for your whole family and for you. Thanks for being a very good friend. Take care and rest. Memories for Meg and Grace. 🙂 Very loving greetings from Margarita. 🙂
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I will certainly buy a few tulips late in the season….thanks for the tips. Your garden look so beautiful.
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Thank you Noelle 🙂
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I agree with you this year has been the best for tulips and it is sad to say goodbye.
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The lilac has suddenly gone over today. I never used to mourn their passing, but now I seem to just want to hold on to every season. I’m reluctant to move on. How odd.
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Malus Laura is gorgeous, Karen – shame I have no room for another crab apple…😉
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Even though I have a big garden, I memorize the Malus Laura. It could perfectly accommodate a little corner. Well seen to have grown the same tulips from 2 suppliers! We see the difference and we don’t think it’s possible (because usually we buy tulips from a supplier and other tulips from another supplier … rarely twice the same). Thank you.
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I’ve made a note of Malus Laura for future reference just in case we need another small tree. Our honeysuckles are just starting to flower. Looking forward to the fragrance once the buds open!
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Thank you 😊
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Beautiful blossom and that honeysuckle is lovely. Unfortunately I think my Queen of the Nights have given up the ghost, will need to stop being mean and buy dome fresh bulbs methinks. Thanks for sharing Karen
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oops that should of course, have been “some”
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If you plant the tulips at the base of trees, they will dry out enough in the summer to come back the next year. Helps to replicate where they come from in the wild.
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Lovely choices. Queen of the night are my last remaining tulips as well. I also bought many late on. Seems to be the way forward. It hasn’t done them any harm being planted late.
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Thank you. Sorry for the delay replying. Chelsea got in the way 🙂
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I love the dark green of Holly as a support for vigorous clematis. Nelly Moser positively shines in a shady corner on a big Holly tree.
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Thank you. I’ll remember that tip. I love clematis growing naturally through trees and shrubs. Much prettier than on trellis.
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Hi Karen, I wanted you to know that the beautiful pictures of your garden and flower arrangements have inspired me to challenge myself to pick a vase of flowers and/or foliage from my garden every week if the year. I’m loving it and every week’s vase has been very different so far.
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Thank you Kathy. That’s wonderful to hear! Sometimes I only pick a jam jar full of flowers. Today it’s the last of the tulips, surrounded by a collar of forgetmenots. I enjoy these small treats as much as a bouquet to be honest. Tomorrow I’m travelling to the Chelsea flower show and I shall be looking out for a few new ideas to add to the cut flower patch. I’m looking for permanent shrubs now to make life a bit easier for the future. Enjoy your gardening! All the best. Karen
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Glad to read you have taken on the challenge of a vase every week, Kathy – perhaps you could join us on In a Vase on Monday? You would be very welcome
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