Welcome back to Wies' garden in the Netherlands! Today she says, "In early spring the garden (and me) awakens when the first snowdrops and helleborus are showing their buds, followed by Iris reticulatas, Scillas, all kinds of daffodil varieties, Anemone blanda, Muscari. In March we have Open Helleborus days: three weekends in a row.
In April all the bulbs are flowering and lots of spring-flowering plants, like Brunnera, Arabis, Veronica, Ajuga, and shrubs like Cornus mas, Hamamelis, Forsythia, Viburnum, and trees like Prunus serrulata. Nodreastpolder has 3000 hectare of tulips. Every year they organize a ‘Tulip-route’ along the tulip fields: several companies, galleries, nurseries, and gardens (like ours) are open during these days. In 2016 that will be from the 15th of April to the 8th of May.
In May and June the Alliums are flowering among lots of other plants and shrubs. In June and July followed by roses, over 90 different hydrangeas, hollyhocks, and so many summer-flowering perennials: we than organize ‘Open Hydrangea and Hollyhock Days’, together with two nurseries in the neighbourhood. In August and September the garden is full of autumn-flowering plants and ornamental grasses.
Gardening is my life: every day (as far as possible) I make my rounds and every day I see something new and enjoy it very much. I know the garden can live without me, but I guess I can’t live without the garden.
The following plants I all do have for their great flowers:
** Over 25,000 bulbs in spring: snowdrops, Scilla, Anemone blanda, several Iris reticulata, Muscari and Crocus varieties and 225 different species of daffodils.
** Helleborus: 350 different colours in several species: Orientals (double flowered, Anemone- flowered, spotted flowers, Picotee, etc.), botanical varieties with wonderful small flowers, H. argutifolius, H. foetidus
**Hydrangeas: over 90 different colours in several sp
** Over 200 Hollyhocks in all kind of different colours
** Thistles and all kind of other thorny plants: their flowers are loved by all kind of insect, especially flies, bees, and bumblebees….
The following collections I have for their great leaves:
** Cyclamen hederifolium and Cyclamen coum: many species have great marbled leaves and they are green during the winter.
** Hostas: over 300 different varieties. Once a week I break away all the buds (oh, bad Wies): this because of the dirty spots the fallen flowerleaves make on the ornamental leaves
** Pulmonarias: they do have wonderful flowers, but after flowering, they get all kind of amazing silvery or green or silvery/green leaves
** Brunnera in several varieties
** Ornamental grasses
Yet again, stunning. Thanks, Wies, for sharing your garden with us. You're welcome back any time. In fact, PLEASE come back soon with more photos!! I know there's LOTS more to see....
Email your gardens, everyone! Michelle@GardenyGoodness.com. Thanks! ~Michelle
