All of a sudden, the garden has exploded into life and everywhere I look there is beauty and chaos in equal measure. Euphorbia palustris and Viburnum plicatum enjoying the first rays of early morning sunshine.
Originally, I had both the violet and white Hesperis matronalis but in recent years the violet disappeared. It now seems it may be making a slow comeback as this white is showing definite pink tendencies!
Neillia thibetica is a tough flowering shrub which should be in more gardens. Its pretty pink flowers are fleeting but the dense thicket of fresh green foliage provides a good way of hiding ugly fences, sheds or buildings. Not something to stand and admire, just useful.
The early flowering Wisteria sinensis ‘Prolific’ came through the spring frosts unscathed for a change and the air was laden with its sweet scent for a week or so. Still very immature but living up to its name!
The first Sweet Peas are flowering, this one being ‘Painted Lady’, one of the oldest varieties and still one of the prettiest in my opinion, understated in a simple two-tone pink and white.
Centaurea montana, pushing its way through the tangle of other foliage is a stalwart of the spring garden. Utterly reliable, wildflower which is a valuable source of early nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinators.
Finally for this week, the simple beauty of Paeonia lutea, the yellow tree peony, which will flower in succession for several weeks. Now 2m tall and covered in buds.
Off to Eckington Village Open Gardens today, I love seeing other people’s gardens!
Have a great weekend
David
Davids Garden Diary 
My first stroll around your garden, David and I loved it, especially the wisteria. I must read up on how to get the best out of them, as mine refuses to flower. Grows well enough though…
Even from Thessaloniki your garden looks superb!
Love the Wisteria, so pretty along the fence. Ah that’s Knapweed, I’m slowly learning the names of plants. Love its deep purple.
Mine have done the opposite and have all turned to purple. I don’t live far from you in Syde and could swap if you wanted. I do love Hesperis but it has gone a bit mad and swamped everything so needs thinning.
I enjoy your weekly comments very much, but your garden more sheltered than mine.
Best wishes, Gay Chamberlayne
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Hello Gay. Thanks for the offer, that would be lovely, yes please! I still have plenty of young white seedlings I can remove and swap with you. email me your address and phone number: spiderwort.collection@gmail.com and I will arrange to come over or vice versa.
David
Lots of lovely things here, David. I especially like the Neillia. Hope you had a good day, any purchases …….?
It was a lovely day, thank you. Warm spring sunshine, brass band playing, cream tea, 22 gorgeous gardens to see, lovely genteel village people of a ‘certain age’, and yes….plants for sale! I succumbed!
Sounds perfect!
Lovely to see the painted lady sweet peas, which I am trying for the first time. But here in North Wales, mine are not yet in the ground, but will be soon. Are they as highly perfumed as advertised?
Sounds like my spring garden chaos and beauty! Can’t go past that wisteria on the fence, it must smell superb! Lovely sweetpeas.
Hi Sarah. I will hopefully bring about some order and calm by the end of the week, hate feeling out of control! The scent of the Wisteria was truly overpowering, slightly smoky, sweet and musky (if that makes sense!). A cottage garden is nothing without Sweet Peas. So easy to grow and soooo many flowers!
Painted Lady is an Old fashioned variety with perhaps slightly less scent than modern varieties but still delicious!