ANEMONES FLOWERING NOW.

The wood anemones are just going over.

.

Here are some of the more curious ones that flowered (and their

close relation Anemone appenina 'flore pleno') this year.

SCOLIOPUS BIGELOVII

The ‘Foetid Adders Tongue’.

 It apparently smells revolting but flowers far too early for it to be noticeable outside. The tiny flowers of this lily relative are beautifully marked. I have grown it in a shady raised bed with trilliums and the like for almost 20 years. It seems to have hardly increased in size.

MULCH.

I hate to see dank ,dead foliage and loathe the decay of last summer's growth rotting in situ.

Instead, I almost feel maternal, tucking up the borders for the winter with a good mulch of rotted compost.

CLETHRA PRINGLEI

This large evergreen shrub took a battering in the cold winter of 2010/2011- but survived.

It probably did not get enough sun this summer but has decided to flower now in the middle of November. It comes from Mexico, needs an acid soil, and has sweetly scented flowers.

SOLANUM LINEARIFOLIUM.

Solanum linearifolium is evergreen and not completely hardy. It died in both the January cold in 2010 and the cold weather at the end of that year.

I re-planted it in March 2011. It has now reached 9’ and has been covered with these bright blue flowers for the last week or so. It should continue to flower for some time. I planted it on a sunny south facing wall and, even if it succumbs this winter, it will have made a big impact for two summers running.

PODOPHYLLUM PLEIANTHUM SHORT FORM

This neat woodlander emerges from the soil like a shiny unfurling umbrella.

It only grows about 18” high, flowers in May and likes a moist shady spot.

Another gem from Crug Farm plants

FRITILLARIES