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 Nederlands / Dutch

                                     Spring 

Information about Spring flowering plants and the pond in spring. Take also a look at spring 2007                              

It is always surprising, how fast everything buds. At the end of April  the Japanse Cherry (Prunus serrulata) already gets leaves. Under the tree the honesties are in bloom. Left a cardinal bonnet. Beside the little greenhouse: bamboo. Since 2007 I have also got also a small hothouse. The Golden Chain  left of the Japanse Cherry blossoms in May. The whole tree is toxic! Especially the pods. My nieces played with them. Then we did not know the danger.Fortunately nothing ever happened. The taxus behind the bamboo is also toxic.

The Bird-in-the-bush  (Corydalis cava) you  see for a short time. Afterwards it disappeared entirely . The bleeding heart  (Dicentra formosa) seems also delicate. In fact they are nicer, than the larger ones (Dicentra spectabilis). The colour of the Welsh poppy (Meconopsis cambrica) seems  quite loud, when you look to the other pictures. (pale culvert, red poppy dubium)

It is always nice to discover, there’s frogspawn in the pond. The Common Newts like it too, for they eat all the eggs. Now I put everything  in a landing-net and later it goes into a bucket, which stands at the pond. Strange is, they keep off the eggs of the toads (a chain). The frog you can find on the page "animals in the garden".  
In 2009 we had a lot of tadpoles. Here a picture with a curious common pond skater. Information: common pond skater

When the Dame's rocket or Sweet rocket (Hesperis matronalis) and the Bistort (Persicaria bistorta)  appear, it’s almost the end of spring. Bethleham Sage (Pulmonaria) has beautiful flowers with all kinds of colours. You can see these colours also at the other members of the  Borage family. (e.g. comfrey, forget-me-not, viper's bugloss)

The Lily of the Valley (Convallaria) grows throughout the garden like gardenweeds, but the flowers are beautiful.

As last, because it is so magnificent: cornflower!!!! (Centaurea cyanus)

      Look for this plants also at  spring 2007 

crocus (Crocus)  Star of Bethlehem, sleepydick (Ornithogalum umbellatum)    snowdrop Galanthus)    glory of the snow (Chionodoxa)   siberian Squill (Scilla siberica) daffodil (Narcissus)  skimmia   Redflower currant (ribes)  winter aconite (eranthis hyemalis)  
     

Kingcup or Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)  A swamp plant of Europe and North America. Of course near the pond. Full sun to partial shade. Bloom time: IV - VII. Native to Europe. Propagation: By division or from seed. It belongs to the Ranunculaceae (buttercup family.

Bishop's hat, Barrenwort (Epimedium versicolor versicolor ' Sulphureum ') Family: Berberidaceae. Part shade to full shade. It’s a groundcover, but it doesn't grow fast. The flowers are small but very beautiful. It holds its foliage throughout the winter Flowers sometimes bloom before plants leaf out. Well-drained, somewhat moist soil. They are propagated by dividing the roots.

Bleeding heart, Venus's car, or lyre flower (Dicentra spectabilis). Partial shade. Bloom time IV, V. In June bleeding hearts die back after blooming. Humus rich, moist ,well-drained soil. Native to eastern Asia from Siberia south to Japan Bleading heart because the shape of a heart with a drop of blood descending. In Dutch: gebroken hartje (broken heart) Aready a garden plant in the middle ages.

Winter heath, Winter Flowering Heather, or Spring heath (Erica carnea)  It’s an evergreen shrub wich already flowers in winter. Bloom time: XI - IV. The plants can be pruned immediately after they have finished flowering. There are many cultivars of winter heath. It is tolerant of limestone as well as acidic soils. Full sun or light shade. New plants by layering outer branches in the soil.

Trout Lily, Dogtooth Violet, Adder’s tongue (Erythronium dens-canis) Family:Liliaceae. Bloom time: IV, V. Well-drained humus rich soil. It is a common wildflower of eastern Canadian woods. It should be in a sunny position in spring. Shade or partial shade in the summer.

Snake's Head, Fritillary, Checkered Lily, Guinea Hen Flowers (Fritillaria meleagris) Family: Liliaceae. Sun or light shade. Moist soil. Bloom time: V, VI. It ‘s native to Europe  (in the Netherlands and Belgium rare and endagered.)  Requires consistently moist soil.  They are self-seeding, but I’ve read the new plants start flowering after eight years. The seeds  float.

Rhizomatous iris, Bearded iris, German iris (iris germanica) Family: iridaceae. Sun, partial shade. Flower has a “beard”. This beard  petals form a landing-stage for a flying insect. Bloom time: V.. There are many species with different colours. German iris spreads by rhizomes. German iris is very easy to grow in most any soil type. Iris have thick, fleshy rhizomes, that store food. The rhizomes grow best when planted at or slightly below the soil surface with feeder roots penetrating the soil below.

Yellow iris and yellow flag (Iris pseudacorus) Family: iridaceae.  Bloom time: V, VI. The plant spreads quickly, by both rhizome and water-dispersed seed. While it is primarily an aquatic plant, the rhizomes can survive prolonged dry conditions. So it can be invasive. Native to Europe, western Asia and northwest Africa

Lilac or Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) It tolerates many soil types and does well in full sun or partial shade. Bloom time: V. It has fragrant flowers. It is a species of Syringa in the olive family Oleaceae, native to the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe. Requires repeated pruning to maintain desired height and improve form. Shoots sprout up nearby and can be  moved. This lilac is a shoot (30 years ago) of a shrub at the farm of my parents. Now you can buy many cultivars.

Lesser Periwinkle, creeping myrtle (Vinca minor) Bloom time: IV, V. But with a few flowers still produced into the autumn. It ‘s a groundcover and can be invasive. It is a trailing subshrub, spreading along the ground and rooting along the stems. The leaves are evergreen. It  requires good drainage. Partial sun (more flowers) to full shade. Native to central and southern Europe.

Blue bugle, Bugleherb, Bugleweed, Common bugle, Ajuga (Ajuga reptans) It prefers moist soil. It is a spreading evergreen ground cover that grows in a dense mat. Sun, partial shade. Bloom time: V, VI. Bugleweed is easily propagated by separating the little plants that arise from the spreading stolons. But it spreads also by self-seeding.  Native to Europe, western Asia.

Wood Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica) The plant doesn't live long, but  it reseeds itself.  There are also perennial species. Family: Boraginaceae. Full sun, partial shade. Humus rich soil.

Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum) Family: Rubiaceae. Bloom time: V - Vl.  Woodruff can spread both by seed and by means of creeping stems. It is a real groundcover, but other plants are able to grow through it. Sun, half shade.  Humus rich, well-drained soil. Height 15 cm. Native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia. But rare in the Netherlands. They smell of freshly mowed gras.When dried the grassy vanilla odor smells stronger. The dried plants were used in the linen cupboard to protect from moths and to lend their sweet odor to linen or clothing. Sweet woodruff was widely used in herbal medicine during the Middle Ages. It is said Sweet Woodruff tea could calm the stomach.

The pond 2007  Three photos end of May.

The pond is about 3 by 3 meters. It seems smaller by the Buckbean and the Water-soldier. I offen sit on the little bridge to look at the pond. At the other site and at the front there are little swamps. Behind one of the swamps there’s a hill. In summer I plant cacti  and euphorbia’s on it. On the side there are several ferns. The Hart's tongue Ferns (Asplenium scolopendrium) reseed themselves and come up everywhere. The other ones get new runners. There are also several types of bamboos. The Bamboo is kept from expending by special foil around the roots. Under water grows a lot of Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) grows It’s a  good pond oxygenator. The pink flowers are of the Bistort (Persicaria bistorta) This plant belongs to the knotweed family. Furthermore is flowering the Yellow Flag Iris and the Chinese ground orchid (Bletilla) are flowering. The  marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) and the  Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis) are already out of flower.

  Nederlands / Dutch                                                                               

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