Horticultural

'A well complexion'd stink ...'

I picked a few tulips from the garden to bring into the house yesterday and one opened up like a flying saucer in the relative heat of the house. I couldn't resist taking this picture.

It reminded me of this quote from Thomas Fuller in Anna Pavord's wonderful book The Tulip:

There is lately a Flower (shall I call it so? in courtesie I will term it so, though it deserve not the appelation), a Toolip, which hath ingrafted the love and affections of most people unto it; and what is this Toolip? A well complexion'd stink, an ill favour wrapt up in pleasant colours: As for the use thereof in Physick, no Physitian hath honoured it yet with the mention, nor with a Greek or Latin name, so inconsiderable hath it hitherto been accompted; and yet this is that which filleth all Gardens, hundreds of pounds being given for the root thereof ...

Hyacinths go gothic

Today's Guardian on the creation of the world's first black hyacinth:

The new plant, christened Midnight Mystique, marks the finding of one of horticulture's remaining holy grails, out-romanced in most grower's minds only by the elusive blue rose. The secret breeding programme, in a world where rival plant laboratories compete for lucrative sales in garden centres and through seed and bulb salesmen, involved thousands of cross-breeding trials, with the "final" phase taking 16 years.

I may be an old fashioned type, but I am quite satisfied with the lovely blue hyacinths currently brightening up my garden. And the name Midnight Mystique? Well that's just tacky.

But I am rather partial to this.

(If you do fancy the idea of a black hyacinth, Thompson & Morgan is selling them  to UK buyers only).

Blooming lovely

It seems spending two years living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana had more effect on my vocabulary than I'd previously thought. On filling this tiny vase (in reality a shot glass co-opted from my kitchen - don't worry, there's 11 more for booze) with miniature narcissi from my garden, the precise word that entered my head was "darlin'".

The daffs are at their peak at the moment, and it's a jolly sight after a dreary winter. By cutting a few to bring into the house, it puts a smile on my face every time I catch the blooms - one lot in front of the sink in the kitchen, and the one pictured in the bathroom -  out of the corner of my eye.

It's also good to know that   no one was exploited growing them.

The industry of growing cut flowers causes misery for poorly paid workers in many developing countries, including Kenya and Colombia. You can search out Fairtrade flowers, but I think I am simply going to try to grow my own and enjoy looking at my houseplants from now on.

The wild cornflowers and sunflowers I grew on the allotment last year were a big hit: this year I'll be branching out with some retro dahlias. They're the next big thing in flower fashion: remember, you heard it here first.

Floral tribute

This vase of sunflowers (Pastiche) is brightening up my bathroom this week. For a reason I can't really put my finger on, I am much more enthusiastic about growing fruit and veg than flowers. Perhaps it's the fact that flowers don't actually do much ... but then I see a simple bunch of flowers plonked on the side of the bath like this, and realise that I really should devote more of my time to growing plants to simply enjoy looking at.

The stunning blue cornflowers and the similarly striking cardoon flowers we've grown on the allotment have been a joy, and a lure for lots of beneficial insects such as hoverflies and bees. Not everything has to be useful though - it's enough for the flowers to prompt me to stop rushing around the allotment trying to do 10 jobs at once, and just take time to enjoy the peaceful surroundings.