While I Grumble and Complain…

General Interest

There has been ample reason to grumble and complain over recent weeks as our garden has been saturated by rainfall levels which are a multiple of those we normally receive. At the same time, to be honest, I am both very given to and well-practiced at grumbling and complaining and enjoy it very much. The “Victor Meldrew” title has been directed at me on many occasions but I must redeem myself today and celebrate what is attractive and beautiful in the garden at the moment, a positive and upbeat reaction to what I saw and photographed in the garden today. (Goodness, I’m getting nervous that I may be going down the lines of inspirational writing, toxic positivity, sickingly upbeat expression but I can assure you that, even if that is the case, it is simply a temporary blip in normal attitudes and my routine outlook on life is in no danger of being usurped.)

The morning started with this view from the kitchen window, the flowers lit by low morning sunshine, and it was the first shot with the camera today. Included are Chionodoxa forbesii ‘Pink Giant’, Primula vulgaris and Primula ‘Wanda’.

We had a pleasant walk in Tramore mid-morning and the day continued bright and dry – what a change! After lunch, I went to photograph a few snowdrops which had caught my eye. The snowdrop season is coming to a quick finish, I fear, but there are plenty of other plants coming along to give colour and interest.

Galanthus ‘Pusey Green Tips’
Galanthus ‘Uncle Dick’
Galanthus ‘April Fool’
Galanthus ‘April Fool’
Galanthus ‘Cyril Warr’
A snowdrop without a name, with a gentle touch of green on the outers.
Galanthus ‘Greenish’
Galanthus ‘Pusey Green Tips’
Galanthus ‘Uncle Dick’

There is a general move from white to yellow in the garden with the daffodils now into flower. These are the daffodils which attracted me today:

Narcissus asturiensis, grown from seed many years ago.
Narcissus ‘Cassata’, an example of a split coroma
Narcissus ‘Elka’, a very nice miniature
Narcissus eystettensis, dating to the 17th century
Narcissus ‘Rip van Winkle’, an old Irish cultivar
Narcissus ‘Rip van Winkle’
Narcissus ‘Mite’, a very attractive miniature

And, a few odds and ends which are in numbers too small to make a group of their own:

The best of the Winter Aconites this year, Eranthis ‘Guinea Gold’
Eranthis ‘Guinea Gold’ with Cardamine quincefolia
Leuconum aestivuum, the Summer Snowflake
The emerging shoots of a paeonia – Paeonia daurica subsp. mlokosewitschii – which is regularly called ‘Molly the Witch’ as the botanical name is a challenge to pronounce.

That’s that for now. I’m sure it will be pouring rain again tomorrow; we’ll be ankle deep in water and mud; gardening will be out of the question and I can return to my usual self!

POST SCRIPTUM: The Victor Meldrew aspect of my persona has returned! I have just had a bath followed by a shower – putting mouthwash in the bathwater instead of bubble bath was an accident I could have done without! I don’t believe it!

Published by Paddy Tobin

Published

15 thoughts on “While I Grumble and Complain…”

  1. You speak for many after this long wet winter … today we visited RHS Harlow Carr and I truly believe Spring is arriving against all odds!

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  5. I think realism in the garden is vastly under-rated Paddy, so carry on moaning. I had my bellyful of the ‘bright and cheerful crew’ as a gardening journalist. Now I prefer to be ‘philosophical’. Awful that I’ve only caught the end of your snowdrops … or maybe not because my eyes are bigger than my purse! Unfortunately I didn’t look away before I saw your ‘Greenish’! Do you like ‘Cassata’? I keep seeing it in Aldi and thinking, shall I shan’t I? I’m not found of flowers like that usually but it looks ‘interesting’ (although it would be shredded by our slugs. It’s lovely to turn our minds to the little narcissus. ‘Mite’ looks a real joy … have a good week!

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    1. The world of gardening is full of over-positive people who tell us constantly of their wonderful plants etc etc. I must admit to find it very tiresome, irritating, vexing, even nauseating! Yet, it seems to woo so very many people and it baffles me how they are so easily duped.
      Re the ‘Cassata’; it’s an odd one but is interesting and pleasant. ‘Greenish’ is a little thing and doesn’t make much impact in the garden. I have it at the base of a tree and that frames it nicely and lifts it in importance but it really contributes little. ‘Mite’ is excellent!

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      1. I shall try Cassata then, since you describe it as ‘pleasant’ and it seems to be so ubiquitous here. I find that the French have a rather ‘frou-frou’ taste in comparison with my own which is a little more spartan, so I’ve steered clear so far. I couldn’t agree more about the over-positivity. I am, coincidentally, about to start recording the progress of a horrendous border on my blog – had already taken the pictures. At least I am not alone in welcoming realism in the gardening world, so I’ll go right ahead!!!

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    2. Oh, it promises to be a good week. We are travelling tomorrow, just two hours, to attend our youngest son’s wedding on Thursday and will continue to celebrate to the weekend – reservations in nice restaurants etc!

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  6. You’ll be pleased to know that another Victor Meldrew is alive and well on this side of Irish Sea. He lives at Platypus Towers, and is always grumbling that it’s too wet, too cold or too windy to sort out the wilderness that masquerades as our garden!

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