Cathy at Rambling in the Garden very kindly suggested I could contribute slightly late to Carol’s Garden Bloggers Bloom Day this month, despite missing the boat by a few days. I’ll get the hang of these memes soon, I’m sure.
My new purchases from RHS Malvern are already kicking off. The Tiarella “Sugar and Spice” has been flowering ever since we all returned together:
You might be able to make out a slightly purpling globe of a bud on the Cirsium rivulare (Atropurpureum) behind it. I’ve tried to keep it a bit moister than the others and it seems to be working.
The Geum “Prinses Juliana” has also started to fire off a couple of buds:
Meanwhile, the border of spring bulbs is having its last hurrahs:
The Tulipa “Antoinette” has been the last to come up:
and its lemon-drizzle and creme-anglaise blooms, mixing with the Narcissus “Pipit”, are making me crave any and all desserts!
An inherited [Edit: see comments; Valerian] in the border is starting to bud up:
and as you can see, Myosotis is everywhere in the garden, which I’m more than happy with. Hidden elsewhere, the cheap Pelargoniums that have lasted all winter are beginning to bud:
While the Kerria japonica “Pleniflora” is beginning to go over, just as the unknown rose next to it starts to open up:
But ultimately, the domineering apple tree is the star of the show this month:
The apple blossom smells lovely close up. I’m still planning on cutting this tree down—come July, its thick foliage will be keeping most of the good veg-growing areas in almost perpetual shade—but for now I’m just happy to enjoy it.
The front garden, which we’ve done nothing with, is starting to look a bit fuller.
[Edit: see comments; Centaurea montana] was being blown by the wind so much that I lost focus:
while the Choisya ternata compliments the white bluebells behind it:
That’s about it for now, though. It’s been a bit of a rush getting this together as I do want to try to take part in memes if I can. So thanks again to Carol for hosting this meme. After a late May, perhaps June will arrive on time here in Sheffield!
The next square metre 
It’s interesting to see what comes up in your first year, to work out what you want to keep and what you will get rid of. I can identify those plants. The first one is Valerian (if it’s the really pink rarther than the red one, I’d love some of that!), and the blue one is a hardy perennial cornflower – Centaurea montana. (Centaurea cyanus is the annual and has a smaller flower head.)
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Thank you so much for the identification! We’ll see what the Valerian does, but I’ll probably try to pot it up when we landscape regardless. The cornflower is round the front and so not at risk!
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