The violets (viola) are now in the stores.
It seems that this year I was not able to select my favorite color.
I just ended up buying all kinds of colors.
This season the most popular colors seem to be different shades of violet, purple or blue.
Black is a color you do not often see in a flower but it is gaining popularity.
I guess I still need to buy few more colors to brighten my day. Luckily violets are not that expensive.
The Blue Barlow (Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Blue Barlow’) is doing well.
I have had a fair share of challenges trying to get it to grow but I think I have finally succeeded.
For the Barlow series we are a bit too north when it comes location and it is hard to get them flourish.
Up here in the north the day is now nearly 20 hours long and everything is growing with a staggering speed. The summer is short and the time is limited.
Alpine Clematis (Clematis alpina) is blooming and full of bees. Which seem to be absolutely in love with it.
Alpine Clematis can take the cold and is very hardy. Even grows well further up in the north.
The late blooming tulips are still blooming up here in the north. Most of the others are already gone.
The flaming flags (Tulipa ‘Flaming flag’) are doing well and it seems that we did not loose any during the winter.
We have been promised good weather for the next week and hopefully the summer flowers start their show.
Common Lilacs (Syringa) are starting to bloom up here in the north.
The blooms are crowded with butterflies and bees. The ones in the pictures are Common Yellow Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) and Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) which both are common for the region.
I just love the smell of the lilacs. It is simply intoxicating. The variety we have is an old one and has been here more than hundred years.
Columbine Olympia (Aquilegia ‘Olympia’) also called Lapland’s Aquilegia is used to short summers and is always the first one to bloom.
Originally got the seeds from Rovaniemi, in other words the variety is extremely hardy and can easily take the coldness.
The color is beautiful violet-yellow and the flowers are easily one of the largest ones when it comes to the columbines.
There are so many different color options for Violets (Viola) but I think that I now have the ones selected for this summer.
I have been going to different shops and finding out the options for this season.
Will have most of them in pots in the summer cottage, now that the isolation of the capital area is over and it seems that we are able to travel again.
Still more than a week to go before I will have a long weekend to spend over there. Simply cannot wait time to pass.
Happy Easter to you all!
I know that we have seen better times but we cannot always choose what life throws at us.
At last up here in the north we are able to take long walks and enjoy the spring.
During the walk I was able to find Pennyworts (Anemone hepatica) which were blooming beautifully. About 15 years ago it was protected by the law but since then it has been spreading and is nowadays quite common.
Spring is finally here and spring flowers have started to arrive to the shops.
Bought my first violet (viola) today. It was a bit difficult to choose the color and ended up buying a classic white one. The scent it has is simply staggering.
It sure has been a strange start for the new decade. For the first time we did not have a winter. It was like having an autumn that lasted for five months. Up here in the north it really gets dark and miserable without the snow. I have no idea what a winter like this will do for the garden and the plants.
Luckily the days are now getting longer and we can finally start to enjoy life again.
Gardening in the North 