#SixOnSaturday- Gripped by Spring Fever

 I could also have called this post the power of perennials because apparently out of nowhere, wonderful flowers and leaves emerge, reminding me of what was planted there, maybe last year or many years ago. This week, I'm partly celebrating wonderful perennials and also the fantastic tulips which are lighting up the garden, pots and planter in the road with their zingyness. The Plant Fair at Ampney Crucis yesterday was wonderful, more of that in another post. Suffice to say I did my best support nurseries, particularly Tortworth Plants, there were a marvellous selection of nurseries there, but they had an extra special selection of plants yesterday. Their next fair is on 28 May, two days before the Rare Plant Fair at Kingston Bagpuize. For the Rare Plant Fairs at a variety of venues, you need to visit the website and buy tickets, worth making sure you do soon because they are selling fast.

So what plants have made it into the top six this week? First and foremost is a Pulsatilla maybe rubra. It took a while to establish, now gets better every year.

Next for giving pleasure this year have been the pots and pots of tulips planted up at the end of last year, I thought i might have been overdoing it, but certainly not, they are really putting high energy into the garden with their fabulous colours:

The ones above are a mixture and really light up the patio, those below are in various pots and the planter and are just fabulous

This time of year the leaves on Acers look absolutely fantastic as they open out, one of my favourites is this filigree type one, although I could have made the whole six different Acers. It's hard to choose just six at this time of year.

Out of seemingly nowhere the Auricula flowers emerge, one day they are a collection of leaves, and suddenly they have produced a flower, almost secretly. This is the first one.

And my final choice is a magnolia flower. My tree had more flowers than ever this year, and before they could open, they were damaged by frost, however despite many more frosts, they have all now opened properly, and some, like this one were sufficiently in bud not to be damaged. A triumph of a plant over the weather!

That's my six, now I can go and look at what The Propagator author of this fabulous #SixOnSaturday and a  host of others who take part have chosen. There's always plenty of food for thought in his blog, it was his influence that led me to buy so many tulips this year. I'm now intrigued by Melianthus major, Christopher Lloyd says every garden should have one.