It is the Chelsea flower show this week and last night I watched the preview programme and was pleased to see Avon Bulbs represented. Apparently they have won gold medals virtually every year except for the one where owner Chris Ireland-Jones got married. Their display in the marquee looked pretty spectacular this year, so hopefully it will be gold again. I have ordered bulbs from them over the past 6 or 7 years and they are almost always 100% successful.
This spring I was pleased with Tulipa ballerina and Tulipa recreado which are planted together. I should think they must have cross pollinated as there were some striped purple tulips this year which looked rather good.

I have also had  narcissi bulbs and other tulips from them but one of my absolute favourites is Allium angulosum (pyrenaicum). They are extremely easy to grow and have bright glossy leaves with pale lilac flowers which flower for weeks on end from July onwards. I have a photo from last year when we had a large number of Burnet moths in the garden who seemed to enjoy this particular allium. I have several clumps both in the front and back gardens and divided one this year to spread them around.

Of course Alan Titchmarsh presents the television coverage of Chelsea and the rose, Rosa Alan Titchmarsh is just coming into flower. It is an old fashioned rose and is delicately scented. Unfortunately, in our garden it has not been that great in the past. The flower heads almost seem too heavy for the stems and flop rather, especially if they get wet. It is surrounded by love-in-a-mist, Nigella Miss Jekyll which are now at their best. For such cheap and easily grown seeds they are truly beautiful.