Flower of the Month and the Runners-up

[bend1pa]

Difficult to choose a flower of the month for April. But one contender has to be Tulip Red Riding Hood. It's not a tall brash type of tulip with a stem only about 10" tall. It's a perennial type so should return and multiply over the years.This is in bloom now until the end of April It has maroon striping on its leaves. and scarlet red blooms..

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120747...0130/lightbox/

These open up in the sun giving fatter looking blooms resembling oriental poppies.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120747...0699/lightbox/

The inside being black with yellow anthers.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120747...1346/lightbox/

[mothhawk]

I think it's Kerria japonica.

I agree, Martin. For some reason my mum calls it Alf's buttons, but she doesn't know where the name came from, and I've never heard anyone else call it that.

[veggiechicken]

Its also known as Bachelor's buttons................maybe Alf was the original bachelor?
https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/97763/...search-results

[mothhawk]

Its also known as Bachelor's buttons................maybe Alf was the original bachelor?
https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/97763/...search-results

She did have an Uncle Alf, maybe he never married, I lose track of family relations once you get back to the generations that all had 8 - 10 children

[Two_Sheds]

Japanese Quince

It's so pretty, I painted it

[Snow]

It's so pretty, I painted it
[ATTACH=CONFIG]55361[/ATTACH]

Lovely. I have one of those, it is a pretty plant. Mine is still very small so not too many flowers, but I agree it is pretty and you did a great job painting it!

[roitelet]

This month, Hardy Geranium, Johnsons Blue. Oriental Poppy. Iris Germanica, Orlla Carla. Anemone Pulsatilla, Judas Tree, (the first time it has had this many flowers).

[WPG]

Gorgeous photos Roitelet, and the colour of that geranium is amazing

[Guest]

Ok runners up are cow parsley (although it could do with a bit of a cull) red valerian, leucathoe (a nice surprise, I thought they were catkins when I first got it ) and a random alpine whose name I don't know

[veggiechicken]

No 4 looks like Sea Campion.

[Guest]

Winner has to be aquilegia. An assortment from a pot luck self saved mix from MiL

[Jungle Jane]

The purple mass of Ceanothus flowers are the winners in my garden this month. When I get a glimpse out the bathroom window & see the purple it feels like i'm in teletubbie land.

[Scarlet]

Quick photo shoot of some of the glowering stuff in my garden at the mo - lupins are the flowers of the month for me

[Scarlet]

..and some more

[Jay22]

What is the flower in the second from left photo in first post Scarlet? Is it some sort of Clematis? Love to see Stan getting a sneaky look in too!