Sunday 11 April 2010

Blossom and other signs of spring

Smitonius:

Have spent the late afternoon sitting in the garden, enjoying those rays of sun at last, and the plum tree is shedding blossom like a snow cloud. This little chap by the pond is grinning on his 'hey ho, it is off to work we go' sort of way:


The pond has welcomed back the newts and the odd frog or two (they never breed in it, but just bask about in the sunshine - or the rain). The woodpecker has returned, and - although I have not yet seen his lady wife - a young juvenile is with him, rat-tat-tatting on the tree trunks and pecking at the fat blocks we have put out.

The camelia is flowering, though many of our plants did not survive the winter.

We appear to have lost three beauties so far, a rose, a passion flower and a plant whose name I never learnt but flowered prettily and kept the bees amused for hours. But what a fine excuse to find others to take their place.

7 comments:

Rattling On said...

Glad to hear it's warming up at last! I don't think we've lost any plants but some are a bit straggley looking after the awful winter. Bit like me really...

mountainear said...

When I started gardening I seem to remember there were lots of plants we were told wouldn't stand a UK winter - Ceanothus for example. In the intervening years we've had a spate of winters which have let us grow more tender things and in my garden at least these are the ones that have suffered. It's looking a bit battered and bruised.

Still, as one door closes, another opens...

Tania said...

How is it that camellias survive every damned drought and flooding rain we Aussies can throw at them and can then go and do up-to-the-eyeballs in snow, with nary a blink of an eyelash?

Jinksy said...

A camelia would be one of my dream plants - but a patio that's as hot as hell in the sun, is not the place for one!

Tattieweasle said...

At present the buds on my camelia are tight shut..it is still too shy to flower or perhaps it is dead. I dare not move it as it is very small. I'll just have to cross fingers!

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

My camellia is flowering fit to bust but sadly surrounded by builders' bags full of rubble!

Anonymous said...

Glad you are getting some sun at last. Sad that you lost some plants in those tough Winter conditions. After extreme summer temperatures here in Australia and tough water restrictions, there is always a litany of lost plants that Australian gardeners commiserate over. We are enjoying soft Autumn sun at the moment - just lovely.