I love this entirely wild patch at the front of the garden. Everything, apart from the shrubs, is self-sown (or was already here when we bought the house). I do not do anything apart from cutting it down once a year in late autumn. At the moment, the #bluebells are flowering.
Unlike the rest of the garden it is visible from the road. I am certain that some uninspired people think it is an uncared-for weed patch.
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Tulip 'Apricot beauty' in a border.
I planted twenty bulbs a couple of years ago. Only two have come up this year or, rather, not been eaten by our visitor, the muntjac.
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The Flowering currant is in full swing. The bees love it but are proving camera shy.
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At this time of the year, Frilly, our Weeping prunus 'Frilly Frock', is the star of the show. He had a good trim in the autumn and now that he has burst into flower, looks fantastic. Yesterday morning he brightened up a grey day.
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Two wood pigeons on the stone seat in the garden, grooming each other. Observed from the bedroom window. Spring. Love is in the air.
A rather voyeuristic photograph. I feel that I am intruding on a private moment.
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Following on from yesterday’s post: After breakfast, the female did the catwalk thing to pose for me.
Bear in mind that they are perfectly wild ducks, though. They just feel relaxed with me and safe in our garden.
Third day in a row that ducks are here for breakfast but this is, where it becomes complicated. We are having some identification issues: I am pretty sure that today's are not the same.
As the previous ones did not show today, I cannot be absolutely certain. Maybe they are the same and she did her makeup differently today.
Comfrey in the stumpery. Sourced from a drift of self-sown comfrey elsewhere in the garden.
The bees love it but they were camera shy. I overheard them talking: “Oh. it’s him again with this thing that goes click. Looks like a giant eye. Very suspicious. Better wait and come back when he’s gone”, they said.
Elephants' ears are beginning to flower beautifully but the leaves, every last one, have been eaten. Bloody muntjac!
But then, I wanted a wildlife friendly garden, hence I am getting the wildlife, which is satisfying. Ah well …
Happy Equinox, happy Ostara. Properly spring now. The air smells sweetly of spring and the promise of the summer that is yet to come.
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Seed trays on the living room floor - this is only part of it.
Sowed annuals, biennials and perennials today. 320 seed tray cells in all. Seems a bit over the top as I only wanted to plug a few gaps in borders. Don't know how it happened.
Been busy all last week cutting down the borders. With the temperatures on the up, I reckoned that everybody is out now of their winter quarters in stems and seedheads.
The photograph is of the middle third of the #garden, viewed across. Behind the camera is the greenhouse, a little more space and a tall hedge.
Later in the year, this area is filled with tall, flowering #perennials, ornamental #grasses and #wildflowers - you cannot see from one side to the other. It is beautiful, undisciplined and overflowing with nature.
At this time of the year it is just flat. I am anxiously waiting to see what will come back.
One of several clumps of #Crocus in a rather shady border near the pond. Late afternoon, when the sun does finally penetrate the magnificent but rather too big spruce tree.
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Winter aconites (Eranthis cilicia) season, just about still. They flower February to March and are now at their biggest and most inviting. Probably just about to go over in few days.
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A self-sown #Prunus in the privet hedge at the front has been #flowering for several days. It is full of bees and other early insects.
I love wildflowers! Just started to flower, this Lucile's glory-of-the-snow, #Scilla luciliae. Also known as #lawnstars. They arrived a few years ago on the wind and decided to stay.
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The #Hellebores in the stumpery have been flowering for a few days. They are an important early flowering plant for (equally early) #insects.
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The dwarf #daffodils are flowering, as usual a week or two ahead of the bigger ones.
They were earlier last year. This year, March. Perfect - in German speaking countries, #Austria, Germany, Switzerland, they are called #Märzenbecher, a reference to the month, in which they flower (März - March) and the shape of the flower (Becher = beaker).
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First #seedlings of the year. I have learnt that sowing too early does not achieve anything.
Don’t say it, I know: Soil is a little too wet. It’ll self-correct.
Anyone want to have a guess what it is?
