Tuesday 25 March 2014

Vagaries of the weather, but plants carry on regardless

 In the last week, the weather has been really interesting.  We have had double rainbows - this one is taken from the back garden...
 ..and this one was out of the back window of the car, on the way home up the A1.
 Then there have been the biggest hailstones I have seen in a long time.  While I was taking the photo, they came down quite hard and I could really feel them hitting me!  I put the five pence piece in the shot as a size comparison.
 The sunny days have been loved by the plants - above is blossom from Prunus Kojo-no-mai which is a real star at the moment.
I bought two pots of these bright and cheerful anemone blanda at a well-known DIY store.  I like the way the flowers open fully in the sun and then close up again.
 Here's a progress report on the tulips (Ballerina and Black Parrot) from last year which I dried and re-planted.  They are much further on than the new ones I planted, but at the moment, they seem a bit spindly, although they may fill out a bit yet.
 These little sweet violets are blooming along a communal path at the back of our line of terrace houses.
The pushkinia is doing well and I do like the pale blue veining on the petals.  Even though the weather is unpredictable (this is England, after all!), the plants are heralding Spring.

12 comments:

  1. Nature is doing great, isn't it? The little hyacinth on the last photo is the same I have , it smells delicious! Enjoy your garden whatever the weather, love from Mirjam.

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    1. Thanks, Mirjam. I really enjoy this time of year, despite the very unpredictable weather!
      I hope you enjoy your garden too.
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  2. It's so nice to have an update on your pretty blooms Ellie and I agree re your last pic - that blue veining is gorgeous! Spring time can be so unpredictable can't it - sunshine along with hailstones is not unheard of over here - but mother nature continues to keep us in suspense, and adds some excitement to the days too! I hope your week is going well and allowing lots of craft time! Cheers, Joy xo

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    1. Thanks, Joy. I love Spring when everything starts to grow and looks green - even when the weather decides to be a bit unexpected! I haven't had quite as much craft time as I would have liked so far this week, but the weekend will soon be here and I hope to make some time for craft projects then. Enjoy your week too.
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  3. Wow, you are far with the spring, tulips almost out! It has been early spring here in the Netherlands too and I'm loving it!

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    1. Thanks, Mari. Some of the tulips are much closer to being out than the others. It will be interesting to see if the others catch up and to see the quality of the ones I re-planted from last year. Spring is a lovely time of year, isn't it?
      Have a lovely rest of the week.
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  4. So many pretty flowers coming up. Aren't we blessed by the gifts from mother nature xoxo

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    1. Thanks, Hannapat. Yes, indeed we are very lucky and the flowers are particularly welcome after winter.
      Have a lovely rest of the week and weekend.
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  5. It really does look like spring in your garden! Here our daffs are only just starting to bud, but there's cherry and plum blossom to be seen, we're getting there :)

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    1. Thanks, Annie. I really like seeing the daily changes in the garden and countryside at this time of year. My garden has really perked up with a bit of sunshine - it makes such a difference (to us all!)
      Have a lovely weekend.
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  6. Yowch, that is some serious hail. Beautiful flower shots, I do love the delicate little violets, they are always such a treat to find.

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    1. Thanks, CJ and welcome! It was quite unusual to get hail that size here! The little violets are so pretty - I may have to try and transplant some or wait to get some seeds and grow them for my garden.
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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