Easter-ish round up

I didn't manage to post these photos before Easter, so though I would do an Easter-ish post. Above are the butterfly cakes with additional chocolate mini eggs which disappeared very quickly!

These were some of the cards I sent out this year and thoroughly enjoyed making them.

This card was for a friend's birthday and she really likes the slow drawing patterns.  

This morning, on my meander round the garden, I saw my old friend the unnamed fringed tulip.

A small Choisya 'White Dazzler' which I bought a year ago is flowering happily...

...as is Magnolia 'Fairy Blush'. I really should give this a bit of love and care - it has been somewhat ignored recently.

Finally, this morning the blueberries were a-buzz with bees, so hopefully we should get another good crop of berries later in the year.  We are due some hot (for the UK at this time of year - up to 27 degrees centigrade, which is ten degrees higher than usual for the time of year) weather this coming week, so I will be planning the watering regime for the pots carefully so that I make best use of this precious resource.

This morning

We have had two sunny days in a row, which is something of an event so far this year.  Making the most of it, I went out in the garden this morning.  Above is the unknown fringed tulip which I didn't plant but which keeps coming back and is very welcome.

I do like a fern and my ferns haven't had much of a focus on my blog.  I have just removed the old leaves, so you can see the new growth so much better.  Above is a Hart's Tongue fern, a British native plant. Such a zingy green!

I have an English bluebell unfurling its flowers.

My Rhodanthemum Casablanca has been repotted and is still flowering - it started to flower in December.

The Japanese Shield Fern has new leaves in this lovely red colour.

Finally, here is my other fern, (I can't remember the name of it) in the border by the hydrangea.  It's a beauty!

Star plants in early May

 Here's a round up of star plants at the moment.  Above is Magnolia Fairy Blush, which has a gentle lemony scent and gets a bit neglected by me, if I'm honest.  For most of the year, it has green leaves and is just a backdrop to other things, but then comes into its own for a couple of weeks in May.

 Even in the bit of rain we had, the buds and flowers still looked beautiful.

 They are have a delicate pink shade and are well named.

So pretty...

...and photogenic!

Tulip Danceline from last year and now in the border, doing a very good impression of a peony.   

 A pretty combination of tulip Ballerina and my new little apple tree.

 The pink fringed tulip which has two flowers this year.  This is a mystery tulip but seems to keep coming back and very welcome it is too, with the splash of cerise.

 Finally for now, Clematis Rosy Pagoda which flowered earlier but still delights with its fabulous seedheads.

A good value plant.  More star plants to come...

This week...singing, tulips and bracelets

This week, I have been taking part in a vocal workshop at a local village hall, which was great fun and from which I learnt a lot about the technical side of singing and performing. The workshop was run by Tsavocal and involved singing three songs from Les Miserables - 'Do you hear the people sing?', 'I dreamed a dream' and 'Bring him home' (none of which are that easy to sing).  It helped that I knew the songs, but it was all done by ear and was a lovely way to spend a couple of hours.  I used to sing a lot; I was in a church choir for fourteen years and also joined a Gilbert and Sullivan Society for a few years, but hadn't done any 'proper' singing for ages, so it was lovely to be able to sing again (without worrying that I was annoying the neighbours!)
In other news, this week I have still been enjoying my tulips as the new Ballerina tulips I planted last autumn are flowering now.

 They are so pretty...

 ...even after the rain and hail we've had this week.

 This rogue fringed tulip which I didn't plant, which came up for a few years, then disappeared and then came up again has flowered this year too and is a welcome addition to the spring garden.

Tulip Ronaldo and Princess Irene are still flowering away and I am wondering whether next year I should plant each variety separately as well as some together...now there's a thought.

I have also found a bracelet pattern which  I am going to try to make - a wrapped bracelet using Tila beads which are flat squares.

Photo from Jewellery Maker

These wrapped bracelets were made by Jo Barclay-Loggie and were featured on Jewellery Maker this week, which is what fired my interest.  Watch this space.

Tulip-o-rama 2016

 I am a fan of tulips (as you may know) and was eagerly awaiting this year's collection.  Due to the cold Spring we have had, they were behind by a week or two, but since the sun came out at the weekend, they are all in full flower. I grow them in pots and tubs and then transfer them to the borders.  Some do come back. Above is a combination of Negrita (the large pink), Ronaldo (the purple) and China Pink (the pale pink).

 I do like this combination - Ronaldo with Princess Irene.

 Here's a close up of Ronaldo - rich and luscious.

 My favourite Ballerina, in the border, back lit by the sun and looking luminous.

 This is Upstar, which I received in a Seasons blog swap last Autumn - thank you to Maria from Dotty's Daughter.  I like the pink and white colouring.

 They are very pretty and are brightening up the front door.

 That's a real lipstick pink.

 Princess Irene again, with delicate streaks of reds and pinks.

 This year's Ballerina, just starting to unfurl in the sun.

 Negrita, Ronaldo and China Pink in the sun.

 A random lone fringed pink tulip which was in the garden and not planted by me.  It didn't flower for a few years but appears to be back now.

 Ballerina, one Red Shine (behind to the left) and the fringed pink. Ballerina's lovely scent wafted around well in the sun.

A close up of Princess Irene.  It is a lighter orange than Ballerina and is shorter.  I am already thinking about tulips for next year...

Tulip-o-rama!

I couldn't resist a round up of some of the tulips which have been brightening up the garden.  They are especially bright, so sunglasses may be in order!  Above is Black Parrot (which was dried and replanted from last year and has done really well), looking amazingly velvety and luscious.

This was a very zingy combination of colours at the front of the house...

 ...which contrasted with the rather refined and elegant pinky-purple of this one (these were a mixture of Triumph and Single Early).

Here's the tub at the front of the house, bringing us a welcome bit of colour as we go in and out.

This fringed tulip appeared in the border and was a surprise.  I remember a pink fringed tulip appearing for a few years when we first moved in, but then it seemed to disappear.  I know I haven't planted any fringed ones, so is this the original one putting in a re-appearance?  If so, it is very welcome!

 

 Here are the new Ballerina, shining out against the brick wall and the foliage.

 Tulip 'Red Shine' really do shine and are beautiful.

 When the sun shines, Ballerina loves it!  There is another tub of Single Late tulips to the left, so there are still a few more tulips to enjoy.

 Red Shine at the front, Ballerina at the back - I love them! (I think this is probably obvious).

The surprise pink fringed tulip looking almost fluorescently fuchsia pink.  I think more tulips will be required next year (if I can manage to squeeze more tubs in!).  I think this may be starting to be an obsession...