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Aesculus hippocastanum, brown snd sticky, camellia japonica, horse chestnut, in a vase on Monday, sticky buds
At the bottom of my garden are three Horse Chestnut trees, Aesculus hippocastanum. The sticky buds have suddenly started to open.
Rather brown and very sticky might seem somewhat dull compared to the array of brown and sticky chocolate eggs some of you may be scoffing and compared to some of the wonderful Spring flowers used at Cathy’s blog https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com
Brown maybe but never dull, the trees offer sticky buds, flowers and conkers . A favourite of children and bees. Those buds facing Northeast are still tightly shut whereas those facing southwesterly, see below are opening.
Trees are fabulous and the Horse chestnut is one of the greats. So far mine have not suffered too greatly with the Bleeding canker which now infects half of all UK horse-chestnuts. Not wishing to depress you at Easter, on your day off, I will not mention any more about the list of disease attacking our horse chestnuts. .
To end instead is a picture of a cheery sight, pink Camellia japonica in the sunshine.
Happy Easter.
digwithdorris.com 
So pleased to find a fellow lover of horse chestnut trees. I enjoyed my pickings over several weeks. Your camelia is such a lovely shade.
Yay, me too .
And don’t they look elegant in that shapely jug? Their stickiness is one of the things I remember when I first learned about trees and their buds and leaves – from a Brownie Diary circa 1962 or 63!! Elder Daughter has just had a horse chestnut in their small garden crown pruned (well, lopped) – it has been poorly too, but the tree surgeon suggested this rather than removing it completely. There are some gorgeous camellias around here in full bloom just now, but sadly not in my garden… Thanks for sharing today
thanks Cathy. I am pleased to hear that they did not have to remove the tree completely. Perhaps the haircut will help the symptoms.
Oh your trees sound fascinating…and the buds are looking like a great spring beacon!
Thanks Donna
I have a couple of Horse Chestnuts and like you I love to watch the buds unfurling in water. I love your sticky brown vase.
As for the diseases, mine are unsightly in late summer but so far they recover each spring.
The diseases are putting people off planting them, understandably. Such a shame. Thanks Chloris
I’m fond of chestnut trees too, though I don’t have space for one I can enjoy a borrowed view of my neighbours horse chestnut tree on our boundary. How nice to see sticky buds included in a vase!
Borrowed view is as good as having them in your own garden I should think. Thanks Kate
Strangely, that looks tasty! Like toffee apples in fact. Will you keep the arrangement until the leaves unfurl?
You are right, it does look a bit like toffee apple coating. I will not be tasting though. The buds have opened a little from the warmth of the house but I guess they will not open completely.
You can watch the buds as they unfurl up close when they are in a vase – I find I am looking at my plants and flowers much closer since bringing them indoors each week for Cathy’s meme! The Camellia is a gorgeous colour too Dorris.