Goodbye April, hello May

Tags

Acer, April, cerinthe, friday flowers, Hornbeam, perennial poppies.papaver Patty’s Plum, Spring, Tulip Ballerina, tulip Brown Sugar, tulips

April collage

I cannot believe April has been and gone. The tulips came and thrilled me with their vibrant colours. The emerging foliage of Hornbeam all pleated and fresh never looked so good, well not since it looked so good this time, last year.

Cerinthe has emerged from the ground. Self sown and so very striking. Such an exquisite plant, flower and foliage so interesting and different.

Still emerging and opening into May are the perennial poppies. Patty’s Plum is still looking like crushed velvet or crumpled tissue paper.

April gave us some beautiful weather this year. Blue skies against the blood red foliage of the Acer was astonishingly striking.

Violas and mint to dress a birthday cake for daughter Dorris. Another year older. Best she start lying about her age as I cannot possibly have a 24 year old daughter !

Have a good weekend wherever you are. Thanks for reading. D.

Silent Sunday: evening sunlight

Tags

apple tree, April, evening light, Made by Moore, Silent Sunday, sphere

Apple tree catching the rays

Silent Sunday : dreaming of summer

Tags

April, dreaming of summer, garden furniture, Kelmarsh hall, rocking chair, Silent Sunday

In a vase on Monday: tulip mania

Tags

April, Avignon Parrot, Ballerina, Brown Sugar, cerinthe major purpurascens, in a vase on Monday, Japan, la Belle Époque, marmalade, origami, Queen of the Night, tulips

When I left for my trip away, the tulips were just beginning to bud. Two and a half weeks later they are in glorious technicolour.

Delicious marmalade colours in an old Dundee marmalade jar.

Cathy our host of IAVOM always manages to find props to accompany her vases which I rarely do. Today however I have added some origami swans, yes they are swans! The colours compliment the tulip colours and indicate where my trip was to.

Back to the flowers, the tulips are Ballerina, Brown sugar, Avignon Parrot all of which are scented. Belle Époque is the soft smoky pink one. Queen of the Night is the dark one.

Cerinthe has self sown and is flowering beautifully, such an accommodating flower, mixing well with the tulips.

That’s it for me today. Enjoy the short working week if you are lucky enough to have the Easter weekend off. D.

Wordless Wednesday: flower fix

Tags

April, camellia, cherry blossom, corylopsis spicata, Kyoto Japan, loving Japan, Sakura, wordless wednesday

Exquisite camellia, Kyoto Japan

Corylopsis spicata

And cherry blossoms

In a Vase on Monday: juicy

Tags

April, daffodils, in a vase on Monday, Narcissus

So captioned after my lemon squeezer ‘Juicy salif’ these daffodils have such juicy citrus colours.

Their scent is heady.

These are a mix from my garden and Thalia is the pale but interesting one in the midst.

I am joining Cathy today from Holland. These daffodils were prepared yesterday, knowing I would be off to see the tulips today.

I hope you have had a good Monday. D.

Silent Sunday: green and white

Tags

April, Brunnera macrophylla ‘Betty Bowring’, green and white, Silent Sunday, Spring, Spring flowers

Silent Sunday: from this, to this

Tags

April, from this to this, Narcissus 'Tete a Tete', Silent Sunday, what to do with s broken barrow, wheelbarrow planter

Saturday smile: chaenomeles X superba

Tags

April, chaenomeles x superba Jet Trail, clematis armandii, Japanese quince, Saturday smile, spring in my garden

Planted only last year this little quince is covered in white flowers.

Aptly named Jet Trail this Japanese quince has a trailing habit and is suitable as ground cover.

I have used it to plant under Clematis armandii a white with white spring display.

An evergreen clematis with oodles of flowers in spring. I do like green with white.

Right I am going to try to give the lawn its first cut. Enjoy your weekend. D.

In a Vase on Monday: cock-a-doodle-do

Tags

April, daffodils, Easter Monday, frog, in a vase on Monday, Muscari, Narcissus 'Tete a Tete', Narcissus ‘Rip-van-winkle’, Narcissus Lemon sailboat, pulmonaria, Spring flowers

It is Easter, it is Monday and therefore I was on the look out for flowers and eggs to share with you and readers of Cathy’s blog.

No eggs, this cockerel has sat looking out of the window for about twenty years.

Now he is on my desk with these tiny flowers from the garden. Muscari, pulmonaria and various daffodils.

The two small daffodils are Tête-à-tête on the left and lemon sailboat on the right. Rip van Winkle is the scruff at the back and the large Daffodil is just a regular garden daff.

Held in place on a florists frog, no amphibians were hurt in the process.

I hope you have had an enjoyable long weekend and I am sure you will join me in chanting “rain, rain, go away” D.