Monday 6 April 2009

Springing into Action


The weather has been lovely for the last few days and after being stuck in the house because of the wrens (see last post), I finally decided to have a little look round my garden armed with a camera and snap what is in flower.


My garden is far from perfect and I should have swept round the pots before I took photos. Never mind, this is what it really looks like. The primulas have got a bit of wind damage or water damage, or sun damage....... not sure which, but never the less, it is heart warming to see them flowering after the long winter days. The violets have appeared from self seeding and I like the way they just take over other pots.



I had these hyacinths for Mother's Day and they were in tight bud when they arrived and now they are opening up with the sun. I do love hyacinths and their lovely perfume.


I also love primulas when they are flowering but find they can look a mess during the summer, with withering leaves. However, I cannot find it in my heart to throw them away after flowering and usually repot them and find after adding a bit of fresh compost, they do look lovely again the following Spring.


These were also Mother's Day presents and they were also in perfect condition when I received them. They have been out on the patio on some rainy days, when I couldn't get out because of the wrens. I was amazed to see wrens going back to the nest yesterday but I decided I couldn't stay in all through the holidays, so I hope I haven't frightened them away again. Maybe there is one sitting on eggs. Time will tell.
Speaking of eggs...... A very strange thing happened the other day and I really have no idea how it came to be. I was amazed to spy an egg in the gravel that has been put down over the damaged ground caused by the underpinning. We are waiting for the ground to settle before we can concrete over it. I thought the children had planted a rubber toy egg and I started to carefully scrape back the gravel which was wet and sort of sucked the egg deeper down and I had to tug it to get it out. The egg was a brown hen's egg and as I pulled it, the shell broke! Now how did an egg get into the gravel in the first place, that's what I want to know?

I took the picture below because I am very fond of bamboo and have mine growing in containers so that it won't take over my garden. Two or three containers together look good, I think. There is an old mirror behind the bamboo. I wonder if I got my reflection in it? I think it is too dense..... phew!

I had my daughter and grandsons over for the weekend as they had arranged to meet up with a friend who happened to be visiting here from Scotland and they do not normally get see each other from one end of the year to the next. Deb's friend has children too, so while they played in a park, daughter and friend caught up with all the news from a bench nearby. The weather kept fine for them. Some how or other, ten year old Dean ended up in a pond...... but that's another story. His clothes had to dry out in the sun! Just as well he is a tough little guy!

I am soaking up that delicious feeling of the beginning of a school holiday that is stretching out before me.........


We have decided that we are going to visit our daughter from Thursday 9th - Tuesday 14th April, so forgive me if I don't get to visit your blogs as I know my daughter's broadband is in the middle of a change over, so will have to manage without the internet till I get back. However am I going to manage!




32 comments:

Strawberry Jam Anne said...

It is lovely to see all the spring flowers isn't it Maggie, they are so pretty. I have a few hyacinths and forgot to snap them for my post today.

Boy in the pond story made me laugh and reminded me of the time my daughter fell in my parents' pond, much to the delight of her brother!

Hope you have a lovely weekend.
A x

menopausaloldbag (MOB) said...

Oh I love that picture of the bamboo. I think that would look great on my patio so I'll be off to the garden centre later!

We have had some lovely weather this year so far and please God we get a better summer than the last two - so depressing.

Enjoy your break Maggie, hope it stays fine for you.

Anonymous said...

Hi Maggie
We did the same this week end , checked out the garden. My goodness we need a hoover , every where is full of old leaves bits of grass, and general winter debris.
There are buds coming up quietly and boldly.
Our Bamboo has gone wild ,my husband is trying to train it towards a retaining wall.
I am looking at my empty pots, I cannot wait to get some vibrant colour into them.
Our garden is full of singing birds which is lovely. It feels like a sleeping beauty waiting to stretch and wake up.
Enjoy your holiday.I will miss your comments.

Jinksy said...

I love you shy violets that have self seeded in your flowerpots. I'm glad to say I have many of the same only darker, that manage to survive between the slabs of the patio with no help frm me...Have a nice holiday!

Juliana said...

lovely flowers...btw, i don't understand about your comment on my post "Congratulations on jointly winning POTD over at David's."

What is POTD???

Mean Mom said...

Lovely to see your spring flowers! I have really enjoyed tidying up my garden over the past few days, with the warm sun on my back. There's still plenty more to do, though! Violets are very pretty, aren't they? My neighbour gave me just one, about 3 years ago, and now they are everywhere in my garden!

Akelamalu said...

I too have the two week Easter break stretching before me - lovely isn't it? :)

I'm always amazed at how vibrant the colours of primulas are - they give such a lovely show. :)

Irene said...

You have some lovely flowers in your garden already and I'm sure there is more to come. Putting the bamboo in pots is a very good idea, as it is invasive. I may try that myself. Having your grandson fall in the pond must have been a great adventure to him and I have no idea how you ended up with a chicken egg in your gravel. It's a mystery, Maggie.

XOX

aims said...

I just love the smell of hyacinth. I wish they would make a bodywash that smells like that.

Your flowers are so lovely Maggie. We won't see any for a couple of months yet. Strange isn't it?

Dusty Spider said...

Loved the idea of bamboo in pots. I'll be having a go at that. Thanks for the tip. Loved the other photos too. Flick xx

Anonymous said...

I really love to see pictures of flowers and love to take pictures myself. With all the colour around now everywhere seems so vibrant.

CJ xx

Hilary said...

Beautiful photos, Maggie. I hope you have a wonderful time visiting your daughter. :)

larkswing said...

Great blooms! Spring is so fun! Enjoy that upcoming trip!

Nessa said...

Beautiful, vibrant colors. Flowers are so happy.

Sniffles and Smiles said...

Oh, so beautiful! You are such a wonderful photographer! Have a happy holiday!

Anonymous said...

I've been in the garden too, Maggie, planting out snapdragons, verbena and aubretia and earthing up the potatoes I planted in a big pot. Already the garden is inviting us and JP mowed the lawn.

MARY G said...

I went out on Sunday and took photos of my crocus and iris bed. Today I took another set, one where every bloom is buried under a couple of inches of slush.
Oh, to be in England, now that April's here.

Rosaria Williams said...

Enjoy the holidays with the family!

Lisa said...

Hello Maggie May,

I had to come to your blog when I saw your name. This is what my brother calls one of my sisters. We call her Margaret but our friends call her Maggy.....so just the thought of your name made me smile.

I love your pictures. You are an inspiration to gardening. Everyone one of my mothers day flowers are dead.......maybe if I keep coming back to your blog I will learn how to keep them. They are so pretty.

Cath said...

A beautiful array of colour in your garden Maggie! I hope you have a lovely break away and come back to us refreshed. :)

Suburbia said...

That hen's egg is a mystery!! Was someone 'pulling a fast one' on you Maggie?!

I love spring flowers, they are always so welcome :)

Hope you have a great time away and a good school hols.

Sx

Reasons said...

You didn't sweep around the pots!!!! It totally ruined it for me! ;-))) xxx

Wendy said...

Your flowers are so pretty. I also love the perfume of hyacinths. The primula do look lovely and I know how awful the leaves can get after the blooms are finished.
Enjoy your visit with your daughter. And the upcoming holidays!

Daisy said...

Ah so pretty and fresh and lovely- thank you for that. Have a great break!

MarmiteToasty said...

Spring is definetely here :)

I had one nipper end up in the lake yesterday lmfao.... well, it was his fault.... I did warn him about the crocodiles that live in it, it was not my fault I told him whilst he was climbing a bent overhanging tree above the water LOL... scared him senseless and he let go of the branch lmfao.....

x

Eddie Bluelights said...

Beautiful photos Maggie. Your are a dab hand with the camera.

Unknown said...

you have such beautiful flowers! And the stuff around the pots just makes it look more natural.

Maybe an animal stole the egg than dropped it?

Anonymous said...

Spring, Whoo Hooo! I do love the flowers and sunnier days, though it rains here often.

I like the reality of dirt in the garden :).
have fun while you are gone!

Nana Trish is Living the Dream said...

These are some beautiful flowers.

Rose said...

Lovely flowers--I just love the bright cheery faces of primulas/primroses (I don't know if there's a difference); I was so happy that mine came back this spring. Glad to hear the wrens are back, although I know you want to finish your roof. And I really like your fish pond. I can't convince my husband to dig a pond here, so maybe I'll have to try a container one, too.

Enjoy your visit with your daughter! While I was away visiting my own daughter, I went through blog withdrawal for a couple days until her internet started working again:)

cheshire wife said...

This year the Spring flowers seem to be particularly bright and cheerful.

Have a good Easter.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Beautiful pictures Maggie.