GBBD for April, 2020.

In the strange times that we are living in at the moment, I’m appreciating my garden as I have never done before. I am out there as often as I can be, all this fresh  air must be doing me good, it is getting far more attention than it usually does and is looking a lot better for it. My robin is keeping me company, coming so close, I’m worried about stepping on him/her. Blackbirds are already feeding their youngsters in the nest and so many different sorts of bees are buzzing around all the flowers. Quite a few butterflies are already fluttering through the garden and the hedgehog is leaving messages all over the lawn! I really enjoyed my wander through the garden taking photos this morning, so do come with me to see what I found.

Waiting to be planted on the rockery is a dwarf form of Forsythia, hopefully it won’t get any taller than the 1 metre which it says on the label.

Forget me nots are popping up everywhere and I am happy for them to seed around as they contrast beautifully with all the yellow flowers at the moment.

Euphorbia griffithii Dixter is in the border by the field, hurray, at long last it had dried out and I can walk round the whole of my garden once more!

A lonely tulip flowering by the field, I must have planted a group many, many years ago and this is the loan survivor!

A little prunus shrub with tiny double flowers, so pretty.

Narcissus Pipit, a gorgeous late flowering daffodil with an amazing perfume.

Viburnum plicatum Maresii is just starting to flower, soon it will be a cloud of white in the centre of the garden.

Exochorda macrantha The Bride is looking just like a bride at the moment with all its blossom.

Camellias are still flowering, this one has a lovely shape to its petals, almost like a peony.

Berberis flowers are keeping all the bees happy.

Cowslips, Primula veris, are increasing so I think I can move some when flowering is over and start another colony elsewhere.

Mahonia aquifolium is forming good groundcover under some shrubs.

The Welsh poppy, Meconopsis cambrica, is seeding nicely along the back border. I keep sprinkling the seed trying to get it to spread even faster!

Epimedium Amber Queen just gets better and better each day, putting out lots more flowers each time I look at it.

I won’t be able to go to my usual bluebell wood to admire the bluebells this year, not being able to justify it as an essential journey,  so will have to make do with the ones that I have at home.

The flower clusters on Acer Osakazuki contrasting with the fresh green of the leaves.

Lunaria annua or Honesty, in the woodland, I must sow more seeds.

At last my camellia Jury’s Yellow is flowering in the woodland, it is covered in flowers this year, the best year yet!

Next to it is a smaller camellia, Cornish Snow with much daintier flowers.

White Honesty in the woodland.

Anemone nemerosa Vestal increasing nicely, but some will need moving to higher ground as they are getting very near where it floods in the winter.

Tiny Claytonia which I have decided will make a good groundcover in the bed round the dead oak.

Euphorbia melliferra which wasn’t releasing its perfume when I last mentioned it, now that the temperature has risen, the perfume is amazing, travelling right across the garden.

Purple leaved Berberis atropurpurea nana, just a tiny shrub, is covered in cream flowers at the moment.

Japanese azalea on the rockery, now covered in flower, you can’t miss it with it being this colour!

We have some much needed rain forecast for tomorrow, I know the plants will be very glad as we have now had a rather long dry spell, it will save on all the morning watering too. If the rain turns out to be a decent amount, then I should be able to start planting the rockery soon with all the plants that are patiently waiting by the back door. I just hope it doesn’t mean that part of my garden will be out of bounds again with flooding!

Stay safely at home, enjoying the garden and all the wildlife that is coming back, the birdsong is truly amazing, I can’t get enough of it!

Thanks go to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting once more.

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10 Responses to GBBD for April, 2020.

  1. snowbird says:

    It is lovely being able to spend so much time in the garden watching the birds, bees and butterflies. The blackbirds first nest has already fledged here, I have to keep flushing them out of the garden before I let the dogs out. Some beauties here, I especially enjoyed that pink camellia and that wonderful euphorbia. It’s been dry here, I had to water the garden today, no rain forecast here.xxx

    • Pauline says:

      I think my Blackbirds are still feeding at the nest Dina, as the males fly back to the bushes with their beaks full of meal worms.The birdsong really is amazing, when phoning my children they comment on all the noise in the garden!Hopefully we will have rain tomorrow, we need it!

  2. Denise says:

    The Bride really is one of my favourites Pauline and I love all the Euphorbias! If one has to be grounded, there can’t be a better time of year to be home and enjoy all the delights of spring in the garden. Your Azalea is beautiful. Hope you get the forecast rain, we could do with some here too so I hope it comes our way.

    • Pauline says:

      A wonderful time of year to be grounded Denise, thank goodness we have the sunshine too so that we could enjoy our gardens! I’ve been moving plants so really need the rain to help with the watering!

  3. Noelle says:

    I’ve enjoyed looking at your blooms. Down in Devon your Viburnum is about a week ahead on ours in Somerset. I love claytonia …to eat…For now our soil is too clayey and dry, but with several years of mulching I think I may try some…

    • Pauline says:

      I don’t know where my Claytonia came from Noelle, it just suddenly appeared in the garden and though some consider it a weed, I think of it as Lovely wild flower as it forms good ground cover. My soil is heavy clay and it seems to enjoy it where I have improved it.

  4. Cathy says:

    What a joy to have all these blooms, Pauline – and the time to appreciate them too. My Elder Daughter made a similar comment about the birds here!

    • Pauline says:

      It really is a lovely time of year Cathy and we have all this time to enjoy it without rushing everywhere else! I’m rather enjoying not having any meetings to go to and listening to the birds instead!

  5. Chloris says:

    Such lovely spring blooms. Did you get your rain? We haven’t had a drop.

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