At last, we have had rain! Our gardens and the farmers certainly needed it, plants yesterday looked happy once more and I think we are going to have quite a soaking today even though the sun is shining at the moment. My six today are mainly trees and shrubs that are now flowering with just the odd late flowering spring bulb joining in.
Apple trees
My eating apple tree up near the top of the garden beside the farmers field is absolutely smothered in blossom at the moment, but I think the rain will have brought a lot of it down..
So much blossom, you can hardly see any leaves. I think a lot of the small apples will fall off in the June drop otherwise I’ll be eating them forever!
But look at the difference between the eating apple on the left and my Bramley cooking apple on the right. The Bramley had a bumper crop last year and I was giving so many away, this year there is hardly any blossom, I might get a couple of crumbles!
My last Narcissus.
My last narcissus to flower, Narcissus poeticus var. recurvus always looks so beautiful with its pristine white petals, it also has a beautiful perfume.
Viburnums, two for the price of one this time! in the front is Viburnum plicatum Mariesii and behind, across a wide strip of lawn, is Viburnum opulous roseum with its white spherical flower heads.
V.p.Mariesii has lovely lacecap flowerheads on horizontal branches.
V.0.roseum has lovely snowball sized flowers!
Azalea.
Rhododendrons and Azaleas are getting ready to flower, this is Azalea Persil with a super perfume, eventually the flower will be mostly white, must make time to have my morning coffee on the swinging seat next to it, so that I can enjoy it.
Wisteria
The Wisteria is flowering on the garage wall, enjoying all the sunshine that we’ve been having.
Hippeastrum.
I’ll finish with my Hippeastrum which is in the kitchen. I was so pleased when this one came back to life and put up a flower spike, the others are still forming lots of leaves.
It has just dawned on me that, except for the Wisteria, everything is white this week! We have a lot of rain forecast for today and then every day for the next week or 10 days, well, it will save on the watering! Thanks to Jim at Garden Ruminations for hosting, if you would like to see gardens from around the world, do pay him a visit.
Yes, you’re right, the rain will do the gardens good. The rain has only arrived today in the morning. Wow, Viburnum plicatum is one of my favourite flowers this week.
We have had more rain Fred and the garden has appreciated it. It seems that we are having more showers for the next week or so, which will be good as long as I can get out and do some work. I do love the Viburnums at this time of year, they also have autumn colour too.
Wow, your apple blossom is amazing. I wish I had room for Viburnum carlesii, they do need space to spread, but how wonderful they look.
A lot of the apple blossom has come down with the rain Liz, just as well really otherwise I would be buried in apples! Viburnums are some of my favourite shrubs at this time of year and of course they usually have autumn colour too.
Snap with the Narcissus poeticus this week! I saw some Wisteria at Hestercombe last weekend and at Powderham Castle yesterday- the fragrance was lovely.
Yes, the poeticus narcissus are a lovely way to end the daffodil season, such a beautiful flower. I believe they need splitting fairly regularly. The wisteria is even better now, I photographed it too soon!
Somehow I managed to miss the link to your blog from Jim’s. The apple trees are quite spectacular but that is a huge contrast between the eater and the cooker!
I love the hippeastrum, especially the touch of green right in the centre of the flower.
I agree about the apple trees Helen, such a difference this year, the first time they have been like this. I was so pleased when I saw a flower bud on the Hippeastrum, all my nurturing has paid off with this one!
The apple tree looks lovely and very promising!! I also really like that Narcissus. Such a beautiful shape and colour combination!
It does look promising doesn’t it Kathrin, imagine eating all those apples!The Narcissus is so perfectly formed, so beautiful with a perfect perfume, what could be better!