Not having visited our favourite bluebell wood for a few years now, I took the opportunity yesterday when our daughter was with us, to share with her somewhere that is very special to us. Just half an hours drive away is Blackbury Camp, an Iron age Settlement dating back to 400BC.
At the entrance to Blackbury Camp.
Leaves backlit by sunlight are one of the joys at this time of year. Leaves newly emerged are thankfully not being ripped to shreds by strong winds and gales , everything is peaceful in the garden here at the moment. The leaves that are catching my attention are belonging to my Acer trees. It has taken some of them a long time to emerge, but it was worth the wait.
Acer Osakazuki with its beautiful little flowers hanging down below the fresh leaves.
The plant that I am visiting each day at the moment is Epimedium Amber Queen. This plant was new last year and I’m so impressed at the way it has taken off in the woodland here and the number of flowers that it is producing.
The flowers seem to just float in the air, their stalks are so fine.
We have had some really beautiful weather this month, we could almost think it was summer some days, then the wind turns around and comes from the north and reminds us that it is still only April. Flowers have been opening in quick succession and if they have caught a hot spell, they are over in no time at all which is a shame.
Narcissus Pipit is one of our last daffodils to flower, it has such a beautiful perfume.
I’m sure that we all have plants in our gardens that stand out, for a while they are so beautiful that flowers around them get ignored. The plant that catches my eye every time I wander in the garden at the moment is a small tree, Amelanchier lamarckii.
Amelanchier lamarckii
Planting up the rockery is making me feel that I ought to keep some sort of record of the changes I’m making in that area, so I am going to join in with Cathy’s meme of The Tuesday View. It probably won’t be every week, as I don’t think there will be enough changes, but as soon as there are any changes I will share them with you.
The view at the moment of the sunny side of the rockery, with the scree in front.
We were lucky to have had a wonderful weekend last weekend, weather wise. Lovely hot sunshine all day long, the wind decreasing as the days went by, until by Monday, this week, it was positively balmy! March came in like a lion and is certainly leaving like a lamb. The lovely warm weather has made such a difference to the plants, they are rushing into flower, tumbling over each other to get to the sunshine first.
There have been one or two primroses out since the beginning of the year, but now there is such an explosion of them all round the garden.
Still no sign of Mr. P, we haven’t heard him or seen him for months now, maybe he has gone to the big field in the sky. Whatever the reason, the snakeshead fritillaries are flowering nicely in the woodland, without any bites being taken out of them, thank goodness!
Rusty pheasant doing his job and doing it well so far.
Once again it is Foliage Day hosted by Christina and this month there is such a change in the garden and in the hedgerows. Everywhere buds are bursting and we have the delight of new foliage, mainly the lovely fresh green that is such a symbol of spring here in the UK.
Silver Birch, Betula ermanii, with delicate new leaves and catkins.
Well, were my St. Patrick’s Day Narcissus open on time……what do you think?
Yes, they were!
