Posted in Gardening, Nature, Uncategorized, tagged Gardening, Nature, Spring on May 7, 2013 | 6 Comments »
Lesser celandine in the garden in April (iPhone image)…
Spring has been a long time coming this year. After auspicious signs of Spring in February, the weather took a cooler turn and although we have had plenty of dry weather, there is not yet much heat in the sunshine.
But the garden is catching up with itself, so here are some pictures taken in April and the early days of May.
On the nature front, there seem (more…)
Posted in History, Nature, Uncategorized, tagged Carmarthenshire, Spring, Wales on April 1, 2013 | 8 Comments »
Primroses beside the old canal at Pembrey in April 2006…
It’s April now, and icy as midwinter here in Wales. Spring’s growth has been set back a few weeks and my thoughts turn to an earlier and warmer Spring, when we walked beside the old canal at Pembrey, near Llanelli, Carmarthenshire.
Footpath beside the old canal at Pembrey…
These pictures were taken in (more…)
Posted in Nature, Uncategorized, tagged Nature, Spring on March 17, 2013 | 20 Comments »
Euphorbia after recent rain…
It has been a while since I have written about my garden, so this is a catch-up. Although I gloried in one spring day in February, since then we have gone back to winter. We had (more…)
Posted in Gardening, Nature, Uncategorized, tagged Gardening, Nature, Spring, winter on February 3, 2013 | 26 Comments »
Lemon yellow flowers of Mahonia – this is a later flowering variety, while my others flower in early winter…
Suddenly it’s February and the gradual lengthening of the days has become noticeable at last.
Recently we have had rain and hail and sleet and snow and gales. But yesterday for once we had clear blue skies and the temperature felt almost balmy at 6 degrees Celsius. Just for one day it felt like Spring was on its way.
The sunshine makes (more…)
Posted in Gardening, Nature, Uncategorized, tagged Gardening, Nature, Spring on April 23, 2012 | 12 Comments »
Sunshine on sparkly raindrops on red Japanese Acer in the garden...
I know I’ve done it before, but I just have to post the pictures when we have sunshine after rain. Everything in the garden is just so shiny and clean…
Blueberry bells after rain...
As Chaucer would say, April’s “showers sweet” have been very heavy this year and have (more…)
Posted in Gardening, Nature, Uncategorized, tagged Gardening, Nature, Spring on April 11, 2012 | 14 Comments »
Euonymus alatus in April 2012...
OK, I know it should be June busting out all over, but in these parts April is the month when the last of the trees, shrubs and perennials burst into life.
After a very dry March, April has kicked in with some lovely heavy showers of rain to freshen everything up. Here are some images of what has been going on in my garden…
(more…)
Posted in Gardening, Uncategorized, tagged Gardening, Spring, weather on May 8, 2011 | 6 Comments »
Blue Hosta
It was a very dry April and the garden was very pleased to have some proper rain this weekend.
Whenever the weather changes like this, I sing a bit of Rain Rain Beautiful Rain by Ladysmith Black Mambazo…
Here are a few pictures of the plants drinking it all in.
Old-fashioned pansy
Convallaria majalis (lily-of-the-valley) - as seen in Princess Kate Middleton's bridal bouquet
Posted in Gardening, Nature, Uncategorized, tagged Gardening, Nature, Spring, traditions on April 25, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Hawthorn in flower in the garden in April 2011
It’s April and the Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) has blossomed early this year, along with many flowers in the garden. Apparently this is because of the very hard midwinter followed by a very mild spell in February and March. In April we have had glorious sunshine for most of the time.
Hawthorn is also known as “may” because it does usually come into bloom in that month and the country hedges foam with the white flowers. It is also fragrant and you can smell it through open car windows as you drive through country lanes.
But the hawthorn is not the only flower in my garden that has a frothy appearance. There seems to be a theme going on in nature at the moment – lots of tiny flowers and sometimes an unexpected and heady perfume. Here are some other delicate delights from my garden…
Delicate cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) in the shade...
The Choisya ternata (Mexican orange blossom) also froths...
Green on green - little flowers of Euonymus alatus - this tree's main attraction is its autumn-red leaves...
Posted in Gardening, Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Gardening, Nature, Spring, Trees on April 11, 2011 | 3 Comments »
New hazel leaves (Corylus avellana)
The other evening the spring sun was low in the sky and I couldn’t resist taking some back-lit pictures of new leaves on the street trees of the city.
I have already written about wonderful autumn leaves but they are also at their most glorious when they first open in spring.
Leaves of lime or linden (Tilia)
New growth in a beech hedge (Fagus sylvatica)
Very high up, the crown of a magnificent copper beech (Fagus sylvatica purpurea) with new red leaves and flowers visible
It’s interesting seeing those flowers on the (more…)
Posted in Birds, Nature, Uncategorized, tagged birds, Nature, Spring, wildlife on March 22, 2011 | 4 Comments »
Long-tailed tit with a twiglet for the nest...
I’m a bit worried about “counting my chickens” but if I’m not mistaken the long-tailed tits have set up house in a conifer near my study window. For a week or so now they seem to have been taking in nesting materials and I have managed to snap a few pictures.
Long-tailed tit with some moss for the nest...
One has just gone in with a big fluffy white feather in its beak, having wandered around for a bit first as if the chirping from the bush meant hang on a minute, we’re not ready for you yet…
The final touch - feathers...
The long-tailed tits used to be a rarity in the garden but (more…)
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