EARLY SPRING 2011

Throughout March and April colour began to return to the garden as most of the Spring plants had survived the winter, apart from the spring bulbs that were in pots, such as scillas and rhodohypoxis that disappeared completely.

The species primulas I had divided in the autumn, that had looked completely dead over the winter , survived in the greenhouse and put on a great display. We  couldn't believe how many of the garden primulas had lasted through the ice that followed the snow.

By the end of April the apple trees were laden with blossom so hopefully we can expect a bumper crop in the autumn.

Instead of lacking in plants the troughs seemed to be better than usual. It's amazing how resilient these plants are.

The hellebores once again were out in force. The blue aquilegias were out earlier than usual - they never seem to fail - even the self-seeded ones. Hopefully there will be brighter colours added next year as all the seedlings are doing well. They are so reliable it's a pity they don't last for a longer season.

We were given some large logs this spring and decided to add them as garden features so a coat of paint and a new home was found for the frog band and their supporters.