Spring Flowers 8 ~ Choysia

Choysia

Choysia bush
right by the patio and gives lovely fragrance especially in the evening air.
Flowers right through the summer; this is the first full showing.

An individual clump of flowers

April ~ Mistletoe seedling 1.2 With Holdfasts ~ 3

Mistletoe Seedling on Bramley Apple

Two good strong and growing holdfasts

and close up!

Bramley Apple Tree Blossom ~ 1.1

Bramley Apple Blossom


May 11th
Probably the last of the daily blossom updates.
Now we wait to see if any fruits set then thin it out to one.

May 10th


May 9th

May 8th


May 7th

May 6th

May 5th

May 4th ~ First bud open

May 3rd

May 2nd ~ a lot can happen if you go away for the weekend!

April 29th


April 28th

April 27th

April 26th

April 25th

April 24th

April ~ Mistletoe seedling 1.2 With Holdfasts ~ 2

Mistletoe Seedling
This seedling is on the Medlar tree and seems to have 3 holdfasts; I guess this is why they do better in the fork of a branch where there are two surfaces to aim at.

Amalancier Tree ~ 1

Amalancier Tree
We have this in a pot at the moment as we aren't sure it would suit our soil but a neighbour has one in their border which seems to be doing well so I think we might take a chance as it is good and strong and it's a beautiful tree which could grow well.

Buds just about to open.

Spring Flowers 2.2 ~ Pieres

Pieres colouring up nicely

Bramley Apple Tree ~ 1

Bramley Apple Tree

Three main branches and three flowering tips

We only planted this tree this winter and it seems to be full of buds.
I guess we should enjoy the flower blossom but not let it fruit during it's first year.
We may let one set fruit grow ~ we will see when the blossom falls.

Spring Flowers 8 ~ Cowslip

Cowslip
I tried growing Candelabra Polyanthus but they kept disappearing from the garden; the Cowslip has a similar appeal and thrives.

Medlar Tree ~ 1

April 14th 2010
Medlar Tree just breaking open into leaf

April 22nd 2010
Medlar Tree
Suddenly today the flower buds had emerged
This is a tree I bought for my husband for Christmas 4 or 5 years ago and it fruits well.
We make Medlar Jelly each year then using the pulp and apples we make a really spicy chutney.

Spring Flowers 6.1 ~ Guest Garden

Star of Bethlehem
~ Guest Garden ~
As I mentioned my Star of Bethlehem plants came from my parents' garden in Devon where they did very well.
Here is a border in the garden they came from.

Spring Flowers 7 ~ White Narcissus

White Narcissi
I just have two little patches of these in a walled border by the patio; the seem to like a little shade under a Ceanothus on one side and a Choisya on the other.

April ~ Mistletoe seedling 1.1

A few weeks on and the seedlings are germinating well and looking very good.

Spring Flowers 1.1 ~ Fritillary

Snake Head Fritillary
The severe winter conditions seem to have done these good as we've never had such a lot of flowers.

Spring Flowers 2.1 ~ Pieres

Pieres
First signs of the red bracts but still with loads of 'lilly the valley' like flowers

Spring Flowers 6 ~ Star of Bethlehem

~ Star of the Veldt ~
Well this is what my mother always calls it but I think that is an orange large daisy like flower.
Still that's what we call it so until I know different that's what it is!!!

~ Star of Bethlehem ~
This seems more like it: Ornithogalum umbellatum


Another plant transferred from my parents' garden in Devon; they do better there but cope with Hampshire clay and of course only open in the sunshine.

Spring Flowers 5 ~ Grape Hyacinth

Grape Hyacinths
The first blue flowers of the year.

Spring Flowers 4 ~ Daphne

Daphne flowers still wonderful after the plant's battering from the heavy snow. It was completely flattened across the lawn under 8" snow when I rescued it.

Spring Flowers 3 ~ Devon Primrose

Devon Primroses
These were transplanted from my parents' Devon garden many years ago but seem to thrive on our Hampshire clay.

April ~ Mistletoe seedling 1

Mistletoe seed taking root on our Bramley Apple tree. I can't believe this is actually working. The little green shoot will burrow into the bark to hold fast but it won't damage the tree.
Hence this shoot is called a 'holdfast'.

Spring Flowers 2 ~ Pieres

Pieres Flower

This particular plant has struggled to thrive in our soil but never fails to produce some lovely flowers and wonderful red bracts each year.

Spring Flowers 1 ~ Fritillary

Snake Head Fritillary

Who or what would do this to a Fritillary flower?