Blending in on the bed.
Category: Photography
In a Vase on Monday – more Spring Bulbs
It’s been a wet Spring, and this seems to have lengthened the bulb season. Roses are starting to bloom, and we still have a few Narcissi and Freesias, and lots of Iris, Ixia, and Anemones. There is even one last Tulip. The Columbine are just starting, and Lily seedlings are coming up like grass in the humus-ey soil where I’ve retained the bank with old logs.
In a Vase on Monday – Purples
Well, mostly purple anyway. Everything is growing now, in spite of or because of the rain. Anemones are producing continually as I planted them gradually, and they obviously had no appeal to whatever ate the tulips. Dutch Iris are still brilliant. There are still some Freesias and Geranium Narcissus for scent, and perennial Stocks.
Poppies are out, and the Cineraria have been flowering for a while. I bought a mix and I love this almost white one.
In a Vase on Monday – Iris and Anemone
Dutch Iris are the most accomodating plant I have, I think. No matter how neglected and surrounded by weeds, they send up their waving silvery leaves in Spring, followed by tall clumps of flowers over a long time. But they don’t seem to seed down, so not a plant that wants to take over the world.
I’ve photographed some tamarillos and an orange with them, both fruits which are coming to the end of their seasons. Tiny plums are on the plum trees now and the apples are starting to flower.
In a Vase on Monday – Sparkling Daffodils
I noticed tonight that the petals of the white daffodils are spangled with little sparkles, tiny reflections of the artificial light. I didn’t catch that in my photos, taken outside in a cold light just before yet another hail storm.
The first wave of daffodils and narcissi are going to seed, but some of the later yellow ones and the lovely white Thalia are coming on now, and there are still new ones coming up – I’m enjoying the Poet’s Narcissus and some truely radical ones which came in the mixed batch.
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In a Vase on Monday- Spring Brutality
Now that the digger has dug a deep hole for the new building it was not the ideal time for 3 inches of rain and hail. Gale force winds made the hail on the unlined tin roof sound like a jack hammer, and thunder literally shook the hut. Amazingly, the blossom is still clinging to the trees, but I thought it was wise to pick the few tulips that escaped being dug up and eaten.
Plodding along in the cold rain and hail, my gum boots weighed down by massive clay blobs, I consoled myself that this was nothing compared to the hurricanes which were hitting Cuba, Bahamas, and Florida.
In a Vase on Monday – Freesia alba ‘Burtonii’
The diggers are here and I found a clump of Freesia ‘Burtonii’ flowering right where it will get in the way. I thought I had transplanted all of these, but this lot must have sneaked off and hidden under a rock. I will harvest the last of the flowers next week and then dig this last lot up.
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In a Vase on Monday – Freesias
The scent of any flower seems to me most divine when it’s the first one of the year, although it’s hard to get immune to either Freesias or Sweet Peas. I have a few clumps of Freesia alba ‘Burtonii’ which are smaller and sweetly scented, but even the larger hybrids are beautifully scented this year.
Bee Hive in Spring
In a window of sunshine amid clouds and rain last weekend we opened the beehives. Beresford’s hive was full of brood, with only a bit of honey left. Luckily we were prepared for this as it was exactly what our beekeeping friend had thought might happen, so we gave the hive sugar water and pollen substitute. This seemed to go down well.
Absent Gardener 