This post is brought to you courtesy of the colour yellow. We have
plenty of yellow at present - daffodils in variety, marsh marigolds,
tulips, primroses and early cowslips......
It's just as well. There's not much else - our landscape remains resolutely drab. Buds are loathe to burst and the grass won't grow (much to the chagrin of our farming friends who have cattle still in their winter quarters and diminishing reserves of feed). No blossom either; our fruit trees are bare. It's hard to remain upbeat in the face of this dreariness and I find myself repeating the mantra 'Spring will come. Spring will come' and at the same time regretting reading John Christopher's post-apocalyptic 'The World in Winter'.
So today I focused on the colour we have got - yellow in all its hot, cold, acid, lemon, golden or creamy glory.
There are strident yellows - Caltha palustris has formed bright clumps around the edge of the pond. I notice there is plenty of frog spawn too.
Plenty of daffodils - these two are rather brash and not really what we had in mind for down the dingle.
Strange because we originally planted only natives - Narcissus obvalaris, pretty and delicate little things. These 'garden' varieties appeared and now seem to be increasing. The result of mutation perhaps or hybridisation? The good news is that the little natives are increasing too and I hope they will hold their own against their thuggish relatives.This little flower on the right isn't a primrose and neither is it a cowslip - a bit of a mongrel. It's very pretty and I wish there were more.
Primroses in abundance too - the Glam Ass's planting programme can be deemed a success. What's there not to like about these creamy little flowers? I think as children we used to suck the nectar from the flower heads...though they may have been cowslips. Tomorrow I will go and do a taste test....A splash of colour's very welcome isn't it?
...and Swallows!
I think it is safe to say that our swallows have returned. I saw them first on Saturday 20th - I guess the ones that I spotted earlier in the week were just passing though, resting on the last leg of their long journey.
At least a pair are swooping in and out of the field shelter - checking if last year's nests are still OK perhaps.
Welcome home. How good it is to have them back.
9 comments:
What lovely flowers!! It's always so nice to see the birds return and the flowers too in the spring!!
Well it's certainly sprung down here. All our fruit trees are heavily in flower, and I've already mowed the lawn 4 times. Spring is wonderful, but it also brings a lot of work.
We really have to try hard to stay positive just now, don't we? So chilly and grey today - yet again! My daffodils have all gone over, but there are tulips standing straight, just waiting to burst, and the primroses, struggling against the invasive (non-native!) bluebells that will be ruthlessly thinned out this year.
Whereas down here in the South, the greengage tree is ful of lovely white blossom, though none on the medlars, the apples or the pears. I bought three rose bushes yesterday for £6 and planted them. Not sure about the colours. If they turn out yellow I will be pleased as that is my favourite colour for a rose. But much certainly is still in hibernation. I am putting honey out for the bees.
Mountaineer, what a span of yellow hues you've got blooming now! How funny that you've got some rogue daffodils making a stand in your garden. I'm glad that the daffs properly invited to your garden party are also having a good spring stay.
I do like the color of that flower that is neither cowslip nor primrose!
I look forward to seeing the next chapter of your report of spring 2013. It's still pretty chilly here...a light jacket or heavy sweater is required for comfort.
xo
Our primroses have done so well this year - must be a reult of all that rain last year! The pheasant is sitting on her eggs now. Lol that sounds like spy code for something! x Jo
I'd even welcome the thuggish relatives at the moment . I'm waiting to see what all the nurseries manage to rustle up for the local annual Flower Market this year . Interesting twigs ?
Primroses are such sturdy little plants. Every year I buy pots to put out on the veranda, and afterwards I plant them around Pondside. Every year I enjoy more and more colour as they pop up at a time when colour is needed.
I love the photo of your hares. I think of them often how beautiful they are in your garden.
In the rest of the year I veer about as to my love of yellow. In spring there is no contest! I love the primroses. I have been trying to spread ours about but they seem to prefer to choose their space. And yes, swallows arrived here yesterday. All is well with the world.
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