An April Flower Posy . Fishpond Maintenance and a Bamboo Screen

It was the beginning of February when I last posted pictures of a posy of flowers.  There was nothing to see in March, zilch, nada, nowt.  But April, well, that's a different story - suddenly the garden is full of colour - albeit, only from spring bulbs - but at least it's something.

Here is a selection of what is in flower at the moment, narcissus of all shapes and sizes, some with fragrance some not.  Tulips are starting to open and the Grape Hyacinths are coming into their own.

I am enamoured by spring flowers both in the garden and in posies in the house, they are so precious because I have waited so long for them to appear.  They lend such cheer to the garden shining out against the fresh green of the grass and foliage.

The miniature Minnow is a particular favourite, such delicate pale lemon petals, two or three flower heads on one stalk.  Exquisitely simple and beautiful.

These are a fragrant, multi-petalled type, called Bridal Bouquet their heads hang for the sheer weight of the flower heads. 

This is another multi-headed type - again, I am not sure of the name, I believe it came in a mixed bag of bulbs.  Last year the mice ate all the daffodil bulbs I stored overwinter, so I had to start again.  My choices haven't disappointed - all I have to do now is find a mouseproof way to store them once they have been removed from the containers.

The first of the tulips to open are two shades of orange - these were from last year - I put them in a spare piece of ground thinking that they wouldn't flower again, tulips seem to have a habit of not coming back for a second year - but I have been proved wrong with this variety - a lovely vibrant colour.  Looking forward to seeing more tulips opening over the next week or so then I have to chose what I am going to fill the containers with to see me through the summer.  Decisions, decisions.

Although the primroses and pansies have been flowering on an off all winter, the sun and warmth has really brought them on and they are flowering their little heads off. Joy.

Oh and I mustn't forget the Forsythia.

Fishpond Maintenance

Last weekend was a really busy one, all sorts of jobs were completed including draining the fishpond.  We chose to have an expert to come and sort the pond out for us.  Someone with all the right equipment.  You should have seen the amount of silt that was at the bottom of the pond - two barrow loads full of really smelly black stuff.

There were frogs and toads hiding in the bottom which were safely removed to our wildlife pond further up the garden.  The water is now sparkling clear with no silty bits floating about - we were overstocked with fish - the large pink fish who lost her eye is the Big Momma and she produces lots of young every year - we gave a dozen small fry to a friend who lost all her fish to the heron - so everyone is happy.  It was a messy job well done and all the silt went on to the compost heap - lovely jubbly.

You can see right down to the bottom now - 3ft. - where we have installed a bag of barley straw in the hope of keeping blanket weed at bay.


Bamboo Screening
The other big job that the beloved completed was to erect a bamboo screen across the end of the garden.  We have nothing behind our garden but fields and we are very high up so the winds rip through the garden.  My raised beds get the full brunt of the wind so the screen now filters it beautifully and will help to give a bit of shelter for those more tender plants.  There was a lot of cursing going on whilst it was being erected , but it was worth all the hassle.

Just some finishing touches needed this weekend.

A Book to Read

When Harold Fry leaves home one morning to post a letter, with his wife hoovering upstairs, he has no idea that he is about to walk from one end of the country to the other.  He has no hiking boots or map, let alone a compass, waterproof or mobile phone.  All he knows is that he must keep walking.  To save someone else's life.

A Dish to Make

Cottage Pie

So that was my week - I'm off to the hairdressers tomorrow - I let my hair grow a bit longer over the winter - but now it's getting on my nerves so snip,snip, snip - I may have to spend next week with a bag over my head if the hairdresser gets over-enthusiastic.  Gulp.

How has your week been in the garden?