Friday Flowers . What's New in Bloom . Pretty Cows and Handsome Horses

The poor old garden has really taken a bashing this week.  Rain, hail, even a bit of snow and gale force winds.  Welcome to spring in England.  I ventured out inbetween heavy bouts of rain to pick the Friday posy - there wasn't a lot to choose from but I managed to make a fairly decent bouquet.

lilac, tulips, pansies, aquilegia and cornflowers

The garden is at that awkward stage changing over from bulbs to cottage garden flowers that aren't quite in full throttle yet.

Spanish bluebells

In the front garden the bluebells have now emerged amongst the forget-me-nots.  Each year I dig bucketfuls of bulbs out but they just seem to come back stronger than ever.  I didn't plant these, they were in the border long before we got here and have established themselves good and proper.  They don't last long in flower and the leaves look a mess when they have gone over - I am quite brutal with them but they don't seem to mind.

aquilegia

The Aquilegia are just starting to open - it is hard to get a decent photo of them when their heads droop these are the more natural smaller headed ones, the hybrids still haven't opened yet.  I used to have a lot of almost black ones granny's bonnets we used to call them, it is just a waiting game to see which colours emerge eventually.

Allium - Purple Sensation

The Alliums are slowly opening too - I don't seem to have as many as last year, not sure where they have disappeared to - I love to see them dotted about the borders adding height above the rest of the flowers - one plant I definitely can't get enough of.

cherry blossom carpet

The wind and rain have done a great job in helping to get rid of the cherry blossom the lawn is covered  and it sticks to the soles of your shoes and you carry it indoors and leave petals all over the door mat - I seem to be forever sweeping it all up.

Geranium

And finally the Geraniums are starting to flower.  At least these come back every year without any fuss - my sort of plant.

Each year during the summer months we rent the field out for grazing for horses.  There are four in there at the moment and they are intrigued by my comings and goings.

Peering over the fence whilst I am working in the kitchen garden

Friendly chaps who provide plenty of manure I collect trugs full of the stuff when they have gone - every little helps.

Last year I planted wild flowers along the edge of the plot and they have come back really strong  this year.

And finally, at home in the back field the farmer has a couple of Guernsey cows amongst all the Friesians - they are so tiny compared to them,  really dainty with such pretty faces.

How is your garden faring with this awful weather? It can't get any worse - can it?