Monday 9 March 2009

Spring??

Mr and Mrs Magpie are building a nest in one of the hedgerow trees in the garden.....
Mr and Mrs Blackbird have finished their nest.


Mrs Mallard walks the garden most mornings......


and Mr Mallard is never far behind....isn't he a handsome chap?



The bees are busy.....and are frequent visitors......
They have been busy around the hellebores today.........
Nesta's cowslips have appeared. When I lost my friend, I rescued them from her little cottage garden. They are a sweet reminder of our strolls together, talking about our plants and the wildlife, sharing precious moments. I still miss her.
Don't you just love hellebores. I cannot get enough of them. They are so graceful.....so elegant........

The garden is full of spring blooms.......and after the dull and dreary days of winter, it brings such a lot of pleasure. Colours I would never have in a summer garden, never fail to please me at this time of year.
I wonder if anyone can tell me the name of this hellebore. I bought it last year from the supermarket. It did not look very healthy when I brought it home, but just look at it now, its a beauty.......
Snowdrops have usually finished by now but they are still blooming.....the copse is full of them and looks so pretty.....little flower heads dancing in the breeze......


The whole garden says spring.......the bees and birds talk of spring and yet it is so cold.....the wind is cruel......it makes my eyes water and my skin chap. It will not leave. I have worked in the garden for the last week.......as many hours as I can get .........clearing, cutting back, planting new shrubs. It has not been easy when it is so cold......I long for warmer days.

Tell me what is in your garden?






36 comments:

AnneTanne said...

My garden is still undecided whether it should say it's still winter or yet spring...
The lesser celandine, that normally blooms from february onwards, just has a few closed buds (winter?), but the glory-of-the-snow, that only starts blooming after lesser celandine has been showing off for a few weeks, is going to show her first flower tomorrow or on wednesday (spring?).
The wild daffodils, that always bloom in february, have there buds closed (winter?), but the Cyclamen coum has gone yet (spring?). The European cornel is still hesitating, and my hamalis are all in full flower, nor do my helleborusses bloom...
Well, I think I have to admit my garden is only whispering very, very silently that spring eventually will come...

Anonymous said...

Hi Cheryl...
Your garden is a joy!!!
since I havent any garden now I gain great pleasure visiting yours in all it`s beauty.....
`Thankyou` for always leaving sweet comments....
I think my style on my cards often reflect my mood..so therefore very changeable...rofl...
I love trying new colours away from what I would normally choose!!!
Have a lovely Week to you and yours:)♥

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cheryl said...

Hi Anne......it would appear that you are not quite ready for spring.....I hope that it is not far away.....a

Cheryl said...

Thank you Terrie...I am glad that you enjoy the gardens.....it is good to share....

I just love the detail in your cards at the moment....and flowers and butterflies are just perfect.....

Cheryl said...

Dear iZZie.....you seem to be organised and well equiped for your projects.....divorce when a child is involved is a difficult time.....

Crested newts.....how wonderful.....my neighbour has them in her wildlife pond....they are in decline......

Miranda Bell said...

You just can't get enough of all the spring flowers - the colours are wonderful and like you - just love Helebores - that one you bought in the supermarket is beautiful but I'm afraid I don't know the name of it... keep enjoying your garden - Miranda

Wendy said...

What a refreshing post! Your flowers look simply lovely. I was excited to see birds nests in your trees. I usually see them in the fall when they're abandoned.

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard look so cute. You really photograph well. I think you've trained the wildlife in your garden to pose for you. LOL!

Cheerful yellow daffodils really say spring to me. I can't wait. Alas, there is only snow in my garden now, so I'll enjoy yours.
Thank you!

Meems said...

All your colorful flowers are speaking elegantly of spring, sweet Cheryl. Each one a delight. I know they are warming your soul as you walk about your beautiful gardens.

No Hellebores here (sigh) too warm for them but I have surely enjoyed seeing them on everyone's blogs this month. As a matter of fact we don't have any winter blooming bulbs here. Usually we rely on the bromeliads but they got so frost bitten this year they aren't blooming. It won't be long though and our warm sunshine will draw out more and more blooms.
Love the bees!
Meems @ Hoe and Shovel

NCmountainwoman said...

Not much spring here on top of the mountains, but downtown the crocuses and daffodils are blooming. There are big buds on the flowering trees. I can't wait.

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are a handsome couple!From the looks of the wildlife and blooms, spring has found your garden. Mine is slowly waking...it has been so dry I don't know if I will have many blooms this year. Even though I water, it's just not the same as a good soaking rain.

beckie said...

Cheryl, your garden says spring even if yor weather soes not. Such lovely flowers, sepecially the hellebores/ I have really fallen for them this last year. And how wonderful to see bees! I actually saw one here the other day when the temps warmed into the 70's.hat a tease that was. But I did get a flower bed cleaned. nlike you, I get too pooped out to get much done in a day's time. :}

So glead you and Poppi had the chance to stat some sunflowers. I hope you both enjoy them. She looks throughly content to be in the garden looking for fairies and watching birds and flowers. She is indeed your little garden soulmate.

Hope you have a warmer week!

Cheryl said...

Thanks Miranda....spring gives us hope for what is to come.....

Cheryl said...

Hi Wendy....the wildlife certainly does not pose....I am usually hiding behind bushes or trees......it is hard work trying to get a decent photograph....still it is worth it......especially if I can show my blogging friends what comes into the garden.....

Snow.....gosh I am hoping that is a distant memory here....I definately don't want anymore....

Hope you have a good week and that the sun shines at some point....

Cheryl said...

Hi Meems....when I see your beautiful gardens I always have a wish list...knowing that I can never have many of the plants here, unless they are under glass....

I had never given the bulbs a thought....I would certainly miss hellebores, they are my all time favourites. I could not be without them in the garden.....

Tku for dropping by....

ShySongbird said...

Another lovely post Cheryl.

I had to smile about Mr and Mrs Magpie. Last year I kept seeing a Magpie in the top of our Apple tree who appeared to be throwing small branches, twigs and sticks to the ground, I was convinced it was a budding lumberjack! Of course when the leaves fell I realised there was a nest up there.

I think you are definitely ahead of us as far as Spring is concerned. We have Cowslips growing wild in our lawn, (actually more a weedy, grassy patch than a lawn!), but there is no sign of them yet. I don't know how they got there probably seeded by the birds or perhaps in the original turf but I love them so much and hold my breath every year until they reappear.

I too long for warmer more Spring like days, I know that feeling so well!

Rose said...

Spring has always been my favorite time of year, Cheryl. I love seeing the green shoots and buds emerging from the ground--every day a surprise--and the delicate spring flowers. We have had several warm days recently--in the 60's--but the temperature is supposed to drop back down to near freezing the rest of the week. It's been teasing us of what will come in a few weeks, and I can't wait.

Cheryl said...

Hi Morning glories.....Until we had a serious drought a few years ago I never realised quite how badly lack of water affects a garden.
To have this problem on a more or less permanent basis must be a nightmare......you are so right watering is never as good as a downpour.....

I wish you rain.....

Cheryl said...

Dear Beckie....high temperatures indeed....we have had nothing near that and yet the garden is flourishing....I must say I am a little tired as there is so much to do here this time of year.

Poppi is a sweetheart and a great help....she is so excited about her sunflower seeds.....each one is carefully marked with a family members name ....the race is on to see which one grows to be the tallest.....

I do hope that Dad is improving and that you are not finding it too stressful.....Do take care, my friend.....

Cheryl said...

Hi shysongbird.....do you like the magpies?? I am not a great lover of them. They are beautiful but I do not like it when they take the songbirds eggs and fledglings....
I know it is nature but I love my songbirds....

I expect your cowslips have been there for many years....I am sure they will appear soon....I love them, they are very special to me. I love to see them in the grass verges on the lane......

Cheryl said...

Hi Rose....as you so rightly said in one of your posts March is a tease. My plants are growing quickly now despite this cold wind. If we have a frost I am concerned I may lose a lot of blooms....
Your temperatures have been higher than ours....we have not reached 60 yet.....if only Rose, if only!!

ShySongbird said...

Hi again Cheryl,

I'm not keen on Magpies either, they certainly are beautiful but I don't welcome anything which threatens my songbirds including The Sparrowhawk and the neighbour's cat!

Q said...

Dear Cheryl,
Your flowers are beautiful. I do not grow Hellebores. I wonder if they are hardy for me? Yours are lovely and very elegant. I shall do some research.
I do know the love of a special flower. A kind reminder of a dear friend. Nesta's Cowslips are soft and so pretty. I am happy a piece of her garden lives in yours.
The mallards are amazing...strolling about...how wonderful. Lots of nesting going on at your house.
My favorite photographs today are the bees...sweet bees. You captured them in flight...I can almost hear them buzzz. Still too early for them in my gardens.
I love seeing all your flowers...daffodils in full bloom and still lovly snowdrops. I must plant some.
Thank you for this garden tour.
I do understand the cold wind...it is too cold for me to be outside now...low tonight 19F (-7C)...
It is the north wind though that makes me scurry inside...Spring has been winking and sometimes dancing with me. Today she is flirting with Old Man Winter!
Stay warm.
Sherry

Cheryl said...

Dear Sherry......Hellebores like the shade.....they grow well in rich leaf mould...they are more or less a woodland plant.....there are so many and they are all beautiful.....
It is lovely to have the mallards visit.....I got some nice photographs of them today. They are building the nest in the pond next door, so hopefully I will see the ducklings......
It is good to have some bees in the garden....I have missed them so much.....to hear them buzz around the plants is sweet music.....

The wind is still relentless....I am fed up with being chilled through to the bone.....we had rain today as well......

It is Poppi day tomorrow....she has a bad cold and a sore nose....bless her...
I am taking her out to buy a party dress......

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Hi Cheryl, No nests in our garden as yet. The birds are singing and pairing up so it won't be long no doubt. It is supposed to get cold again tonight. It shouldn't last too long this time though. It seems that every day when I go out I find something new blooming. It is an exciting time of year.

Your bees are spectacular. I haven't seen a bee around her as yet. I guess it is too cold yet.

kate smudges said...

There is much activity in your corner of the world! I love Nesta's cowslips ~ what a wonderful tribute to your friend.

My garden, sadly, is still buried under deep snow. Our temperature tonight is going below -30c, although we should be above freezing by week's end.

Ruth said...

My garden is an eyesore of mud, snow and dead leaves from last year... and frozen dog messes :-(!
Spring has certainly come to you and I can dream that my garden will soon look as inviting in a month or two.

ChrisND said...

It is great to see the activity in your garden as spring approaches. Mr & Mrs Mallard are both nice looking birds. Having bits of history and memories in your garden makes it so special.

This time of year, I love the sun...it has gained strength since winter. The wind still keeps winter around though.

Cheryl said...

Hi Lisa....I have just been listening to the weather forecast and we are supposed to be getting some warmer weather this weekend.....

Cheryl said...

Hi Kate.....that is one thing about blogging that I really like....knowing what is happening in gardens around the world. Looking out of the window it is hard to believe that you have snow and that temperatures will drop that much tonight. Brrrr it makes me cold just thinking about it.......

Cheryl said...

Hi Chris.....the sun came out today but the wind will not leave.......as you say winter still has a grip.....

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

Aw, Poppi's a very cute little gardener, and even her clothes have flowers on! I love the aconite bud... I'm growing them for the first time this year and didn't realize what the buds looked like. Very fairy-like indeed!

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

I don't have much blooming yet. Oddly, I think female mallards are way more attractive than males; there's something about the subtle patterns and shades of soft browns I really like.

Dawny P said...

I have just been looking at your spring pics and these here also, all so beautiful Cheryl. Isn't it nice to see things coming to life again. I'm always filled with optimism during these next few months - it's like a fresh start. And I drove home yesterday and the sun was shining and I could feel the warmth on my face for
the firsr time in ages. It was so nice. Sorry you've been cold cos it really is not pleasant. Let's hope the sun finds its way to you soon xxxxx

Cheryl said...

Hi Dawny.....the sun came out today and the wind dropped a little.....at last if felt warm.
Poppi and I worked in the garden for around four hours. She is so good and really helpful.....

I love to see the garden coming alive....it seems a long time coming this year...

I expect you will be thinking tennis and pimms soon??

Cheryl said...

Hi Dawny.....the sun came out today and the wind dropped a little.....at last if felt warm.
Poppi and I worked in the garden for around four hours. She is so good and really helpful.....

I love to see the garden coming alive....it seems a long time coming this year...

I expect you will be thinking tennis and pimms soon??