Butterflies.......

I have waited seven years to capture this little butterfly with my camera. The orange tip does not dally. The dappled green coloration of the underside provides perfect camouflage when the butterfly settles on a plant.

Each butterfly lives for around 18 days and there is only one generation a year. Only the male has orange tips on the wings.......the female is tipped with black.....

I was so hoping that this would be a male. I sat as still as I could...one false move and this little chap would be gone.....

I really wanted to capture him with his wings fully open.........

today I was lucky.......there he is in all his glory......the orange tip.......a colourful symbol of springtime........

Spring Magic....Bzzzzz

My day started with this belated birthday present. The beautiful notelets are all hand crafted and coloured by the talented Dawny P. They are just so beautiful....the detail is exquisite. I also received a packet of Poppy seeds and a lovely handcrafted bee. Unfortunately 'little bee' lost a leg during transit and will spend the night in the bee hospital, where Mr P will carefully mend him......Thank you so much Dawny ..........I love love love them......

The weather has warmed up today. I decided I would work in the garden this afternoon. There is so much to do at this time of year. My camera came with me, and one of the first things I noticed was the bug on this bloom....enlarge if you cannot see it.....he is tiny but he is there, honest.......

But this is what I was really looking for. I knew the warm weather would bring out my beloved bees......against the cherry blossom they look so pretty.......

I sat underneath the tree listening to them........
I walked on to the woodland walk and there to my amazement was a carder bee....this lovely little bee is not as common as it used to be. I am so pleased to see them in the garden.......

I watched her for ages, enjoying herself amongst the hellebores...........I sat in daydream mode......an easy thing for me........I do daydreaming very well........

I leave you with the last verse of Spring Magic by Cicely Mary Barker.......

The world is very old;

But every Spring

It groweth young again,

And fairies sing.

Are you singing with the fairies......I am.......

I wandered lonely as a cloud..........

Between the showers, I took the opportunity to go into the garden, and take some photographs. I love raindrops on flowers, the daffodils looked particularly beautiful today.

Did you know it was Dorothy Wordsworth who first described those famous daffodils, not her brother William. He didn't 'wander lonely as a cloud' but was out for a walk with his sister when they discovered drifts of daffodils along the Ullswater shoreline.

'I never saw daffodils so beautiful' she records in her 1802 diary. 'They grew among the mossy stones.....some rested their heads....as on a pillow for weariness and the rest tossed and reeled and danced and seemed as if they verily laughed with the wind, that blew upon them over the lake; they looked so gay, ever glancing, ever changing.'

William borrowed shamelessly from her journal but his verse and her prose sum up perfectly, the qualities, that have endeared us gardeners to the daffodil..........

Whatever the weather, get out into your garden and enjoy your blooms.......

Have a lovely weekend.........

Out like a lion.....

March came in like a lamb, and I think she is preparing to go out like a lion. Heavy showers, cold winds and lowered temperatures have been with us for the last few days. The little blue tit appeared not to like the change.

Despite the weather a lone honey bee decided to visit the cherry blossom. Her pollen bags looked nice and full.

Things are coming on well in the greenhouse.....Poppi's sunflower seeds are up

also Morning Glory 'heavenly blue'.......I am so excited about this.....Beckie at Dragonfly Corner showed this stunning plant on her blog last year. The blooms seemed to last forever. Beckie and Rose were kind enough to send me some seeds.

During the winter the rabbits dug up several plants. Sedum Autumn Joy was one of them. I split the plant and repotted pieces of it. I now have ten plants all doing very well.......
Clematis Armandii is blooming.......this is a monster evergreen that will fill a space 9m x 2m (30 x 6ft). I have it climbing through fencing at the bottom of the garden.......it is ideal in this situation.

It blooms from the beginning of March until the end of April, and it's flowers are slightly scented. I love clematis and have quite a collection now...........I have read that if you grow a mixture of large flowered hybrids and species clematis, it's just about possible to have one in flower every day of the year.....Now this has got me thinking.....hmmmm...maybe, just maybe.......

So much to see......

As I walked the lanes with Nella this morning, I noticed the rooks had lifted their nests. Country folk say that a long hot summer is ahead when this happens. I am a great believer in the old ways......

As I turned the corner I saw a vixen lying on the grass verge. Sadly she will not be hunting rabbits tonight. I hope that she did not leave cubs behind, they will not survive without her. As I walked away from her my heart felt heavy.........

Further along the lane I noticed these daffodils by the ditch.....I do love flowers and water...they always make an elegant combination.......

and I love these spring snowflakes around the old oak........spring, spring, spring....what a lovely time of year....

and ladies smock......I love these pretty flowers..... I hold my breath and wait for the orange tipped butterflies to come into the area....for the ladies smock is her host plant......
Many people keep ducks in this area.......whilst I enjoy seeing them, there is nothing like wild fowl.....

So when I looked through the hedgerow and saw the canada goose, I was so thrilled. We get a lot of them here....they often fly over the house. They were introduced from Canada in the 17th century and were mainly garden birds .....now they are quite common.......and can often be seen on fields in any part of the country........

I believe this beautiful pair are Pink footed geese....they visit most winters. They fly into Britain from Iceland and Greenland......I do love them. Their calls as they fly over the house is quite musical.

It was a pleasant walk in the spring sunshine.........

Rain is expected tomorrow.....and strong winds........well it was good while it lasted......

Spring blooms.......

The violet is such a sweet flower. I have always enjoyed it's arrival. When we moved here, I brought one plant from my last garden. Slowly, very slowly, it has seeded around. I am happy that it has, at last, settled here.

Anemone Blanda , small and fragile looking. If you don't have rabbits, plant it in the grass under deciduous trees....beautiful. Alas, I do have bunnies in the garden, so mine are in a planter and doing quite well.

Primulas, I think, look absolutely beautiful in a woodland setting.

When the light breaks through the canopy and caresses the petals.......

get your camera out and snap away......

Mahonia Aquifolium is just beginning to bloom. After flowering I shall cut it to the ground. I do this every other year to keep it bushy......

Primula Palinuri with it's cowslip like clusters of slightly fragrant flowers, looks delightful planted with muscari. I personally, love this combination......

Have you a favourite spring bloom and what setting do you like it in??

Have a good weekend..........

Everything is waking up.......

Temperatures have risen over the last few days (15C.....62F). The first butterfly of the year arrived. This little Comma warmed herself on the brickwork. It looked as if a bird may have caught her, as part of the wing was missing. She appears to have had a lucky escape.

Mr P brought the obelisks home. I asked for two, he made four, gorgeous man that he is. The metal will rust as the structures have not been treated. The two at the front will have golden hops climbing them. The two at the back, clematis and English honeysuckle.......against the rusting metal, the plants will blend well. What do you think??

A few years ago I planted shrubs and spring blooms at the side of the garage. Sadly I have neglected this area, and rarely open the gate and take a look. Today I did, and found this beautiful hellebore in full bloom. The ferns and shrubs also look good. Last summers rain obviously helped the poor plants, I always forget to water.

The Lenten rose is quite a connoisseur's plant these days. The spotted ones and deep mauve-purple cultivars are especially sought after.

Once established, hellebores hate being moved, but do self-seed.......move the offspring while they are small.......

Lesser Celandine has appeared in the beds.....I love this wildflower. In a month the flowers and leaves disappear, as if by magic.

Rip van Winkle......

Pulmonaria........

Primula drumsticks.......

Cherry blossom.......have all opened in the last few days.

I was delighted to see spider webs appear in the garden this week. Everything seems to be waking up.....and the forecast is the warm weather should stay for the next few days.

Enjoy your garden...............

March.......

Days are getting longer.........

the light is changing......

bright yellows.......

and soft browns......

Mr Mallard is smitten.........

I was born in March..........

I have spring fever, do you??