April is generally a bridging month for the season. There has been some cold nights, some frost, some strong breezes and some sunny warm days. It got a bit dry, but there has been some rain; so it has been generally balanced.
In the front garden the passion flower has made it through the winter. This has made me very happy. It is now sprouting out new shoots really well so I am hopeful for flowers in due course.
The ceanothus I planted last year by the new fence is doing very well. It is just coming into flower and it seems to have settled in.
In the Courtyard Garden the Rhododendron Luteum, my favourite rhododendron, is on the cusp of flowering. This shrub has wonderful scent that fills the small grey dingey space where this plant lives. It lifts the whole area.
The Camellia rosthorniana 'Cupido' is also in a container in the Courtyard Garden. I have to confess that whilst this is a very pretty shrub, it is quite disappointing. It takes ages from when the buds form to when they actually open: when I say ages, I mean months. So by the time they finally open I am already tired of waiting. Maybe I expect too much....
The warmer nights have led me to put the pelagoniums and other tenders out for the summer. This has only just happened and I am still an eye on the nightly temperatures. I am hoping I have not been too impatient.
The bananas have also gone outside, it's nice to have the conservatory back as a usable room again. In the winter it is just full of plants.
The back garden is looking lush with pops of tulip colour still making their prescence known.
In the Conservatory Border the Euphorbis mellifera is too big, but it is also flowering. I keep walking past it and inhaling the honey scent which then prompts me to turn back and admire it. It will get pruned, but not yet.
The bees are out in force at the moment, they are enjoying the early flowers.
The dandelions are also doing very well. When the seed heads are this beautiful, it is hard to consider them out of place. I know I will pay for this in more dandelions next year, but to be honest its worth it.
These pretty primulas have self seeded themselves around. I encourage this by mowing around them where possible.
Overnight the cow parsley in the Wild Garden has shot up and flowered. I love this frothy moment.
The Mulberry Tree is sparkling in the sun. As I look up I can see knobbly flowers. I have not seen any mulberries on the tree yet: I think the birds have them super fast.
The Cornus I bought a couple of years ago is looking like it will be very pretty this year.
and Wild Edric has led the starting of the rose season. He is the only one flowering at the moment. He is often early but I think also aided by me not pruning most of the roses until really quite late.
The Malus 'Rudolph has been smothered in blossom this year. It is just past its peak now, but I love how the colour works with the copper beech pillar. I would like to say that I have carefully planned this, but you know me better than that.
The Spring Border is also past its peak. It is now very green, quite a bit of that green is sticky weed. It really is taking hold at the moment.
Just entering its peak is the standard wisteria. One of my proudest achievements in this garden if I say so myself! Ok, the white flowers have been totally dominated by the re-emerging purple, but it still looks amazing.
The tree ferns are just starting to unfurl.
and here come the alliums.
The pond is a bit overgrown and, already, a bit low in water. There is plenty of water still in the pond, but it has already receded around the edges. I wonder how dry a summer we will have....
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