Spring Flowers

I don't know if it's the unseasonably long, fine, dry spell we're having but the Spring flowers are starting to come out a bit earlier than usual I think. Come and take a walk with me through my garden.

I had a rush of blood to the head (or something like it) back in April when I bought and, more surprisingly, planted in due time bags and bags of bulbs. So far we've had pots of winter flowering paper white jonquils and tiny dark blue grape hyacinths (both nearly finished) which followed the creamy white richly scented jonquils which valiantly flower every year in the patch of the front garden known as The Desert to me and my neighbours. This is the part of the front verge between our two driveways receiving all the reflected heat from both driveways and the road. Very little grows there despite all our efforts but every year the jonquils put on a lovely display.

In the rest of the garden things are moving on. The snowflakes opened about a week ago, white and green bell heads hanging down, in the corner near the back fence. I'm not sure how they got there or what's happened to those in the bed outside the family room but I'm pleased to see these though. At least I haven't lost them all.

Most unexpected though, this week the daffodils have burst into bloom. Where six days ago, when I weeded the bed, there were only clumps of leaves golden trumpets are strutting their stuff. I half expect a brassy fanfare any minute. It's a pity that they probably won't last for next season. I find that most of the daffodils only flower once these days because they are imported from the Eastern States and either forced in some way or unsuited to our climate. There's a bonus in this bed too because the self-seeded crimson poppies which didn't come up last year have popped up all over the bed. They're still seedlings but they give the promise of a bright display a bit later.

Even more surprising is the first Dutch iris flower. I expect them to come out in the second week of September because when they were in bloom when I had one of my babies and the date is fixed in my mind. A blue so deep it's almost purple, this one is in a group of several dozen I planted next to one of the ponds. I love Dutch iris and grow them every year but last Summer's heatwave seems to have wiped out all those I had in the garden from previous years. This is one of the new lot and if this is anything to go on they're going to be stunning.

All that are left to flower of the bulbs are the miniature daffodils in the planter trough on the edge of the veranda and Spanish bluebells. Some of these are in the garden but there are three big pots as well. They are always generous in their flowering and I'm sure they'll be worth the wait.

And then we'll be ready for the roses and other flowers that are already sprouting. Come back when they are in flower, won't you.