The crocus from the beginning of the month have disappeared and the magnolia and camellia are in full flight.

The Spring garden is a delight, a real delight. Even the hellebores are holding on to their flowers.

Some of the daffodils are still around, but most are on their way out, even the tiny narcissus which newly planted under the hedge have proved a really jolly delight.

Maybe next Autumn I’ll plant some white mascara to continue along the flowery border. White would probably strike out from the greenery rather than the established blue in the beds.

The miniature tulips are out in full, but the large ones are just beginning to show through.

And is this some convallaria or a huge late snowdrop that has suddenly appeared?

If the gaffs newly planted have been a great idea, planting giant alliums in the fritelaria bed has been less successful – they look like triffids.

It’s a shame because obviously the fritelarias themselves are so delicate and beautiful.

Primroses and primulas can be found scattered through the gravel garden and gravel path.

But they’re also popping up in the back, in the dry shade.

Mostly though it’s dry, dryer and driest of shade with the green of the euphorbia and white of comfrey not doing much to life the gloom.

New bird feeders make it a surprisingly entertaining place to sit, but a few more flowers would be nice.

Up on top of the roof the aubrietia has survived despite my decision to rip most of it out as a weed a month ago but the lithodora is pretty dull and disappearing. Even the blue chinodoxa disappears in the sunshine. Maybe blue flowers are just too dull for this time of year.

Many of the sedums are just beginning their grow back after the Winter.

The rhodanthemum doesn’t seem to ever stop flowering but is definitely moving into full out daisies and the erysimum is pushing out yellow flowers everywhere.

I am a bit confused by some bulbs that appear to have come up blind but have left them in just in case they turn out to be alliums.

Thankfully the new rose bed seems to have survived the Winter, though the gaffs planted with them are a bit mixed. What fool grows a flower too heavy to stand up?

Nothing significant has died, though I might well wish the gigantic alliums had proved less happy. As always the reddest of tulips are the hardest to get rid of and have popped up as vigorous as ever. Why did I plant them? Why?

The bedding has reappeared and the wallflowers continue relentlessly.



 And then I look at the most lovely magnolia, a small but delicate little tree that will grow no higher.

And behind it the pear tree just heading into blossom.

There is no downside to a Spring garden, just the joy of plants arriving and the promise of all to come.