Spring

Spring in the UK can be very unpredictable.  One day warm sunshine, the next cold and foggy.  The fog here though, was caused by an unusual combination of high pollution and sandstorms whipped up from the Sahara and deposited on us.  It covered the cars, the gardens and left a film on the windows.  It lasted a few days and made it feel like November.

Once the 'smog' had cleared it was a good opportunity to get back out in the garden with my camera.  We had a great show of daffodils in all sizes and colours.  However, April was certainly the month for the tulips.  These yellow tulips came with us from our old garden and have survived the move.  They are in pots either side of the arch down to the pink garden.

Blossom also featured heavily in April.  This is the apple tree.

And buds breaking on our birch tree.

 In Bumblebee's veg plot, things are stirring.  You can imagine how excited he was when the first shoots appeared.  He is being very vigilant with weeding and watering.

 Spiraea has a pleasant faint honey smell.  Now we have seen it in bloom, it can certainly stay.  It will go well in the divide between my pink garden and the patio.

 The ash tree has sprung into leaf and it seems that within the space of a couple of days, all the trees in view have followed suit and everything looks green.

 Who can help but love the unfurling of ferns.  It is almost as synonymous with spring as blossom for me.

The first of the two inherited azaleas is a very pretty lilac.

 And now.  May I present my bright beautiful spring front garden.  All of the tulips have come by car and hand delivered from the Netherlands with our friends who came to visit last summer.

Before the remaining petals fall I thought it prudent to take a snap of this cherry blossom.  It is growing in the street outside our house but the council are going to remove it.  I managed to get them to wait until we had a chance to enjoy the sight.

The first flowers on the scented honeysuckle over the arch are making their presence known.  Their perfume is amazing.

Oh yes, and the other azalea is indeed pink.  Much more pizazz than the lilac one.

Bergenia in flower.  They last a good while before fading.  I wasn't sure any of them would flower this first spring, so this one was very welcome.

Another scented treasure.  Unfortunately to appreciate it, because the shrub is still small I had to pick some of the tiny blooms of this Osmanthus burkwoodii.  We planted this only last autumn, so in time it will be easier to sniff it.

New growth on the Sumach (Stag Horn).

So much to see every day.  I love spring!