spring walkabout

[rgsp]

The garden still looks quite wintery, despite trees in bloom



These daffs on the moat bank aren't looked after or protected in any way, but produce a nice little show each year.



This 25-year-old Myrabalan usually flowers well, and it isn't bad this year, but the flower is a little sparser than some years. It's got a whole hive of bees almost living in it at the moment.



Species tulips of some sort: don't ask me what exactly, but they come back reliably every year, which most tulips don't under our conditions.



Perfectly ordinary Anemone Blanda, but none the worse for that, and this little clump has been coming back for years, unlike most, which have fizzled out.



These are strange little things, corydalis something or other, but quite fun if you bend down and look carefully at them.



Finally, Daphne Odora, which does have quite nice little flowers in late winter and spring, but doesn't look anything very much. It's scent, however, comes off in wafts, and is absolutely stunning. It drifts around, and can be strong and spicey a hundred yards away - for a few seconds at a time.

[4wd]

I was surprised to see blackthorn already coming in flower here yesterday (which I thought that white blossom was until explained)
Same problem with tulips here, they never last more than a couple of years so I buy a few 'sometimes' as we do quite enjoy the sudden brief blaze of colour.
It's a funny year with somethings relatively late or at least normal timing e.g. the bergenias, while the daffodils are really early. They seem similar here to in these pictures, usually we'd be 2 or 3 weeks later.

The wild ones are coming to their best too. Over the hill, Farndale is noted for large areas growing wild by the river but they are widely found near most waterways here.
Their origin is somewhat mysterious - not truly a native but clearly naturalised for centuries.
There are enigmatic suggestions that Crusaders brought bulbs back from the Middle East where they are also found.
The sap contains potent chemicals and the plant has been grown as a medicinal herb.
It's noticeable that concentrations of wild daffodils seem greatest in the areas managed by the Medieval Abbeys such as Rievaulx.
The alternative name Lenten Lilly implies a long held connection between the blooms and the important Christian Easter period.
Or maybe they just thought the easily grown flowers pretty.

[rgsp]

I noticed just a few blossoms at the top of one of our blackthorn bushes a couple of days ago, but it was just a few.

Keep trying with the tulips 4WD: they vary, but some of the species types do seem to come back very well, whereas the Dutch hybrids never do. Like you, we buy some of the latter fairly often, and just enjoy the display while it lasts. The species types do seem to like being planted VERY deeply along with a scoop full of horti grit for drainage if in clay.

We also tried for years with Iris Reticulata, and Iris Danfordii (little yellow one) and they just don't want to play. However, Iris Histriodes "George" (which is very similar to Reticulata) not only comes back reliably, but makes up quite fast too. It'll be a while before we have too many of them, but we must now have well over a hundred scattered around and multiplying. They also like deep planting with a bit of grit for drainage