Springtime garden

I love this time of the year when everything starts to wake up after being dormant during the long winter months. I've just been wandering around the garden seeing what's growing and what's not, also what needs to be moved because it doesn't like where it is, or I think it would look better somewhere else.

I could never call myself a real gardener, I love my garden, but I don't let it rule me. I don't talk to my plants, well maybe sometimes, telling them they have 2 chances in life... 'they either grow or they go..
 I let the weeds that flower stay, if I like them, you might say I'm a lazy gardener, but who has the right to say a plant is a weed. if it happens to grow somewhere that's not choking the special plant I have planted then it can stay. The only no go in my garden is I like the grass to be green, I don't like daises or dandelions to sneak in and this year we have an abundance of dandelions growing in all the fields around where we live.

If you read my last post  you will have seen them everywhere, but that's OK as long as they stay put in the fields.
I'm going away in a few days so would you like to see what my garden is looking like at the moment.

One of the many Pieris ( Forest Flame )
Always gives colour throughout the year.

Japonica Japanese Quince

Alyssum ( Saxitile )

Flowers first from April to June, cut back after flowering

then the leaves are a lovely silver grey

forming a good ground cover.

 I hope I don't miss too many things, the Peonies are about to burst into bloom,  if it rains a lot while we're away and we have wind they soon get damaged ,so fingers crossed they'll still be here when I get back.

The Roses are beginning to grow again after the late snow & frost damaging them.

Today I've been splitting and moving the ornamental grass's a friend gave me, I hope it will look as good in it's new home as it did last year.I'll show you that when it's growing, as it's still at the stubble stage.

 I didn't realise it would grow so tall and spread so much. I hope it will be happy where I've put it, as it was hard work digging it up, I had to get help from my other half to dig the holes to replant them. I feel much happier now going away, knowing they will be able to start growing in their new place as it would be too late to move them when I get back. Did I just say I don't let my garden rule me, well maybe I do occasionally.

 The terrace with lots of young plants in pots waiting to go in the garden.

They'll have to wait a little while longer.

We love this area especially for summer evenings.

A few herbs.
Which I always keep in pots near to the kitchen.

Lavender cuttings waiting to go into the Lavender bed

Choisya ( Mexican Orange Blossom )
This will probably be in full bloom when we return.

The Last of the Tulips.

Sempervivum ( succulents )
Which grow out of the crannies in the rockeries.

I put this photo in as I wanted you to see the sweet little viola  that popped up all by itself.
The seed must have come from a flower pot that was there last year .

I've sown seeds in trays and never had success growing them on.

After my busy day making sure everything was able to look after itself during my absence,

 I took several pictures of the sky.  It's amazing how quickly the sun went down.

I'll be back in a couple of weeks and then I'll show you where I've been.

It won't be as warm as it here in France, but it's a beautiful country.
Just a little clue ! it's my favourite place to visit as my son and his lovely wife & grandchildren live there.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian.

My plant order has arrived, so it must be Spring.

I know Spring must have arrived

as I've just received my plants which I ordered in early February for Spring delivery.

I've only ever ordered plants from a catalogue once before, 

and I swore I would NEVER do it again

 I was so disappointed as they looked just like twigs.

No resemblance to the pictures in the catalogue

That was 23 years ago it wasn't easy to buy shrubs where we live.

 This area is mostly agricultural and if you couldn't eat it they didn't grow it.

 Thankfully things have changed a lot since then.

This time they seem to look a lot better than my first order, 

and in the box was a bonus

 3  free shrubs !

One of these looks like a twig ! The 'Magnolia  Kobus' 

 It's going to take a long time to look how it does in the picture!

 but,  it was free so I mustn't grumble !

I've planted  them all in pots, as they came bare rooted and need to get settled into some growing compost

as you can see the magnolia looking like a twig, will need some extra care and attention.

But I remember my old friend Leonard giving me a Magnolia, that looked like this, and it wasn't that long before it became a big twig with a few flowers and now when I pass my old house it has been moved ,

it must have grown too big for the garden.

I'll leave these in the pots, until they show signs of good growth

then plant them in the ground, 

 

The plant in this pot is a free one ' Ceanothe Victoria.' - Blue flowers.

These Marguerite were delivered. bare root in a poly-bag covered with sawdust.

I'll plant these in my new flower bed and cover them over with some dried ferns for awhile,
 the young growth could get damaged  by frost, as the nights are still cold
  where we live, and we can get unexpected ground frost.

These Marguerite will be pretty in a sunny area.

Six hardy Fuchsias 'Mme Cornelissen'  (  frost resistant to -15 ) 

A little on the small size with only young growth at the moment, 

so I'll keep them under cover for the time being,

 then they will be planted in a long trough for the deck.

Just to let you know I wasn't that thrilled about my box of plants.

Will  I be buying any more plants I haven't seen. ?

Maybe or maybe not !

I will keep you up to date with the success or failure of these plants.

Enjoy your gardening

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

Vacant Bird House to Let.

There's a lot of activity going on around our house at the moment. 

and I'm learning to use our new camera
so I've been taking lots of pictures'

The birds are house hunting.

But we have no takers at the moment.

This year I'm providing soft wadding for the interior.

It does look as if it's being used.

 I've been getting lots of  practise shooting moving things

  

The following photos were taken from the kitchen window.

using  burst mode. Do I sound like I know what I'm talking about ?

( new technique to me )

I would just like to inform anyone who might be thinking this is a photo shoot tutorial

you'll be disappointed.

It's just me feeling very proud of myself 

 knowing I have taken photos I feel worthy to post on my blog.

I still have a big L plate on my back.

I'll let you into a secret now

when I first started my blog, nearly a year ago

I used to get my other half to take my photos.

                                                                                                   

Do you see anything strange about this cute  little bird ?

He has a deformed leg

but he can certainly hold his own battles against the other birds.

(I call it he, I don't know why)

I've been watching and he's been coming every day

for over a week now, so thought I'd try catching a picture of him.

That was how I learnt about the burst mode on the camera.

I won't tell you how many burst shots it took to get six good photos !

This is such a pretty bird house, 

 hand made and  was a present from my daughter.

Not sure where to put it yet !

maybe I'll just use it as a garden adornment.

Last year the bird house & the enamel ware were occupied several times

  with Blue tits and the Red start.

We don't have a great selection of birds coming near to the house.

 but we do get keen bird watchers coming to stay in La Petite Maison. 

as we are surrounded by woods  only a short walk away.

I hope you liked seeing the birds we feed everyday,

 especially our cute  little disabled Blue tit.

à bientôt
Barbara Lilian.