[margaret zanoni]

Easter was cold and wet but now we have warm sunshine and the garden has started to recover. Th

The Fatsia took a beating but although the main stem is now bent it is strong and the leaves are upright and shiny - a great survivor! The early flowering purple crocus that survived only lasted a day before the frost got them but the white 'pinstripe' are now in there 4th day - unfortunately only a few of them have made it. Likewise my white tulips have all gone apart from four - which luckily for me are right outside my window - I love them as in the morning they are tight oval buds - by mid morning they are slightly open and then with the warmth they open wide and look like a kind of orchid. These have a slight perfume too.

The variagated bushes all seem to have weathered the winter quite well and to my surprise the Kerria is absolutely covered with yellow button like flowers which the butterflies have been on all morning. The bees prefer the wallflowers!

I have to say that today is the first time for a while that we have really looked at the plants closely as back in February I cracked a rib and now have a problem with a lung and the Tuesday before Easter my husband had a slight stroke. However he is now on the mend and hopefully next Wednesday the specialist will tell me exactly what he intends to do to me! Meanwhile we can enjoy our garden and forget our troubles...............kind regards to everyone as ever........Margaret

[poochee]

Originally Posted by margaret zanoni

I have to say that today is the first time for a while that we have really looked at the plants closely as back in February I cracked a rib and now have a problem with a lung and the Tuesday before Easter my husband had a slight stroke. However he is now on the mend and hopefully next Wednesday the specialist will tell me exactly what he intends to do to me! Meanwhile we can enjoy our garden and forget our troubles...............kind regards to everyone as ever........Margaret

Enjoyed viewing the beautiful flowers.

Sorry to hear about your problems. Wishing you and hubby a swift recovery. Keep us posted on your progress.

[Daisy222]

Margaret, I really enjoyed your flowers. It is a little too early for mine here. Just a few very early ones. I hope you and your hubby are doing fine now.

[heninsmithy]

Wow, these are really good flowers. Thanks for sharing with us,,,

anniversary flower gift idea

[margaret zanoni]

Today is a good day for us......my husband is back on his feet again and can get out into the garden instead of looking at it through the window!

Yesterday someone was watching over me as I was taking photo's of the front bed a workman's van crashed through onto the path! A few seconds later it would have hit me full on! It appears the handbrake failed.......words failed me too!

Now to the garden news.... I am posting a couple of photo's of the Obelisk I have by our window in the sitting room so old friends can see the difference in the clematis planted 2 seasons ago. I hope it will encourage more people to plant clematis especially those with little space as they will go up anything.....and I mean anything. It is not necessary to have fancy trellis or arches a wigwam made of sticks will be fine. I go for Obelisks because they are cheap here and last for years plus the fact that if they are in the wrong place I can shift them easily.The runaway van nearly shifted one for me yesterday!

The hedgehog has finally stopped returning to the hole in the tree trunk but a little thrush sits there and cracks the snail shells against the trunk.........I hope to get a snap of her at work so I can post it.

That is about all for the moment - regards to everyone and thank you for your nice comments.........Margaret

[poochee]

Margaret, I am glad that you escaped injury. Yes, He was looking over you. Good to hear hubby is up and about again and can enjoy the outdoors..

And as usual, enjoyed viewing your beautiful flowers.

[ymfoster]

That was a lucky escape Margaret, glad you're ok, .... also that Hubby is much better.

Your Clematis has really grown & is beautiful, thanks for sharing your photos.

[margaret zanoni]

We are in late Spring but the colours of some of the shrubs are more like Autumn and others like early summer! So at the moment we have the best of both worlds - beautiful colours and wonderful perfume.

My Choisya near the wall has not suffered frost damage but the one near the path has - but both has so many flowers this year that the scent is also being enjoyed by the neighbours! My gold leaf variety though has had a real set back this winter and is only just beginning to pick up and has hardly any flowers at all.

The Photinia is producing lots of bright red leaves is making flower heads for the first tim.and my 'hedge' of shrubs now has the double flowered Lilac - Purple Dream - just starting to open and this is the start of the 'purple/blue colours taking over the garden. The 'flowering onions' are popping up everywhere as they seed themselves well - it makes me wonder why they charge so much for a single one in a pot!

Thank you so much for your good wishes - my husband is much better and things are looking up for me too and now we can get back to the serious business of gardening......

Kind regard to you all.............Margaret

[poochee]

Originally Posted by margaret zanoni

We are in late Spring but the colours of some of the shrubs are more like Autumn and others like early summer! So at the moment we have the best of both worlds - beautiful colours and wonderful perfume.

My Choisya near the wall has not suffered frost damage but the one near the path has - but both has so many flowers this year that the scent is also being enjoyed by the neighbours! My gold leaf variety though has had a real set back this winter and is only just beginning to pick up and has hardly any flowers at all.

The Photinia is producing lots of bright red leaves is making flower heads for the first tim.and my 'hedge' of shrubs now has the double flowered Lilac - Purple Dream - just starting to open and this is the start of the 'purple/blue colours taking over the garden. The 'flowering onions' are popping up everywhere as they seed themselves well - it makes me wonder why they charge so much for a single one in a pot!

Thank you so much for your good wishes - my husband is much better and things are looking up for me too and now we can get back to the serious business of gardening......

Kind regard to you all.............Margaret

Margaret, glad to hear things are going well on the homefront.

I enjoyed viewing your lovely flowers.

[ymfoster]

Loved seeing your flowers Margaret,

Pleased to hear things are looking better for you both, enjoy your gardening,

[margaret zanoni]

May has at last brought some HOT weather....at least for a few days! This is the reason that all the fat buds are opening at last and every day there is something new to admire - and smell.

The Photinas have been wonderful with their flaming red leaves through autumn and winter but at long last one of mine has produced some flowers. They remind me a little of Elderberry flowers as they are so tiny and delicate but have such tough leaves.

The 'Guernsey Cream' clematis is now coming out and the 'green' stage has given way to the 'creamy' one from which it gets its name. This will continually produce flowers all summer and does not mind shade either.

The first flowers are opening on my Vyvian Pennell and as soon as the wind drops I hope to get photo's of the single and double flowers it produces. Normally the double flowers come with the first flush and then later the second flowering is mainly single blooms but with the weather topsy turvy this year nothing seems to be 'normal'!!

The 2 Starlings which overwintered here have produced a chick which is now learning to drink and is giving us endless amusment as like little children he dribbles.....

Hope you are all enjoying nice weather too..........kind regards as ever.........Margaret

[poochee]

Margaret, beautiful pics.

All is well here and hope the same for you and yours.

[margaret zanoni]

It is really a beautiful day here and the sun is shining at last with some real warmth in it - long may it last!

My Vyvyan Penell clematis has a lot of flowers on it this year and so it is a mass of colour whereas usually the individual blooms have plenty of space 'to show off' their beauty...... I love this Clematis because I like flowers that change colour as they open and fade. Vyvyan Pennell has grey buds - shaped like a fig - and when they start to open are more pinky in shade than their final colour which comes when the centre buds finally open to a deep rich lavender colour.

Arthur Bell is an old rose and also one that changes colour - from tight golden buds to buttercup flowers which fade to pale lemon. It flowers all summer and so unlike some varieties you don't have just a green bush once the first flush is over. I think this is important particularly in a small garden and something that is often forgotten. It has a superb perfume too and just a couple of flowers in the vase fills the house with their scent.

The woodpecker is back, the robins have 3 chicks and the house sparrows have about 7 - all parents are flying back and forth to their respective nests to feed their babies but the blackbird's chicks are now feeding themselves having been shown the bird feeding station by their parents and told to get on with it!

That is about it for now - hope you are all keeping well and enjoying good weather - regards as ever........Margaret

[poochee]

Originally Posted by margaret zanoni

It is really a beautiful day here and the sun is shining at last with some real warmth in it - long may it last!

My Vyvyan Penell clematis has a lot of flowers on it this year and so it is a mass of colour whereas usually the individual blooms have plenty of space 'to show off' their beauty...... I love this Clematis because I like flowers that change colour as they open and fade. Vyvyan Pennell has grey buds - shaped like a fig - and when they start to open are more pinky in shade than their final colour which comes when the centre buds finally open to a deep rich lavender colour.

Arthur Bell is an old rose and also one that changes colour - from tight golden buds to buttercup flowers which fade to pale lemon. It flowers all summer and so unlike some varieties you don't have just a green bush once the first flush is over. I think this is important particularly in a small garden and something that is often forgotten. It has a superb perfume too and just a couple of flowers in the vase fills the house with their scent.

The woodpecker is back, the robins have 3 chicks and the house sparrows have about 7 - all parents are flying back and forth to their respective nests to feed their babies but the blackbird's chicks are now feeding themselves having been shown the bird feeding station by their parents and told to get on with it!

That is about it for now - hope you are all keeping well and enjoying good weather - regards as ever........Margaret

Hi Margaret, thanks for another beautiful flower show! And the bird report. They are a joy to observe.

I am fine, and wish the same for you and yours.

[margaret zanoni]

The squirrels are creating havoc in the garden at the moment as the resident pair have 3 little ones and they are digging little holes everywhere to bury the nuts they steal from the neighbours bird table! We had to get one of the squirrel proof kind last year but they have found a new source! One of them 'Roland' whipped the cake from my plate before I even saw him!

The borders are now coming into their own and this year both the cistus and the perennial geranium are full of flowers as are the dwarf shrubs. The Philadelphus only gets to 3 feet and the flowers are tiny - but the perfume is out of this world. It lasts longer than the taller and more showy varieties too.

To my delight a rose I thought had disappeared under the snow last winter has suddenly appeared again - a bit scruffy and in need of some pampering but still with the true English Rose scent. I have had this rose for nearly 50 years and it came from my mothers garden so it is really one of the family.

All the gardens around us are truly delightful this year despite the awful winter. Just goes to show that Mother Nature always knows better than the garden 'experts' (who predicted we would be facing empty borders and dead shrubs as they wouldn't survive).

The garden may suffer in the coming weeks as the Football World Cup means getting out the bar-b-ques, drinks and hopefully celebrating....... and of course they must have the 'five a side' game..........the men are worse than the kids!!!!

Hope you are all well.......kind regards as always.........Margaret