Primula Red/Yellow

I have been to four nurserys on my week off.I have bought a few plants, and got an early birthday present..
These bright Primulas were from Hampsons and are decorating Cats kitchen windowsill.
I love the Red and yellow colour, especially the yellow edging around the petals.
I am buying plants for a new garden.I will be moving soon from here.
The question is which plants from my garden will make the move with me in May...

The Key Of Roots

St Valentines Day. This is a photo of the Red Rose I bought in Paris last Valentines day.
I like the Slovenian proverb that states "Valentines day brings the keys of roots" so all my plants and flowers should start growing from today.
The Red Rose is symbolic of love and passion.
Florists will have been busy making flowers to send all over the world.
Hope you all share some love today...

Witches Sabbath

Its Friday the 13th today, the first of three this year. I got up early and watched the garden birds flying in and out onto my feeders.
I watched a program yesterday called Wild About Your Garden where the designers demolish wildlife unfriendly gardens, then redo them to be attractive to wildlife.
They have attracted Water Voles, Badgers, Foxes, Garden Birds, Hedgehogs, Butterflys, and Moths in the four episodes I have watched.
I have tried with a variety of plants, and adding water bowls and feeders.
The combined area of gardens in the Uk is bigger than all the nature reserves combined. They want to inspire people to create wildlife friendly gardens. The sharing of your garden with wildlife makes them magical meeting places.
I am going to a nursery today in Shelly, the first plant trip of the year. The sun is shining, and the snow is slowly melting. The spring bulbs are pushing up from the soil now.
The reasons why people fear Friday the 13th are lost in time. I like the Scandinavian version that every friday the old Norse Godess Frigga met with eleven witches and the devil to plot bad events for the coming week... they called it Witches Sabbath.
I hope the Robin brings me some good luck.

Perfect Light

The kitchen Hyacinths continue to flower and give sweet balmy scent when you walk in there.The light yesterday was perfect to illuminate the flowers petals and the green chlorophyll laden leaves..
The snow is melting away slowly.I will try to post more often as the weather warms up.
Hopefully the spring bulbs will flower soon to give me more photos from my garden.

Birds On Ice

It was freezing today but I ventured out to photograph the garden and the birds. This House Sparrow hopped under the Viburnum and moved around. All the water bowls were frozen solid this morning. I saw a bird pecking at the snow, and wandered if they eat snow when the other water sources are frozen?
I read today that the bitter cold will make for a spectacular spring. Warmer winters have meant spring flowers had come earlier and over a longer period so they were not noticable.
This snow and ice will make the Daffodils sleep a little longer and make them flower en masse once it warms up.
The pests have also perished in the cold, so this growing season the plants should be lush without as many pests to eat them!
My food has kept the garden birds warm and alive I think. They keep visiting my garden..

Ice Station Zebra

Its been freezing cold here for the past week with the snow first, then the icy covered pavements, and now a bitter cold wind that keeps the snow and ice here.
I'm itching to get gardening, but have been reading seed books and waited for my seeds to come...
They arrived today after two weeks waiting. French Beans, Squash, Carrots, and Sprouting Broccoli. The Garlic and Peas are being sent seperately...
I have empathy now for the poor frozen Canadien and Scandinavian gardeners whos gardens are buried under five foot of snow, and the ground frozen like concrete.
You can only look out and dream of when the snow melts and the ground softens.
I looked on the BBC's website for gardening weather. It says it has been moth balled.. A very English expression. I enjoyed reading the gardeners update twice a week.
I'm off tomorrow so I can take some garden photos if the snow has melted. I can always look at the garden birds and make paper pots if it has not.
My three Pea seeds saved from last years plants have germinated successfully in the Paper pots. I need to make loads for spring sowing of my vegetable seeds and as yet unpicked Flower seeds. I like sowing Busy Lizzies as they grow quite easily and have beautiful flowers when they do bloom.
Roll on Springtime!! Then the Ice Station Zebra memories will be fading away.

Siberian Snow

The garden covered in snow.The UK ground to a halt as usual yesterday after the Siberian weather swept in.I love how white everything looks with the snow.
It knocked over my Rhodie and bent the Viburnum over under the weight of the frozen snow.
The birds kept feeding today as I look out. They have been kept warm through my bird food.
The seeds from Marshalls have still not arrived.the only things growing are in my kitchen. The Leeks and Broadbeans and Peas have germinated nicely.
I was going to dig the allotment but I cant because the snow and ice is still here.
It looks pretty though..