What a Difference a Week makes!

We arrived back home after our holiday in Holmesfield and from looking at the garden, it was hard to believe we'd only been away for a week.

Our garden always starts to really spring into life in April and May and the warm weather we'd had whilst we were away really brought everything on no end.

There was lots in flower that wasn't before we went away and we spent the first hour we were back photographing the changes to share with you.  We thought it wise to make the most of the weather.

As you can see we now have Tulips, a Camellia, which has more flowers than we've ever seen on it, Doronicum (yellow daisies to you and me), the magnolia, Erythronium, another salvage from Beryl's garden - all now in full flower.  The Prunus and the Flowering Currant are also looking at their best.

Tulips, Camellia, Doronicum & Magnolia

Erythronium, Prunus & Flowering Currant

The yellow Azalea that moved in with Martin is not far away from coming into full bloom and one of the pots of Lilies is looking really healthy.  I had these Lily bulbs from the Pound Shop and they've flowered every year for the last three years!  The other appears to have been under attack from the dreaded and lethal Red Lily Beetle, not to be confused with your average friendly ladybird.

Potted Lilies, Azeleas & a Friendly Ladybird

'Mollie the Witch'

Mollie the Witch appears to have taken well to her move as she's grown quite dramatically in the last two weeks and we can already see a bud which should give us a beautiful yellow flower later in the year.

Everything we moved, Foxgloves, Evening Primrose, Anemones and Forget-me-Nots have all really taken well and we can already see the first blue Forget-me-Not flowers starting to make an appearance.

The Montana Clematis on the shed is covered in buds and the Braeburn apple tree looks like blossom is on the way, so we could have a decent apple crop this year, after two really poor years.

I am really feeling excited about the garden this year.  The legwork we've put in means it's already looking good and, with more time to spend on it, I'm hoping this will be it's best year yet.


The rise in temperature has brought out all the critters though.  As well as one pot of lilies being pretty much decimated by the Red Lily Beetle, which came to an unceremonious end when we spotted it, the roses in the front were covered with greenfly, which sent us scurrying for the bug spray.  I'm afraid that one thing we can't claim to be is totally organic gardeners.  I'm sure it won't be long before the slug pellets are called into play too.

The Easter weekend is our next big push on the garden, so watch this space to see what happens next.