Sun Beauty

The Fiery Tulip finally opened in the boiling hot Sunshine.The colours are vibrant,with orange coloured by red wine.It has the impression of ink blot paper on the outer petals.I love how the flower opens up seductively to show its pollen laden stamen..The Tulip is a work of Natural Beauty.The overhead photo shows the diablo Tulip? (I cannot remember what it was called,it was planted five months ago!)
I spend the day down the allotment digging another two raised beds.There are four down now.I have to go tomorrow to construct the other five.Most of the soil has already been dug for them so I will not be as tired afterwards.
I took down four bags of homemade compost which is now on the four beds.It was beautifully crumbly organic material which will hopefully feed all the vegetable plants to come.
Spring days always reveal new flowers or growth.I am always waiting to see what has bloomed, or developed more.The garden is small but packed full of interest.

April Sunshine

I was finally off work today and able to get outside into the garden. We have decided to get a builder to lay down a concrete base, near the shed for the greenhouse to be moved to. When the plastic covered greenhouse has been finished with, I will buy a glass one to sit on the concrete base. I love how the colours of flowers can compliment like the Yellow Daffodil, and the Orange Tulip. Colours can be similar or contrasting. As plants grow they seem to draw the eye to them in certain combinations. I like the colours of these two together.Like a pair of professional dancers together at Blackpool. The sun was shining today and the sunlight illuminated the Tulips like Chinese Lanterns. These looked like the ones from the Disney film Entangled. I can imagine these floating up, up, and away. The late planted Tulips have grown on really well so some of those may flower too this year. I want my Queen Of The Night Tulips to flower. Fingers crossed! Growing on in a rectangular planter on the path is this Double flowered Daffodil. It is unique as all the others in the garden are single flowered. At the Autumn Flower Show I will try to look for double flowering Daffodils as they are very pretty. This one is gorgeous to look at.

This was the garden in the top corner at the end of today. We had to move the pots from the side of the shed, and move the full compost bin across the garden onto the path to join the first one. It was full of black gold (Compost), and funnily even some small potatoes that had sprouted from the Potatoes in there. The material near the top that was not composted down got moved into the left hand bin. The stuff that was nearly composted went into the right hand bin.

We are having a concrete step built as well on our path to be able to sit two water butts snugly to collect water from the sheds down pipe which currently just runs into the ground.

I have about five bags of compost fresh from the bin. This needs putting onto the sunken border or into pots. I'm planning on digging a border that runs along the pathway to be able to plant lots of Asiatic Lily's.

I wanted a watering can for the greenhouse, so I bought the Asda children's red watering can with a Ladybird on the side of it. It works though.

I bought a Frog weather station too, basically a Frog holding a thermometer, and a glass tube to measure rainfall. I would love to keep a gardening diary to refer back to. Dates I sowed seeds, dates the flowers bloomed, and so on. I can start recording temperature and rainfall. I had a surprise visitor in the pond today. The planting around the pond has been altered to accommodate the greenhouse base. I had to move a Teasel and a Echinacea. I looked under the water and saw a flash of movement. It looked like a baby lizard..

It dived from the Norfolk reeds roots to the bottom of the pond. He stayed very still and you could barely see his outlined form. It was a Newt and im so proud that we have attracted one to our little pond! I do not know which kind though.

The reflections of the sky, and overhanging flowers. The ripples that move across the still water. I like looking to see if i can see any beasties floating around the water, or walking across the top. It is good therapy after the stresses of a working week to relax by the pond.

We have put the bench now between the Pond and the Strawberries raised bed. You can sit and watch the flowers in the border, the birds on the feeders, or the still waters of the pond.

Tomorrow I will be sowing seeds, planting Lilys in Pots, digging the path border once the concrete base is laid down. I will goto the allotment to plant Potatoes,Onions, and Garlic . We will collect some free manure tomorrow from a local stables.

I have baked some Double Chocolate Chip Muffins this evening. Time to eat one, drink coffee and relax on the garden bench.

Tulip And A Surprise

This was the first Tulip of the year to flower in my garden. It is beautifully flamed in orange and yellow stripes. It was growing in the sunken border between the balustrades.

They are available in so many colours and shapes.I'm old fashioned and like Tulips that have the classical bowl shape.

I have been seduced by the Frilly Parrot Tulips though on occasions.

I have planted late Tulips but I do not know if they will flower in my barrel planters this year.

Cat has ordered 150 Plug plants from a Magazine. They will arrive at the end of April i think. They will go into the Barrel planters if the late Tulips are not growing well.

It has been so overcast today and threatened heavy rain.I had a lovely surprise when I came back from work.

A large brown box was sat in the living room. I looked at the label. I was addressed to "David Hamilton".

I thought I have not ordered anything that bulky.I made a coffee and unwrapped the box..

It is 250 Bulbs from the Big Bulb Plant group, with the Eden Project. After blogging about it I registered my email address. I have been one of fifty winners sent free bulbs for planting..

They will need planting very soon in able for them to flower the big lunch in June.The box is packed full of five bags of Asiatic Lily's from Holland.

Now I need somewhere communal to plant them. Originally I thought of planting some pots up for my neighbours on either side. I may have to dream bigger now.

Golden Day

Three golden photos for todays post. I took this photo of a yellow Tulip in flower outside Cats house. The intricate stamen and pollen always amazes me. The detail inside the yellow Tulip cups. They seem to flower around April signalling the start of British Summer Time..

The bright orange and yellow of the Primula newly planted in the back garden border closest to the house. All the parts of the new garden need naming for describing where they are..
These golden flowers were luminescent in the April sunshine today, there was not a cloud in the sky. These flowers are like light houses in the border.

Finally after a year of waiting I photographed a Goldfinch. After a week of the feeders being hung up, a pair of Goldfinches alighted on the sunflower hearts and the Niger seeds. The first time they did it I had not got my camera. Today the camera was nearby to capture on feeding.
I trimmed a Butterfly bush, and cut back old growth on a thornless Blackberry. Tomorrow is back to the Allotment to plant Potatoes and Onions.
It will be a golden time off I hope these next ten days..

After The Rain

The Maori style tattoo's on the Tulip leafs balance the fallen raindrops on them. These are red flowered Tulips but have not quite opened yet.
I caught three slugs and a snail who were revelling in the wet conditions.The Toronto Tulips have been battered by the rain, and only one is left standing upright.They are punch drunk, reeling,and mostly horizontal now.
The Apple tree has a red flower bud on it, and one of my Rose bushes has developed a rose bud above the top leaves. How it developed without me seeing it is a mystery.
A garden unwatched grows faster I think. I love my daily walk around it after the night shift. The birds are singing outside as I type these words.
I love my photo that I took with tired eyes.It captures a moment from the garden this morning after the rain.

Flower Power And Black Magic

A quick post before I go back to work.I was looking at Msn when I stumbled on this flower video about a lady who recycles flowers from celebrity parties and corporate events.
She sorts through them, then reproduces them into new displays for volunteers to distribute to the Elderly and the less fortunate.
The old ladies smiles in the video are priceless.I hope the embedded video works.
My photo is Hil's Dark Tulip outside the back of her house.I am a big fan of Dark Tulips.This one has a chocolate/red/black glow.Like a box of Black Magic chocolates!
In the age of Green Awareness and global economy it is an unusual recycling story.The flowers themselves are what brings the smiles as the Lady said.she felt it when she was stood in the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York.I feel it whenever I see flowers, in my garden, or out and about, even in other peoples gardens (I look always at what people have planted and how they are growing).
Time for work now, more posts soon :)

Rhubarb And Custard

Inspired by Cats red and yellow sweets these pair of flowers were growing in the centre bed of the community garden up at the allotment yesterday. The Red Rhubarb-esque of the Tulip, and the Yellow of the Daffodil.
I thought of these two colour combination before I slept last night.My own Daff's and Tulips are only thinking about flowering. The red tinged Tulip is very early flowering.
I hope my own gardens will flower soon then I can blog them.