Wednesday 6 February 2013

Signs of spring ...

I had a much anticipated walk around Kew Gardens today with the lovely Kristina - I even remembered my 'big' camera! I'd forgotten how much it dislikes the chilly wind that was blowing all the delicate winter flowers around though and so, sadly, many of my {blurry} photos have disappeared into the recycling bin *sigh*.

Wrapped up in untold layers, and with coffee and cake in our tummies, we braved the cold, cold wind and grey skies.




I find it so cheering to see the emergence of the first signs of spring. My own garden is beginning to tease me with its new growth too. My last remaining patch of snowdrops is very thin on the ground as it seems to have established itself bang slap in the middle of a well-used doggy pathway beneath the big conifers.




Winter aconites are one of the first things to meet the challenge of the low temperatures of winter and early spring and I feared I had lost the few I had in my front garden, but today I spotted a solitary yellow bud and so I am hoping that mine are just extending their hibernation and getting up late. At Kew, however, there were lots of cheerful little clumps dotted around.




Swaying bravely in the wind, Kew's hellebores were the main casualty in the photography department today and this lovely lime green one was the best of a {very bad} lot. How I love them - a complete work of botanic art.




A new-to-me plant that is fast becoming a necessity somewhere in my garden, is witch hazel. I've absolutely no idea why they have been off my radar all these years of gardening. I adore the slightly scruffy flowers. This gorgeous yellow one caught my eye immediately so I can imagine what a focal point one will create if I planted one in the border at the back of my garden.





I love all the spring bulbs and cannot wait for my own garden to burst into colour over the coming months. I know for certain it is the anticipation of my tulips, narcissi, anemones and alliums that will get me through February now. There are signs of spring all around.



10 comments:

  1. What a treat! My garden is still in the twiggy depths of mud and brown. Don't know why I never get it together to plant snowdrops. They are so heartening.

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  2. all mud and twigs here too. I walked for miles this morning carrying my camera, and I didn't find one sign of spring to photograph. except for the mud......

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  3. Oh, I love to have these orchids in my garden, their enchanting color and petals entices hovering bees and dragonflies. Spring is coming and more blossoms will appear like these. Cheers for the stunning photos.

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  4. Thank you for a most fabulous morning. And your pictures are brilliant. I do love the rounded corners! K x

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  5. I had just the same feeling about my aconites - I thought they had disappeared, but I think they take a year or two to get going.

    Pomona x

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  6. we've had a little step back towards winter today with another sprinkling of snow but hopefully it's not heavy enough to snap the stems or crush petals of those beauties x

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  7. It's dire here at the moment, we never seem to see the sun, just grey skies and rain, so this reminder that spring will come was really welcome.

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  8. Lovely pictures. There are signs of spring bulbs pushing their way through in the garden here, too, though sadly no snowdrops.

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  9. Beautiful!

    I love spring flowers and bulbs. Where coming into Autumn over here.
    I love your snow drops very pretty.

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