THE FLOWERS CREEP ON APACE

The white birches would be washed in some gardens but I feel that is a bit too much! The old bark is peeling to reveal new white stuff. The originals are beautiful and we wait for the 15 new ones to turn white and light up the far corner of the garden.

All sorts of leaves are pushing through the leaf litter - wild garlic (ramsons) to the left and bluebells to the right.

By the stream the golden saxifrage is coming into flower creating carpets of yellowish green.
It is a wild flower and very welcome, non invasive and easy to weed if I have to do that.

The Clematis armandii is flowering well as are the crocuses. R likes these darker ones but is not so keen on the pale lavender coloured petals.

Also shrubs are putting out flowers - the quince on the left and flowering currant on the right.

Have prepared area of bed with old horse manure and planted six hollyhocks - three 'Halo white' and three rosea 'Nigra'. As they will be tall I have put in canes for support later on.

Talking of daffodils here are some of our primroses.

Daffs are coming out all over the place. I like particularly these wild ones. No matter how many crosses and hybrids and whatever the truly wild British daffodil is the best of the lot.

On the left tete-a-tetes and others outside the door, on the right forgotten bulbs overtaken by other plants - in this case a cistus planted much later and when the leaves of the daffs have died away.

I have just been out in the garden - mid afternoon - and a tawny owl is hooting from the trees next door.

Admission time - have been away for 5 days visiting family - wonderful time - and have returned to a garden full of daffodils and narcissi so I picked an armful for the house.

It is time to start sowing seeds, well a bit late by the moon's cycle, and some of the house plants need potting on. The amaryllis, in their fourth year, I think, are at it again and will be fed.

Anyone like rabbit pie?