MORE NEWS FROM A SMALL GARDEN

The sun is out and thought cold, a present from the Arctic, the garden bursting with growth.

Then, Tuesday, it is hailing, no snowing, no the sun is out again! It is nearly May!
The asparagus is through but not yet ready to be eaten.

Squirrel trap worked last night and caught a Wood pigeon. It had gone in for the peanuts. I put up another picture of the cock bullfinch as he is such a colourful bird.

R and I went to Muncaster Castle as I mentioned in the last blog. Not only were the bluebells splendid but 

rhododendrons too.

In amongst the bluebells were broom shrubs laden with golden flowers - not quite as buttery scented as the gorse but, at least, not spiny.

Back home I have finished tidying the cutting bed and the first gladioli are through.

In the strawberry bed, as well as many places elsewhere in the garden damson suckers are proving to be a nuisance. Like its relation, the blackthorn, it does this readily.

I weed on amongst the colours of mid spring.

Though we do have a broom in the garden it is not yet in flower unlike the Genista or Lydian Broom or Dyer's Greenweed. It has got too bug and will need pruning after flowering - but gently as too hard pruning of brooms can kill them off.

 This is the gingery scented rhododendron we bought near Matlock some years ago. Not large but special. The tree to the left is a greengage.

The blossom on the left is Conference Pear. It still looks a bit tired but I keep feeding it and hoping. So far so good.

With the cold over the last two days I look nervously at the plum and damsons. The former seems to have set fruit, not sure about the other.

Big water beetles in the pond - the trouble is the larvae eat the tadpoles.
Looks like I may be making another pond at the far end of the top garden - dig out the soil and leave a hole - which has filled up with water.

Never thought I would not mind a bit of rain - but there you are - getting bit too dry.