We spent Easter Sunday in the garden, including a picnic by the pond, in glorious sunshine with greengage and damson blossom bursting around our heads. Wonderful! In the gentle breeze an odd petal or two drifted down on to the decking, like little fluffy snowflakes.
We knew things were going to change, weather-wise, with plummeting temperatures and arctic winds, but who could have seriously imagined actual snow reaching East Anglia? Nevertheless, this is what we saw this morning:
Yes, real fluffy snowflakes! Fortunately they did not hang around for long. Now we are back to blue sky again, but there is a bitter wind and things are going to freeze hard tonight.
So, to celebrate the beautiful blossom and delicate spring flowers, before they all get frazzled, I thought it was high time to pick some blooms for Cathy’s In a Vase on Monday meme. Do click through to her blog to enjoy a wonderful selection of lovely seasonal flowers from around the globe.
Of course, I had to start my bunch with some of that pretty greengage blossom, especially since I needed to saw off an errant bough from the boundary hedge yesterday.
I can’t resist primroses and primulas at this time of year, so they’ve been added to the pot.
The daffodils are Narcissus ‘Bridal Crown’ (with its yummy scent) and N. Elka (also scented), which is new to me this year and I love it. Elka has a delicate, cream-coloured flower and is dwarf, so it is great at the front of a border, like tete-a-tete. It is works well with N. ‘Thalia’ for a fluttery, pale yellow/white daffodil display.
I’ve added a snake’s head fritillary and dark hellebore to pick up the tone of the cerise primula.
There are also a couple of stems of euphorbia in the mix (which have walked into the garden from my neighbour’s patch) and a few stems of allium triquetrum, the three-cornered leek. I’m not sure how these arrived in the garden, but they are spreading quickly. Happily, I have read that you can ‘control’ them by eating them: making soups, green salsa or salads. So a bit like wild garlic really.
Ah, I almost forgot, but in that dark shadow in the middle of the shot, there is bit of purple sage.
And, in case you are wondering about the vase … it was a present and the picture is of my grand daughter. She is newly on to solids and is eating everything, including her food tray!!!!
Hope that you’ve seen some sun over the Easter break and are enjoying Spring’s flowers.
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Yikes, snow in spring! I’m glad you collected those beautiful tree blossoms before the cold took them. The few blossoms on my back slope peach tree are pitiful by comparison to your display but then stone fruit trees in general don’t do well in my climate.
Thanks Kris! The stone fruit flowers so far don’t look too bad after the frosts, but sadly all the magnolias locally have been ruined for this year. It was heartbreaking see the damage on my way to the dentist this morning!
Gorgeous blossom in your first photo, which is ahead of ours although I noticed tight buds on the damson yesterday. We didn’t manage ‘fluffy’ for our snowflakes, just a token sprinkle! Your assortment of blooms is so representative of the season – what a joyous time it is in our gardens! Thanks for sharing your blooms and your granddaughter (I had a lovely Grannie Mug on Mothers’ Day which may well make it to IAVOM one of these days!)
Thanks Cathy. Our local hedgerows contain large tracts of damsons/sloes and are currently looking wonderfully blossom filled. Sadly though, the two days of snow flurries and nights of sub-zero temperature have done for the magnolias. I can hardly believe that I was sunbathing at the weekend. Look forward to seeing your Grannie Mug at some stage!
Here too, and our damson is also now in full bloom. It is fairly sheltered though, and hopefully fairly protected – although there are still several pounds of last year’s in the freezer!
Such a lovely spring bouquet! Guaranteed to gladden the heart. 🙂
I sure hope your flowering fruit trees aren’t damaged by the frost. So heartbreaking to lose a fruit crop by a late cold spell. 😦
I love your photo mug – such a special gift!
Thank you Eliza. So far the stone fruit seem to be OK. Fingers crossed! Other blossom, like magnolias, haven’t fared as well.
Beautiful! And how fun that you mentioned the allium – they’re taking over one of my borders but I didn’t know they were edible!
Ha, worth a go in the kitchen methinks! 😉
Your vases just amaze me. The vases themselves have such character — like this one — but the number and variety of flowers you grow is astounding, and you arrange them in such interesting ways.
I did meet a new flowering tree today. The name is Spanish and I can’t remember it just now, but I found that it’s native to Texas, and the fragrance is pleasant and strong. In facf, it was the fragrance that caught my attention first. Then, I had to look for the source. Another woman told me what it is — I hope I have some decent photos of it.
That is such a kind thing to say, thanks! I hope to see your tree photos and ID shortly.
Well. If you squint at the snowflakes they look like flurries of petals. A lovely glimpse of your spring garden. I love Elka too. What fun using your cute baby mug.
Thanks Liz! In fact, I bought the Elka after seeing them on your blog a year or two ago 🙂
What a gorgeous bunch of spring flowers! I have grown Elka before and love it, but now have Thalia in this garden… albeit not in flower yet. Interesting to see you had snow flurries at Easter… it came our way and some has actually settled this morning. And it is freezing! A shock after the mini heatwave last week!
I saw your picture of the snow today. What an impressive amount you’ve had! I got caught in a short flurry yesterday too, while walking the dog. I wasn’t expecting it as it was sunny when I left home. Thalia is wonderfully fluttery isn’t it, but Elka has a lovely form in bud. No need to choose I suppose, I’ll buy more of both for next year!
The snow must have been a big surprise. Hope spring is back soon. Wonderful flowers for your vase.
Thanks. The snow was a huge change, as the weekend had been very sunny and 20 plus degrees C! The forecast is for more normal weather now, I think.