Mystery flower

Pottering around the garden yesterday, I spotted this flower. 

At first I assumed it was a very early bluebell but looking closer I wonder if it could be a blue hyacinth.

If so, it's a bit deformed with very few flowers but there are other fuller-flowered hyacinths in bloom

right now and I have grown blue hyacinths indoors before - all the garden hyacinths

are former indoor forced bulbs.

I don't suppose I'll know for sure, unless another year it has a full 'head' of hyacinth style flowers.

Frosted Daffodils

 Sunday night's sharp frost left some of the daffodils with broken stems.

So, instead of leaving them lying on the ground, I brought them inside to brighten the house up.

It feels like an extravagant number of flowers to pick but outside they'd have 

been trampled into the ground, and I don't really seem to have made an impact

on the numbers left in the garden.

Picked this week - and a gift 23rd March 2014

It's starting to feel a bit like Spring with chives, oregano and lemon balm ready to be picked.

and another heap of spinach

These have all continued growing over winter - spring onions, rather woody radish and some surprise potatoes found while weeding at the allotment

Still going strong with the brussel bits

and broccoli, although now it looks more like the sprouting variety than the 'headed'










three nice leeks

and, just as we're nearing the end of our apples, a few from my parents' neighbour.

After the Frost

 I woke up this morning to glorious sunshine - then looked out of the window to see white-over lawns and flower beds.













The daffodils were looking particularly ill - some sunshine should see most of them recover but some have broken stems so there's not much hope for them :(

Wrapping up warm

 With a frost forecast for tonight, it's time to wrap the garden up warm and snug.

A couple of nasturtiums have survived over winter in this wall basket - and I'm determined to keep them alive through a last cold spell.

 This bubble wrap is covering a mini peach tree. Frost isn't normally a problem for it but it's just come into flower and if they're frosted there'll be no chance of fruit.

And all the seedlings in the greenhouse have covers over them.They should really be ok but popping a propagator lid back on or covering with bubble wrap takes hardly any effort and may make a difference.

Spring Equinox

 Yesterday was the Spring equinox, so now we've officially left Winter behind. In typical weather fashion, the day started dull, cloudy and windy, and turned wet so I mostly admired the garden from inside and took photos today now the sun's returned














 Spring has sprung this last week with lots of later flowers appearing

hyacinths that started life a long while ago as indoor potted plants





forget-me-nots

 the first dog violet




grape hyacinths in a wall basket

 and even blossom on the peach tree














The polyanthus are flowering away still, trying to take over the front garden with an older variety

 and newer sorts, mainly garden centre 'rescues', in all colours in the back garden

There are daffodils in flower everywhere

 hanging over the paths

by the rhubarb patch

and in among the raspberry canes

 forsythia is brightening up the back garden and kerria japonica the front with yellow flowers

and there are patches of red from lettuce seedlings, 

newly 'rescued' bellis double daisies

 a bird-set flowering currant











 and a very unseasonal kaffir lily

and the rockery is smothered in a riot of colour.

Picked this week - 16th March 2014

 Starting as always with the bag of mixed greens - broccoli and brussel tops

 some rather woody radish and small spring onions

 chives from the garden and winter mix salad leaves and red lettuce from trays in the greenhouse

more allotment spinach

cabbages - nothing like as large as they appear to be. I ate all of the smaller one in a lunchtime coleslaw!

Spring arrives

 Spring has definitely arrived this week.

The weather has been settled and mild although still with frost at night.

The sunny days have brought daffodils, polyanthus and crocus into flower,
 and after winter's dullness the garden seems filled with a riot of colour