Time to catch up ...

 For four weeks I've been mainly hiding indoors suffering from a long, lengthy cold virus, while the first phase of spring - the bright yellow of daffodils - has passed and been replaced by a wave of whites, reds and blues.

The large red tulips are mainly Appeldoorn variety but there's one solitary darker flower - I think from some bulbs once forced indoors, then planted out.







The whitebells have been spreading through the garden for many years now, but I recently added some bluebells and pinkbells which I picked up through my local Freecycle group. Sadly the 'blues' aren't native English bluebells but they still look pretty.

 Forget-me-nots are softening the path edges with a river of pale blue, with occasional dog violets among them.

The first flower on my new(ish) camellia!

















I even have the first outdoor veg crop of the season growing - radishes from home-grown seed

May flowers

 It's not been the best week -or bank holiday - weather-wise but the rain has kept the garden growing and although much colder than a fortnight ago there hasn't been enough frost to cause a problem.
There hasn't been much wind either so the cherry blossom is still hanging on and looking lovely.

Under the cherry tree, I have kerria japonica and honesty flowers clashing colours,





and, mostly hidden by them, the first flowers on Solomon's seal

 The other side of the lawn has a group of bright red tulips,

more honesty,


and whitebells









The veg patch borders are covered in forget-me-nots









and the fences are covered by leaves on raspberries, flowering currants and 'real' currants, and montana clematis which isn't quite flowering yet










 
Underneath, bluebells are hiding. I've tried to plant them in shady spots similar to their natural habitats - so under currant bushes, next to large flopping plants or in shade cast by buildings

One apple tree is still in full flower, though another is only in bud.

First signs of lily of the valley.

Bad weather coming ....

 It's been a lovely, mainly sunny week with temperatures getting up to 17 or so during the day and not dropping too low at night.

One of the apple trees is in full blossom, the 'bell' flowers, in pink, white and the occasional blue are out

 Forget-me-nots are spreading over the vegetable patches





There are tulips in stunning red..










and subdued pale pink...





but.....



at the back of this photo is a weather warning.....ornamental cherry in blossom. I don't know what specific variety this tree is but it flowers a little later than most and generally marks a down-turn in the weather. For years I've waited for it to flower only to see the blossom dashed within a day or two as the weather changes





Tonight the temperature is forecast to drop to 2 degrees (though one report suggested minus1!) and the week ahead is set to be wet. Well, the blossom was lovely while it lasted, even if only for today.

May in the garden - flowers

 At the moment,the garden is divided into two colours - white around the lawn where the whitebells dominate the flower beds  and the blue of forget me nots taking over the vegetable patch - but almost every inch has flower of some sort...

Very pleased to see these two new anemones in flower.

potted rhododendron

Cherry tree in flower

bluebells under the trees

last of the huge red Appeldoorn tulips

kerria japonica

the first couple of aquilegias in flower - soon the garden will be full of them

welsh poppy

pansies

...and at the back of the garden my 'secret' bench seems almost taken over by honesty and clematis

 and very near to flowering ; lilac, peony, lily of the valley and laburnum