Spring came late this year. Ann dared to bring out her camera only in the middle of April, when the garden started to take on some colour. The early flowers, such as snowdrops and daffodils were very poor. But then when the weather started to get warmer all the flowering plants tried to make up lost time – unfortunately the weeds too.
We are sorry that we are unable to post the heady fragrances produced by our garden.
View from the back garden. Left the mock orange, then the flowering currant and a branch of the apple tree. In the background you can just see the acer starting to bud. (22/04/06)
You see the apple tree, flowering blackcurrant and the mock orange, this time from the house side. In the foreground you see a few daffodils, some Doronicums, Pulmonarias and pansies. (22/04/06)
The same picture takene from a further distance. This time you can see daffodils, narcissi and tulips in the foreground. From the corner of the compost sack on the left you can just about see that Ann is in the middle of replanting the main flower bed. (22/04/06)
A cluster of primulas and grape hyasinths huddling together at the base of the apple tree. You can just about make out the mock orange and the flowering currant in the background. The bare earth indicates that Ann is still at work.(22/04/06)
Japonica growing on the west wall of our house. (22/04/06)
Japonica blossoms in close-up. (22/04/06)
Tulips in full bloom. (22/04/06)
Pansies in close-up. (22/04/06)
A blackbird is quenching his thirst at our bird bath. (22/04/06)
Brooding chaffinch under the roof of our 'Biergarten'. We knew that something was wrong as she was brooding for some three weeks. Finally the nest fell down - it was badly constructed - with one egg and a dead chick. Last year we had four hatched successfully. (22/04/06)
Acer in spring taken from the South-East. The buds and the first leaves are pink. By late spring the leaves turn to yellow then light green and finally dark green. (05/05/06)
Acer taken from underneath the canopy. The tree is like an umbrella because the leaves grow only on the tip of the branches. Ideal to sojourn underneath on a hot summer day. (05/05/06)
Our apple tree is rather old and its fruit is good only to feed the birds. However, we still enjoy the apple blossoms in early spring and the birds hopping from branch to branch. (10/05/06)
If you look closely at the apple blossoms, the hue of the petals changes subtly from white to yellow to pink, with a powerful stamen in the middle of the blossom. (10/05/06)
Choisya in close-up. (10/05/06)
Exochorda in bloom. (10/05/06)
We have found some bluebells in the corner of our garden. Bluebells are famous in Kent; they completely cover the floor of the woods in May. They do not seem to strive anywhere else. (10/05/06)
Wisteria sinensis on our 'Biergarten'. This variety produces beautiful and scented fronds before the leaves start to grow. On the left are some red wallflowers and undernieath Aubrietia. (14/05/06)
Wisteria sinensis from a different angle. On the right you can just about see the long hanging fronds of wisteria macrobotris. (14/05/06)
Tree peony in close-up. (14/05/06)
The long fronds of Wisteria Macrobotris in the early morning filtered sunlight at the northern end of our 'Biergarten'. At the back and on the middle beam vines are about to spread their branches and leaves. (25/05/06)
View of our garden from the 'Biergarten' towards the west. At the back you see clemetis montana covering our cherry tree. In the foreground you see a few fronds and leaves of the wisteria climbing our 'Biergarten'. The few clumps of yellow below are euphorbia, just about to unfold their intoxicating scent. (28/05/06)
Wisteria Macrobotris climbing our 'Biergarten'. In the foreground from left: euphorbia, aquilegia and acanthus. The hedge at the back is hawthorn just about to flower. (28/05/06)
Another view of the inner 'wall' of our 'Biergarten'. In the foreground you see the choysia bush and a part of the yew tree. You can also see the vine reclaiming its place on the house wall. The bit of bare earth indicates that Ann is still at work. (28/05/06)