Today is the third day of Spring and I sat in the garden yesterday. I sat and I read a book. A blackbird picked worms out of the lawn and a column of gnats danced in the light of the sun.
There doesn’t seem to be a lot to report. My garden seemed calm and quietly alive. Many fragrant flowers are open for the pleasure of sniffing. The starflowers have many more blooms. The winter honeysuckle is still flowering and Skimmia, which hold buds of promise for so long, now scent the air. Until I moved to Bournemouth I didn’t really appreciate the beauty of these plants. When I got married down here, the King’s Park Nursery made my bouquet. They no longer offer the service. However, then it was delivered to the Royal Bath Hotel. February flowers included Skimmia with its small red buds and modest fragrance, and I was delighted.
I now have three different Skimmia but not a female with another close by. It appears that that is how some have red berries. I mainly enjoy the smell, especially of Kew Green. I brought one with me when we left Kew to move to Bournemouth. They are such a forgiving plant that needs very little attention. Sue.
A few more Hellebore flowers from my garden. I think I like the black one best.
Highlights of my week have been seeing the great spotted woodpecker hammering twice on two separate days - same tree. The way his head vibrates you would expect it would cause a headache! Frances.