....................an ensemble of bird song fills the air as the butterfiles dart and flit around the flowers.
A Red Admiral - Vanessa atalanta, drinks nectar courtesy a Bellis perennis - daisy. The Robin family - Erithacus rubecula are now on their second brood. Do you know that it is impossible, even for an expert ornithologist, to tell a male from a female? Bees are busy collecting nectar and pollen. I think this is a Brown carder bee, but if I am wrong, do let me know.
Centaurea montana - knapweed
At this time of year the garden is a riot of colour, but it sad just how quickly the flowers come and go. I want to stop the clock, and enjoy them for longer.
Currently the tree peonies are the "show stoppers". The two at the top are hybrids, and the yellow and red flowers at the bottom are trees native to China. The yellow flower is Paeonia Ludlowii, and the red flower is Paeonia delavayi - these two trees are now roughly 2.44m high, but we prune them at the end of autumn to restrain their size and height. The red one is not commonly seen, but the yellow one is easy to propagate via its very large shiny black seeds. Many of our friends and relatives now have a Paeonia Ludlowii offspring growing in their garden from this tree.
I love this Geranium phaeum - mourning widow, or black widow. It makes a striking little flower in a mixed border.
An Allium flower ready to open....
............One day later
The smell of moist earth and lilacs hung in the air like wisps of the past and hints of the future......Margaret MillarEvery year we look forward to the May flowering of this glorious Cercis Siliquastrum, Judas Tree, a tree that we nearly lost as a young sapling. A local male deer entered the garden and proceeded to rub his antlers up and down the trunk tearing away the bark. We thought all was lost, but it is now almost the same height as this Aesculus hippocastanum - Horse Chestnut tree.
When the world wearies and society fails to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumonier
🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀
I think you are defining tranquility here, Rosemary. When one sees beauty such as this one wonder why we ever wish to pave over the world and continue to poison the air, soil and water. Has humankind really lost its mind?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately it is not always like this, I am thinking November to March, but if it was, then perhaps I would not appreciate these good times so much.
DeleteGorgeous photos, as always! Yes, beauty is so fleeting, alas.
ReplyDeleteThe lemon peoni tree is already almost done and dusted for this year.
DeleteThese are beautiful, thanks for sharing with us. And the experience of fleeting beauty is only subdued by having other flowers nearby that take over with their blooms. An endless cycle through the summer, I hope. I've never seen a peone tree.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that you would enjoy a peoni tree too Barbara, if only you lived nearby, I would gladly send you some seeds. Sadly, I think that is forbiden to send seeds overseas.
DeleteHello Rosemary, You have captured the transience of these beautiful flowers. I am surprised to see such vivid colors in May. I usually associate such colors with mid-summer or later. For the record, I think the "black widow" buds even eerier than the blossoms--both are fascinating.
ReplyDelete--Jim
Hello Jim - the combination of the almost black flowers and the hairy buds have fascinated me ever since I first discovered this flower.
DeleteA beautiful garden.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bob.
DeleteGorgeous photographs.
ReplyDeleteFor some strange reason your comments always end up my Spam folder William!
DeleteOh, glorious photos Mary! Your fat bee looks like it's wearing a fur shrug.
ReplyDeleteIt does indeed Pip - by the way Rosemary here, our friend 'Mary' lives across the pond. However, I am flattered as I love her photos💚
DeleteHa, sorry for my typo there! Fingers rushing across the keyboard with a mind of their own :)
Delete👍
DeleteYour garden brings joy to see those bloom is just wonderful. We don't see many lilac trees any more which is such a pity.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what has happened to your lilac trees? May be the weather has not been to their liking - hopefully they will flourish and bloom again.
DeleteI am in full agreement with you about wanting to stop the clock in the garden. We are experiencing several warmer than normal weeks and the flowers come and go with breathtaking speed. Great photos, Rosemary, and the bee just makes me smile.
ReplyDeleteGlad that you too are now enjoying warmer days now too.
DeleteDear Rosemary - Your garden is a paradise for all the living things. I’d like to sit on that bench to admire the fleeting beauties in the balmy air of May. The bee is so fluffy, so cute. Nice to know the bark of your Judas tree grew back. In Nara Park, low part of trees are covered to protect bark from bucks. Interesting thing is so called “Deer Line”. Deer stand on their hind legs to reach as high as possible to eat the leaves off the trees, which has made “Deer Line”. Under the line, sight is clear and far-reaching.
ReplyDeleteYoko
Dear Yoko - althought deer are regular visitors in our garden, we are grateful that only one buck has ever removed bark from a tree, but why did it have to pick my beautiful Judas tree? I am gratefu, however, that it actually survived.
DeleteThank´s for your sweet comment on my blog! I will take care...
ReplyDeleteYour garden is just beautiful and lovely!
Titti
Thank you Titti - thinking of you.
DeleteDear Rosemary, So much beauty everywhere. Thank you for inviting us into your paradise.
ReplyDeleteDear Gina - I have been thinking about you and hoping all is well with you.
DeleteDear Rosemary, Not to worry. I'm getting used to my "new" eyesight. I purchased tickets to Italy only yesterday. So, all is good. Thank you for your concern.
DeleteDelighted to learn this Gina, and know that you will really love visiting Italy again. I will write an email to you soonX
DeleteYou captured it wonderfully with your camera, spring... happy and colourful
ReplyDeleteand we love it.
Thank you for the beautiful photos, it's a pleasure to see.
Happy Pentecost greetings to you from Viola
thank you Viola for your generous comment.
DeleteStunning images. A friend of mine has a Judas tree, I don't see many around, they are beautiful. I know what you mean about wanting to stop the clock. My garden looks lovely, roses, red and yellow poppies, a peony, geum, other things, and some that are regarded as weeds - red valerian and something blue. I let them grow though because I am a "let it grow and see what it looks like" gardener, and they fill spaces nicely, but they do need to be culled eventually!
ReplyDeleteJudas trees are difficult to find, but they are very rewarding once they become established. Yes, I too let wild flowers flourish in the garden but they can become too much i.e forget-me-nots, and yes, the red valerians.
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