Thursday, April 07, 2011

Spring is here to stay

Spring is definitely here, in fact last days were more like summer, and I had to remove the insulation from the greenhouse few weeks earlier then usual.
I have now taken full stock of winter casualties, and they have been much worse then previous years.
I lost most of my Euphorbias and the remaining ones are looking pretty sad and will have to be replaced. I also lost two large Phormiums growing in large pots that managed to survive two harsh winters, but are now only fit for the tip.
I was also surprised to lose one of my favorite Erysimums (Bowles Mauve). I was growing two on both sides of a path, one survived and one did not. Some cuttings I've been growing on the allotment survived as well so can't really explain this.

On the positive side here are a few of this spring's highlights:

Magnolia stellata

I planted this Camellia two years ago close to the deck behind the house. This is the first time it flowered and the display was excellent.

Camellia 'Jury's Yellow'

And finally one of my favorites the unfurling leaves of Larix kaempferi 'Diana'