Eggs in the nest

Peter is once more attacking the Ivy, this time because the neighbour requested it. But we find these eggs, little green eggs, haven't seen a bird near it for ages....

Garden in flower

Flowers everywhere, and lots of growth everywhere. Are some too large after three years?

Pulsatilla

The Pulsatilla was beautiful when it flowered, but it is still nice - as the book said - just as seed fluffy things.

Lis

Isn't this a beauty? It is common in the little canals, but still, who cares?

The black background is the water of the pond. It doesn't appear muddy, but visibility is very low. I suppose that sounds contradicting..... It definitely looks different than last year.

Cotton gras

In the pond's shallow grows the cotton gras. My mom recognised it immediately, right after we moved into the house. Last year it was not much, but this year it is splendid. Would it be the low water level last year? Or the high level this year?

It has a beautiful pearly shine, that I was hoping to catch on the photo.

Banana's in memoriam?

This is where the banana's were.... I see some big holes with rotten roots. I doubt it will come back, but I won't dig for a while yet.

Alium

These came back great! About six of them. One of them I cut to give to my mum for a vase. Well, perhaps that saves the bulb and gives more flowers next year??

Apparently Alium is great for bees, that is important too!

Aquilegia, winter Aconite and Campanula, who wins?

Here the Campanula is winning! But perhaps they are all winners in their own season. First the winter Aconite, then the Aguilegia, and later the Campanula. Do you see the seeds on top of the Winter Aconites? Good harvest!!

Flower garden

I haven't done much work on this spot yet, it more or less grows like it does. There is the Polemonium caeruleum ('Jacobsladder'), red Varian, Aquilegia (in dark pink) and some first yellow spots of Alchemilla mollis. The Dicentra just stopped flowering.

I planted some small tomato seedlings (bought) in here. It is a sunny spot, let's hope they give some fruit! The cucumber didn't make it, and the tomato is getting quite overgrown by now....

The row of trees

I have not made this picture yet, while it gives a good view of the row of trees. On the left, barely visible, the cherry tree, then a bird cherry, unvisible a prunus squeezed in between the bird cherry and the pear tree. Then a pine and that is all.

In the Summer they block the view of to the houses of the neighbours. Their houses are standing quite close, as there are on small gardens in between. The trees are quite necessary for the privacy in the garden! But the tricky thing is their distance to our border of course. As they are quite old, they are undisputed, but we will have to keep them moderately trimmed. Some task....

Aguilegia

Forest Aguilegia, it is the Aguilegia, that I planted in the 'forest' area. It is definitely surviving.

Click on this picture and zoom in: it's got great resolution and definition.

Azalea

We have just watered the garden because of the drought. This azalea stands in teh most sunny place of the garden. That doesn't seem right, but it surviving.... And flowering beautifully.

Anemone, they are back

They have survived, and well too. Lots of babies, too, seedlings.

Dotter

The first leaves of spring!

And suddenly they are there: the fresh green leaves!

And a spring visitor to go with it.

Surprise

What's this in the garden!

Daffodil

A gorgeous daffodil with lots of petals. It is so heavy, it hangs to the floor!

Land scaping

I want make a path here, so that Ces can run circles and so that visually the garden becomes more one whole, and not two halves.

But after an afternoon of digging, it doesn't look like much. I am a bit disappointed, but perhaps it will get better in spring. It needs more work.

Crocusses under the Jasmine

Crocusses under the Jasmine near the house.

Crocusses

Another nice clump.

Crocusses

With a first bee. Good to see that some are alive after all the stories about viruses with bees.

Akonite

They are back and have really opened up. I will need to move the campanula's - they are too close. But what a joy that they have settled. I have seen the place that I dug them out from, further down our street from a derilict house, or the house from the water management association. The mothers there are still there, I saw, under the Magnolia tree. But hidden behind a pile of cut shrub.

Crocusses

Flowers!

Crows in the trees

Ces wanted me to take this picture. I have been trying to get birds on the photo, but it is not easy.

Blackbird

We also get some birds, here a blackbird close by the kitchen window.

Campanula in the stone pot

Another survivor of this winter.

Nice with the sun shining though the white drops.

Snow drops have green painting

See the cute green lining?

Heather

Heather just doesn't stay alive in pots. But here under the pine trees it goes just fine!!

Snow drops

They are now a real field, lovely.

Winter akonite

They are back! And definitely one of the first to show after the winter.

The bicycle shed entrance

Some of us don't mind the snow and swing on. The picture shows well the work done on the Ivy here, poison-Ivy!! The neighbours sawed down the hedge this summer. That was great work!! Now we are working on the ivy overgrowing the swing. Surely something nicer can cover it?!!

Seen from the neighbours

Our neighbour sent this photo. Snow again! We have now more than two months of snow and frost. What a winter!!

Snow drops in the shade

This is so cute! The snow drops stick their heads in the snow. Untill the suns shines on them, then they rear up! Perhaps it is warmer in the snow?

Snowdrops in the snow in the sun

They are surely strong!

Snowdrops in the snow in the sun

Snowdrops in the snow in the sun. In the back ground the mushrooms on the tree stump give it a nice mountain feel.

No more snow

And all the snow is gone again! Amazing. On the left hand side you see the ice out of the pond: I took it out with my bare hands! Aaaahhhh! That hurts. It is because I red that this is part of proper care of a pond in winter: to take the snow off, so that the plants can catch the light and produce oxygen for the plants. Not sure if I am still in time.....

The new paths area

Did I not notice the snow drops when I made this picture? Surely I must have. Else it is a drap area with a few plants just waiting for spring.

Sure I saw it! I cut down all the grey stakes with old plants. Just so that we would be able to see the snow drops all the way from the other end of the garden and even from the kitchen window!

Grape hyacinth in the snow

They grow and grow, through the frost and snow.

Crows in the bare tree

Fresh snow against blue sky

Like cotton balls this snows sticks against the Sage Cassis.