Hobbies and Crafts

I was amazed to see beautiful tall yellow narcissus in full bloom growing in a flower bed in a garden near here yesterday.

3 stems of flowers were fully open and many other flower heads were fully formed and will open this week.

I don't know the variety, but the flowers are bright yellow with orange centres. There are several flowers on each stem.

Quite beautiful in the December sunshine.

Goodness Gwyn, they are very early, how lovely to see them though.

They were lovely Ann.

Yesterday I visited a friend in a nearby town and remarked on her beautiful deep pink hollyhock, which is still blooming and with many more flower buds yet to fully open.
She told me that this particular plant has been known to bloom right through the winter, even when there is snow on the ground.
It's growing in a very exposed position on a hillside, so catches all the wild winds off the sea.

Bet that is cheerful to see in the dark days of winter Gwyn

we have bulbs coming through already, looks like dutch Iris and snowdrops. So Spring must be on the way.

I have pots with the little miniature iris and little tulips all showing through but there is no sign yet of the daffodils in the beds. I only have one type which is called February Gold. As it is an early one it ought to be showing a bit by now.

We had a fence panel down in the recent high winds so OH is reinforcing it and trying to put it back. When the house was built 9 years ago I think the builder put up the cheapest fence panels he could get and they are fairly flimsy. We would like to replace them but it will be costly as all the fences round the house are ours, although we share bits of the fence with 5 other gardens. We don't want to upset 5 other families by putting up stuff that doesn’t match the fencing round the rest of their gardens, so are not sure what to do.

Oh well, these little things are sent to try us, as they say.

That is difficult Vera, Gosh sharing with five others, how does that work out then? We just share boundaries with three, one each side and one across the bottom.

It is odd Ann. We live in a very small cul de sac of 5 bungalows and 1 house (ours) but it is an odd shape. One side of the cul de sac is longer than the other and the end comes round in a sort of hook. We are tucked away in the hook bit and our garden is small and is sort of wide and shallow, though we have a long fenced walkway down either side of the house.

One side is shared with one neighbour. The end butts on to two gardens from another road, and the other side is also shared with two others. Part of this side is shared with the bungalow opposite ours in the “hook” and the other bit belongs to a lady in another road who sold the end of her huge garden to the house builder and that is where our house and one of the bungalows is built.

How complicated is that! It’s very difficult to describe so that you can visualise it but it works well except when you want to change the fencing ;-)

Certainly different Vera. Do you know all these neighbours or are they just bits of fence?-D

Went out to the front garden earlier and noticed the tiny cyclamen in bloom.
Lots of daffodils in bloom now so Spring is on it's way :-D :-D :-D

Wonder why your daffodils are always out so early Von, I remember last year they were and I think the year before as well. None out here yet.

Ann - they are an early Cornish variety bought in Cornwall. My front garden is quite sheltered.
I must say it is nice to have them out so early as I have plenty of later ones to follow on. :-D :-D :-D

Lovely to have them out so early. I don't know if anything is out in our garden it has been so bitterly cold today that I have not ventured out of the door.

Weather wise it’s been a horrible few days, very grey and very wet. Today is a bit brighter but very windy and cold.

Looking at the garden, it’s beginning to feel as though spring is on the way. Hellebores have big fat buds that are just opening up and some of the winter aconites are in bloom. It looks as though the yellow flowered witch hazel will be opening up very soon, though the copper coloured one is a bit later.

Have to start working out there again soon :-(

OH has been outside pruning the apple tree, I am confined indoors with this rotten cold/cough that is doing the rounds. It is sunny with a cold wind. We have one lovely white Helebore in bloom, it is probably the one known as Christmas rose, very pretty. We have others in bud. All the bulbs are growing well now, yes spring is on the way. :-) :-)

We have one daffodil just about out and three advanced snowdrops, the remainder are in leaf, the winter flowering jasmine is in full flower as is the winter clematis on the patio fence and some of the helebores are already flowering well and the winter pansies in a basket are giving a pretty display.. so, despite the wind rain (and snow up North and in Scotland) spring is on its way.

And it is actually sleeting at the moment!

My crocuses have bloomed today together with some marigolds.
I also have a cream coloured comfrey which is in bloom. :-D :-D :-D

Ooh lovely Von, some of our crocus are in bud but I didn’t check today, will look tomorrow

Yellow crocus are a favourite for grass verge council planting around here.

I've only seen yellow, so far, but they are a lovely show right now and a promise of spring not far away.

Lots of catkins and pussy willow on the trees too.

Oh I love to see the catkins and pussy willow, don't see it much here, if at all. I remember driving down from Gloucester to visit my Mum and along the roads in Hampshire there would always be catkins and pussy willow. Used to pick a few bits to put with bunches of daffodils for her. <3 <3