No sooner do I complain of constant rain than there's a brief break in the clouds, enabling me to scamper (if someone of my size can truly be said to 'scamper') out into the back garden to snap some photos.
It's a real pity that there has been quite so much heavy rain since I invested in a lot of jonquil narcissi for the herb garden area and hoped to be able to enjoy their fragrance while working outdoors during the spring. Instead, the only way to appreciate them has been to pick a few stems to bring indoors.
Focal point at the moment is the 'Doyenne du Comice' pear tree that I am rather proud of having trained and pruned to rather a nice 'festoon' shape which enables it to carry a good crop and look ornamental at the same time. In a little while there should be contrasting pink blossom on the crab apple behind it.
I put some tulips, bought as a special offer, into pots around the patio and herb garden this year and they seem to have escaped the worst ravages of both the weather and the slugs so far.
The back garden tends to be at it's best between now and the end of June though I hope that some extra planting last summer to add astrantia and penstemons to the borders might extend the season. It's just a shame that the last time we were able to sit out in it was the end of March before most of these plants were in flower!
