Spring in the North of England

There are flowers everywhere; we have had amazing weather so March 'in like a lion and out like a lamb' has not happened in 2012.



The trees are in bud- the hawthorns have flushed the hedgerows with a fresh flush of green.



Hawick Hall gardens are full of daffodils in the undergrowth below shrubs & trees.



The cyclamen are vivid and hanging on for weeks in bloom.



Durham Botanic gardens are filled with hosts (not just clumps!!!) of golden daffodils



and narcissi of various sorts.



Primroses are snuggled against a south facing wall.



Their tubs are filled with tulips and in the glass houses tarantulas survey huge triffid looking water plants.



There are some strange visitors to the greenhouses too!



How come their shoals of goldfish thrive while we are having difficulty keeping any goldfish alive?



Whitley Bay (near the Spanish City which has changed so much from the FunFair of old)



has the most beautiful formal beds of narcissi, primulas and pansies- worth a visit & a stroll along the beach.






I have been given a gift from my friend M- summer bulbs- which I have never planted before as they have to be lifted (I think) as winter draws in- like dahlias- so I usually do not bother- but I must get more adventurous.... with Liatris, Acidanthera,Triteleia,Sparaxis- and since my eternal sweet pea (one of my favourite but elusive flowers!) has died (& over a relatively mild winter!)- I have planted plugs of sweet peas.
Ooh! I can't wait to see what emerges to cover the soily bare plot where the old lavender was.
Meanwhile as we looked at cars! I bumped into one of my exstudents from a special class- and out of the blue he sent me a beautiful bouquet (which as his mum and I recognise the significance-) is of course pink and is scenting our family room with a fragrance of stocks and stargazer lilies.



Meanwhile the little bottom which wiggled out of the court at 8.15 a.m. has not reappeared yet (22miles intended today by Lady Windermere!)in preparation for the Marathon of the North. Her Ladyship gave me a lovely bunch of flowers too so the house reflects the garden!