Here comes summer

Was spring that season which started last week then I blinked and missed it? Now summer seems to have arrived, even without a swallow yet showing itself to confirm it. The photos I took at the end of last week, of swelling pink buds on my peach trees, are already obsolete as the trees are in full bloom all of a sudden. I've had to take more photos and will post them here now before more blossom opens up, as everything is happening so fast in the garden due to the warm summery weather!

Beautiful peach blossom

Weeping willow coming to life

In a few day's time my pond will be looking like the header photograph! I love this time of year with the white haze of the catkins and just a glimpse of green willow leaves emerging.

Willow catkins

So much yellow everywhere, although I'm a bit sad that my daffodils have not been very good this year. Many were in bud early and were frosted in February - others have obviously been in the ground for too long and are blind. I'll need to dig some up and replant them to rejuvenate them, which won't be fun!

Forsythia, with spindly peach behind,
both in front of the silhouette of an old cherry tree

Japonica, or flowering quince. It's a messy old shrub,
but looks fabulous for a couple of months each year.

Every time I photograph a Euphorbia, there's an interesting insect on it! This little spider is tiny.

And this little bug is only about 1mm long

Some bugs I don't even notice with the naked eye,
like this little thing on a Dandelion

In the woodland the sycamore carpet has been emerging for a while now. I wonder how many tens of thousands, or more, emerge each year, yet only a few make it to year 2?

Thousands of seedlings emerging

If they are lucky, they will survive to year 2

I wonder what their chances are of becoming a mature tree? It must be more than one in a million, seeing how many seedlings emerge around here each year!

Mature Sycamore

Great excitement yesterday as I discovered a blue tit taking an interest in one of the nest boxes we put up over 7 years ago. I'd always assumed that as no bird had appeared to have used them it was because we had enough habitat in the garden for them. Indeed I've seen blue tits flitting in and out of a hole in the oldest oak tree; I watch them going in and out of the nest under the roof tiles which is used every year - yet I'm happy about them using the box we put up! Mr or Mrs blue tit was pecking away inside the box yesterday then kept poking its head out 'the window' - think they were doing a bit of renovation work to the old des res!

'Our' chiffchaffs and blackcaps are back from their winter sojourns in warmer lands and singing away and we are now just awaiting the arrival of the swallows, to make our spring complete. Or do I mean summer?! 

STOP PRESS: Guess what I've just seen! Yup, first swallow :-)))))