Icing the Cake

 We have been a bit delayed since we last posted about the 'Wedding Cake' ... we have been on a flying visit to the UK to see friends and then, on our return, we had rain and winds!  But today was favourable and Sue set to with a will to plant up this new bed.

Whilst it is difficult to make out, there is  Hydrangea Annabel in the centre, then a ring of 6 white Fairy roses and then on the outside, 26 Iberis.  There will also be 21 dwarf white Dahlias to go in because we had a delivery of plants which included the dahlias even though the Head Gardener couldn't remember ordering them or where they were for!

Despite the weather being rainy and windy, Spring is making a determined effort to cheer us all up (and don't we need it!!!)  Our Anemone Blandas are flowering up the alley and making more of a show each year.  Our daffodils along the side of the alley are providing a happy yellow border, our reorganised Grape hyacinths (Muscari) are making a blue ribbon along the edge of our front grass and the tulips are on their way.  The Prunus Incisa is at last in bloom to the delight of the bumble bees.

But the miracle of this Spring is the sudden and unexpected blooming of a carpet of Violets the length of the alley.  Quite why we are unable to say.  Whether because I cleared all of the leaves off of the grass, whether we had rain at the right time ...? 

However we are just so thrilled to see Nature in action, even though we have to be careful where to tread amongst all the blooms!