Spring Colour

Despite strong winds we have had patches of fine sunshine today in the garden. I hadn't been over to the far fence for some time and was delighted to stumble upon this show of 'naturalising' Cyclamen. We had a tiny pot of them some years ago, and now suddenly they have taken off! Is this due to our relatively frost-free winter, do you think? Apparently the Cyclamen we buy here in the UK have their origins in the wild, especially in places around the Mediterranean.

It's still over a month until St David's Day, but we couldn't resist these small Daffodils (or are they Narcissus?). We planted them in with the miniature Iris you see below, and I couldn't help noticing that the yellow and blue colours match those of a certain flag...

We visited a local nursery to buy our plants this afternoon, rather than the commercial garden centres, but I wonder when biodegradable pots will become the norm. I do hope it will be soon. Small plastic flowerpots (like the one with the daffs) are not much use to us once the plants have been planted out. The plastic container with the Iris was bought years ago before the plastic issue became so well known and so pressing. It has been reused many times and, since we have it, will doubtless continue to house new plants as needs arise. How do you keep plastic to a minimum in your gardening endeavours, I wonder?

While we were outside, we couldn't help noticing how unfazed the birds seemed by our presence. Robin, Starling, Long-tailed and Blue tits simply carried on eating the fat and seeds in the coconut feeders. I even saw a large Queen Bumblebee looping the loop. How long before my first butterfly sighting?

Queen of the Spring

I have been on the look-out for early insects, and feeling the warmth of the sun through a glass panel yesterday afternoon, went outside just in case there were any Ladybirds emerging from the places they tend to over-winter. I guess it is still a bit early and cold, though I see I had come across a Brimstone and a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly by this time last year. However, making her way slowly up the door frame was this beautiful Queen Bumblebee. Queens, I have discovered, hibernate in the earth on their own. When they wake up they need to feed, and find a suitable nesting site. You can read about the Queen bee here on the Bumblebee Conservation Trust site.

I enlarged my photo on Photoshop to see the details. I also lightened it to help me see anything I might have missed. Those little golden speckles on the wing, presumably of pollen, caught my eye. Bees make particularly good pollinators because not only do they have specific pollen sacks, but small particles of pollen are carried on their bodies as a whole.

There are not many flowers in our garden yet. We have a few Polyanthus, a couple of small Iris, a lingering Snowdrop, yellow Viola (like small Pansies), a number of Daffodils and a couple of Daisies. It's a lovely to think that buds are beginning to burst - though I gather we may be due for more snow before the weekend is out, and 'just up the road' in Norfolk, there have been sightings of a magnificent female Snowy Owl.

Postscript

Looking at the daffodils in this photo makes me feel we should be trying to buy plants in more environmentally-friendly pots next time. What a challenge for garden centres to switch from polystyrene and plastic to recycled, recyclable or biodegradable plant containers. Has anyone come across an outlet that is committed to doing just that? 

Insects at last!

I love the spring flowers in their own right... 

... but I also love the fact that their pollen attracts insects. 

I have seen a good number of Bumbles this spring, but that may be partly linked to the fact that we took a walk around a favourite churchyard that was carpeted (wall-to-wall) in pale purple crocus last weekend. There were a few primroses, too. The complementary shades of yellow and purple always look good together. I wondered if the bee had a tick on its face, or possibly a lump of pollen, but having done a little reading, I think it may be a mite.

Having enjoyed a walk around NT Ickworth's huge wildflower meadow in the walled garden last summer, I am hoping to respond to one of the BBC Springwatch S.O.S. projects by making my own mini-meadow for wildflowers in a large garden tub. I may also scatter some seeds in our nettle patch to increase the range of wildlife that I hope it will attract. Watch this space!

This little ladybird was strolling about in a shady corner of our door frame. I had to climb in a bush to take the picture - my excuse for the poor quality... I think it may be a Pine Ladybird (can you make out a rim around the outer edge of the elytra?). It was pretty small.

Have a good weekend! 

Seasonal 'Firsts' ~ Tortoiseshell Butterfly

Who knows whether winter will make a comeback, but the garden has a distinctive air of spring about it and it is always exciting to spot a 'seasonal first'.

Yesterday I noticed a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly going for a spin and this morning there was a large Bumblebee heading for our miniature Iris.

Bee and butterfly were too quick for my camera, but here is an old photo to brighten up the post. 2013 was a good year for the Small Tortoiseshell, so let's hope that 2014 may be just as successful.

My bird list has taken a huge knock during my extended bout of bronchitis, but I keep taking the pills and have some serious catching up to do!