A very quick #SixOnSaturday for this holiday weekend as I have friends staying. We finally do seem to be in the midst of proper spring now, with lots of lovely blooms and leaves opening. Here’s what I found in the garden this week.

The biggest leaves in the garden have started their annual journey. Gunnera by the pond always delivers.

I scattered some honesty seeds in late autumn, and it seems to have worked. A huge plant has appeared from nowhere and is in full flower.

A handful of small(ish) horse chestnut trees have a bid to grow in a shady corner every year. Here’s one showing off some lovely red-brown new leaves.

Rhododendron seasoon has arrived. This is the first one in the succession of bushes I have, a wonderful rousing pink.

More leaf and flower opening, the rowan trees are setting out their flower buds.

Last this week is the start of tulip season. I didn’t plant as many this year as usual, but the few pots I have are doing nicely. I love the form and colour of this one.

That’s my #SixOnSaturday this week. I hope you have some wonderful sunshine to enjoy gardens and green spaces too. Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog – sorry if I don’t always get back to you on time! The blog is going well, but it would be great if more folk on Mastodon, or other parts of the Fediverse got into tooting a Six! Go on, it’s a much kinder form of social media, not controlled by crazy billionaires. All you need to do is find 6 things in your garden to show us. Then post on social, or add a link at Jim’s blog below. For regulars, our organiser is Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. And I’m on mastodon @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot

There hs been sunny dry weather in place, all over the UK, for the whole of April so far! Wow. Looks lovely, but here in the east, with cold winds from the sea, the temperature has seldom reached above 12 degC. Until the last couple of days, and now we have a mini-summer (18-19 degC). The response of the garden has been swift. So many new things are in flower that it was hard to choose my #SixOnSaturday. No theme this week, just what has brought me joy as I’ve looked around.

First this week, azaleas are go. This one sits near the step to the driveway. it isn’t a colour I would have chosen, but is pretty in the sunshine.

I thought green alkanes was a native wildflower, but have just read via the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) website, that it was introduced to the Uk 200 years ago or more. It grows like crazy in my garden. It is a bit of a thug, but has lovely blue flowers that insects love, and I just discovered are edible. Am thinking some pretty ice-cubes might be coming on in my freezer later.

My garden hosts a very old pear tree, growing up against the house wall. I’ve always suspected it is as old as the house — so over 200 years. This year the blossom is REALLY prolific.

I do love a few pots on a little table near the bench and table. Just now, there are so many pretty little plants there. My second favourite this week is a wonderful tiny primula. there is fantastic details in the petals.

In a corner of the garden where I don’t look much, I just found a huge clump of wallflowers. Wow, a punch of bright yellow joy.

My last wonderful bit of garden joy this week is my favourite pot-plant of the moment. A fabulous pasqueflower, doing its thing at just the right time of year. Amazing, rich purple flowers, splendid.

That’s my #SixOnSaturday this week. I hope you have some wonderful sunshine to enjoy gardens and green spaces too. Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog – sorry if I don’t always get back to you on time! The blog is going well, but it would be great if more folk on Mastodon, or other parts of the Fediverse got into tooting a Six! Go on, it’s a much kinder form of social media, not controlled by crazy billionaires. All you need to do is find 6 things in your garden to show us. Then post on social, or add a link at Jim’s blog below. For regulars, our organiser is Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. And I’m on mastodon @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot

As spring continues the pace really ramps up in April as we win so much more daylight. It’s all happening so fast now that it is hard to find JUST six things from the garden for #SixOnSaturday. This week I’ve gone for what’s looking pretty in the sunshine, as we’re currently having lots of sun, despite a cold easterly wind.

For me amalanchia is always the herald of the blossomy part of spring, and as usual, it is showing its delicate blossom against the almost-red foliage. The peak time of the year for this simple shrub.

This year, other blossoms are hard on the heals of amalanchia. Not least the beautiful cherry, these gentle blooms are often sparse after bullfinch action earlier in spring. There seems to be more blossom than usual this year.

My magnolia usually take their time to appear. Both types have burst into bloom this week, together for once. My favourite is magnolia stellata, whose buds have been tempting me with their fluffy growth for weeks. Now we get the wonderful pink splash.

Hiding behind the veg bed, we gave the much larger traditional magnolia tree a huge prune 2 years ago. This year is is covered in huge white blooms, big, blousy and they really do look like the ancient tree that they are.

I have realised it’s time to start watering flower pots. Often we get a rash of early April showers, but the weather is set sunny for another couple of weeks. The tulips were drooping when I noticed, luckily, few are in flower yet. Here is the first.

I will finish with my very-much favourite flower of the week. Narcisuss Thalia is double headed, and almost a pure creamy white. Wonderful form, stands well in wind, what a wonderful flower.

Hope you liked the spring blooms special this week. This time of year happens so fast and seems to fly by. Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog – sorry if I don’t always get back to you on time! The blog is going well, but it would be great if more folk on Mastodon, or other parts of the Fediverse got into tooting a Six! Go on, it’s a much kinder form of social media, not controlled by crazy billionaires. All you need to do is find 6 things in your garden to show us. Then post on social, or add a link at Jim’s blog below. For regulars, our organiser is Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. And I’m on mastodon @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot