Spring in the Garden

Its been a good wet winter, and I was expecting (? hoping?) for a lot more flowers in the garden, but there are a few bright spots of colour.... and a lot of weeds!!  Time to get to work!!

Gardeners and Garden Gems

Sometimes the dogs want to give more help in the garden than is actually useful!!

Kiki:

Ruby (now with her second ear up!!) .... who has been pruning my kiwi vines whether I like it or not!!:

And some 'shots' of colour around the garden, blue star flowers - several clumps amongst the roses:

Some lovely little daffs, a bit bashed by dogs!!:

The daphne a riot of blooms again this year - star!!  And heavenly perfume :)

The flowering quince, tons of flowers and ignored by the crimson rosellas this year... maybe thanks to the dogs?

Have been looking around the shops for a red japonica, since the flowering quince is doing so well, but then I found I already had one!!  Not very big yet, but very pretty :)

A couple of pockets of grape Hyacinths looking lovely :)

And not to be forgotten the natives are also doing well, the grevillias are in full swing:

 Jonquils, nearly past it:

And just 2 flowers so far on the prunus, small but perfectly formed!

Some firsts

These pics were taken a couple of days ago, I thought the prunus had reached its peak a little while ago, but last Tuesday was definitely it, since then the wind has blown and we have a confetti of pink petals, and the crimson rosellas have been in and down some pruning - uninvited!!  They have entirely stripped the flowering quince, the rotters.

The first daff is in fully open mode now, as is the second and lots more have joined them :)

And the first duckling for the season is on its way, unzipping has started!  Another hour or so and we should see this baby!

Spring and things!!

Its freezing cold, rainy, windy and just plain nasty out there, but the first daffodil has poked its head out, and the second is not far behind.

I thought I had lost all my peonies last season, the sun was fierce and they all seemed to fade, but one seems to be fighting back... out of focus, but still there!!  Very happy about this!!

And the prunus, glorious!!

Spring has Very Nearly Sprung

Yesterday I snapped the first daffodil, and the prunus blossom in glorious sunshine and mild temperatures, today its returned to winter with a vengeance, very cold, sleet no less, biting wind... horrible.... but before....

Also captured these traffic light geranium leaves.

And the grevillea I meant to photograph the other day when the battery went flat :(

Hellebore still looking good, and the little primulas are blooming on too.

The violets have started to flower and they are mostly white, with some pale blue, will have to get some of the dark violet ones to add to the mix, they look very pretty.

#5 is doing  a good job of mothering her 5 Black East Indies ducklings, her first time in the mothering role.  She hatched 2 herself and accepted 3 more from the incubator ;-D

Meantime, I have my 3 inside, in the brooder.  They are on daily sink swims, but cant get all 3 in frame at once!!  They are spoken for and going to their new home on Sunday.

This is one budgie family.  Mum is the white and blue bird in the background, Dad is the bright yellow and green bird in the middle and the 3 babies are the result of 2 nests, first one produced one female, the second, one male and one female, all very similar colour, lemon and blue/green.

This is an escaped pet, re-captured and now living safely.  Was very tame when he arrived, but now happy to be a 'wild' aviary bird  LOL!!

No, Kiki is not supposed to stand on the arm of the couch!!