Tuesday, April 14, 2009

The intrepid flowers of April

Some pesky health issues have zapped my desire to do any serious blogging so far this year, but I figured the least I could do was post a few flower pics so you all will know I'm still among the living.

Apart from the cheery daffodils and a couple of eager azalea bushes, there wasn't too much happening in my garden last week, so I rushed to the garden center and found some courageous little pansies and primroses to pot up. Like the daffodils in my front and back gardens, they can take the heavy frosts we're still enduring.

I think these pansies look charming in this old copper washtub on a bed of English ivy.

Aren't primroses just the cutest things? Don't the white ones with yellow centers remind you of hard-boiled eggs?
Here are some more primroses in a repurposed birdbath. I like the height of this little collection, which invites visitors to inspect the individual blossoms at close range.

Behind the primroses is a bed of periwinkle that started sending up masses of little blue flowers a couple of days after I took this photo.

I stuffed a handful of daffodils and some flowering quince into my favorite Beleek vase, which is the perfect size and shape to hold the little boquets I make for my small writing table. The surprising color combination of the daffs and the quince gives me a little thrill every time I walk into my office.

I'll try to come back soon and post something clever and thought-provoking about writing. Failing that, I'll just give you some more garden pictures, okay?

3 comments:

Neal said...

Get well soon Brenda.

Cecelia Dowdy said...

Ahh. Hope you feel better soon! Springtime flowers! Ya know, I commented on another author's blog about this subject! I have some tulip bulbs I planted a few years ago. The first year, they bloomed, but the last two years, the leaves came up, but there are no flowers! Why in the world do I get leaves without flowers? My mom says I have bad soil and need to put some plant food and nourishment into that soil. Hopefully, the tulips will bloom next year!

Oh, BTW, I like strawberry ice cream, but it's not my favorite! I prefer cookies and cream or cookie dough ice cream! ;-)

Brenda Coulter said...

Neal, thanks, as always, for your good wishes.

Cecelia, I'm afraid your tulips won't bloom again. The hybrid bulbs have a very short lifespan. Many people don't even get two years out of them!

Try daffodils. Not only will they bloom year after year after year, they will actually multiply. They come in different sizes and shapes, and you can find very pale yellow-whites and shell pinks if you don't like bright yellow. Also, the different varieties bloom at different times. Best of all (at least in my neighborhood), deer will not eat them and squirrels will not dig them up, as happens with tulips.