Come into the Garden

AM staying with my mother for a few days, and as May Day dawned bright and early, showing her garden to best advantage, I ventured outside (in nightie and bare feet) while the dew was still on the grass and flowers and took some photographs.

The borders are a carpet of blooms, with this wonderful dark pink prunus dominating everything.  There are miniature narcissi, blue lobelia, primroses, cowslips, camellia, azalea, as well as red tulips, which are just 'going over'.

In addition she has masses of shrubs, all with different coloured leaves, and herbs - including the biggest rosemary bush I have ever seen.

It looked, and smelled absolutely glorious, and already there are roses, clematis, geraniums and fuchsias in bud, and trays full of busy lizzies and begonias waiting to be planted out.

Mum loves her garden and every year she grows masses of seeds for the summer.

Already it is buzzing with bees, though the butterflies have not appeared yet.  For the last few summers a mole has tunnelled his way around the garden, but he too is absent at the moment as is the frog took up residence in an old, cracked mug that once held cuttings. Mum hoped he would keep the slugs and snails at bay, but his presence seemed to make no difference to their numbers.

But there are always birds, hopping on the lawn hunting for insects or worms, splashing in the bird bath and perched on fat balls and peanuts.

There are starlings, sparrows, sparrows, greenfinches, thrushes, blackbirds, robins, bluetits, magpies, a woodpecker who is a very occasional visitor - and lots of pigeons, which seem to scare off the other wildlife.

Sadly, after such a fine beginning, the blue sky turned leaden grey, and by the evening it was raining stair-rods.

But I have my pictures to remind me of a beautiful May Day morning.