Hi There!

I like to take a stroll through the garden most days, but springtime is a great time to do it because there is something happening all the time.  Plants are growing, buds are forming, flowers are opening and the weeds are growing.  Weeds are plants too you know.  They just happen to be in the wrong place for me.  Thistles growing in the chook yard would be fantastic!  Chooks love them, but when their in the garden it means work.  See what I mean: chook yard-thistles, magic!  Thistles-garden, non magical!

Now to a few things I saw today.  Here is Rosa xanthina looking magical in full flower, a great rose from china with primrose yellow single flowers.  It grows too about 2.5-3 metres each way and  flowers once during spring.

I know this photo doesn’t really do it justice, but it is quite stunning seeing it in full flower.  Below is a closeup of the flowers.

Here’s another great rose, Rosa omiensis pteracantha comes from china again, with a funny name again but commonly known as the Red winged thorn rose, has super large translucent red thorns on new growth.  This rose has unique single flowers which only have four petals, I think it’s the only rose to do so and their only about the size of a 10 cent piece and quite insignificant really, but alluring at the same time.  Confused?  So am I.

While we’re thinking about roses, here’s another one.  Rosa fedtshenkoana another fabulously named rose from a country other than China.  Russia, da! that’s right Russia.  This rose has pure white single flowers which are simply smashing!

Quite a thorny brute too.

One more rose to round them out would be “Fruhlingsgold” simply put, a sight to behold in full flower in my opinion that is.  Pale lemon or pale yellow or pale egg yolk or whatever colour you think it is semi-double flowers on a large shrub to about 2-2.5 metres both ways simply make for a magnificent visual impact.

Up close and personal you will hear the mass sound of bee’s at work.

One more photo for good measure.

Now we will move on to something quite different.  Not sure what I call this?

Here’s Aster alpinus looking all cheerful and everything, I think I need more of these.

Aquilegia alpina doing what it does best at this time of year, looking brilliant!

We will finish off with a bright splash of colour from Eschscholzia ‘Red Chief” just to really startle you!

This is a Californian poppy which certainly makes an impact with its bright red/orange flowers imposed on grey foliage.  I think I need more of these!

Cheers!