Digging a hole

This is what I dug out when trying to plant one rose.  The hole is in the bed bed (the scented flower bed under our bedroom window) and I'm starting to suspect that there used to be a sizeable wall there.

White daffodils

The mixed white daffodil bulbs that I bought from Morrison's last autumn have come up.  The plant and flower manager at the shop was very apologetic and offered me five replacement plants.  I wonder what colour my new clematis will be when they flower.

Egg

 My friend Emma has happy and productive hens.  She gave me a dozen eggs, including this, the perfect egg.  I'm saving it for last, sacrificing freshness for another day or two of picking it up and turning it in the light.

Hellebores

The hellebores have been cheering my days.  They were here when we arrived three years ago and seem indestructable, thriving under trees, in the teeth of the prevailing wind, scrunched under shrubs, pretty much anywhere.  I think they are all Hellebore argutifolius, but I'd be happy to be corrected. 

 

The wind was blowing when I took the photograph, so the flowers are romantically blurred.  This plant hangs over the gravelled drive and has seeded all around.  I just moved around fifteen seedlings, probably at the wrong time of year, to the view garden.  We will see how they do.  I potted up another six to sell for charity at the village plant stall this summer, if they survive.

Snowdrops

I've always loved snowdrops - the first year I lived in France, my mother sent me a box of perfect white flowers in spring, because she knew I would be missing them.  The best job of the year is splitting and moving them: it's easy, foolproof so far, and deeply satisfying. 

We have about an acre of - mostly sycamore - windbreak.  One corner of it seems to have been a garden at some point.  It has old daffodils, unproductive gooseberries and thousands of snowdrops, all mixed up with rubble.

This afternoon I teased some out and, with Hobbes' help, planted them around one of our new windbreaks.  A chilly wind was picking up, and the hose poured icy water over my hands as I was filling watering cans, but seeing the snowdrops in their new position in front of the house was thrilling.