In a vase on Monday – Mount Tacoma tulips

An extra day in February this year gives us an extra Monday in which to join with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden where she challenges and inspires us to find material from our own gardens to cut and bring into our homes to enjoy.

Full to bursting – the greenhouse end of February

I have wanted to write an update about progress in the greenhouse for the last couple of weeks; things progress so quickly it is easy to be swept along without taking time to note exactly what happens.

I love the smell when I open the greenhouse in the morning, that wonderful earthy smell mixed with citrus flowers and opening flowers of Narcissus. 

What I love today (24th February)

The sun has shone all day and better still I had time to be in the garden all day to enjoy the warmth on my back as I weeded, cleared and finished pruning the wisteria on the Pergola over the terrace.

GBFD Evergreen forms for winter

Until I began my post for ‘In a vase on Monday’ this morning I hadn’t realised that it was 22nd of the month already – where does time go?

It is that time when I write about foliage in my garden.  Having walked around the garden to take some photographs the thing I really notice is how much the evergreens have grown during the winter.  Coming from a different climate I am still surprised that the main growing period for evergreens here is from the end of September to December and from mid-February to the end of April.  Those are the periods when it is usually quite mild and often there is some rain or at least humidity. 

In a Vase on Monday – Classic blue and yellow and more tulips!

I was so focused on it being Monday and time to create a vase for Cathy at Rambling in the garden that I failed to notice it was the 22nd of the month and so Garden Bloggers Foliage day here at My Hesperides Garden.

I’ll post my GBFD later today but if you prefer to add yours tomorrow please do or add it to your ‘In a vase on Monday’ post if you’re participating, either way just leaves links to and from my post to yours.

Making me smile this week Mid February

Good friends and family came to stay so that they could go to watch the England v Italy rugby match in Rome last Sunday; the weather for the time they were all here was forecast to be wet, wet and more wet but it wasn’t quite as bad as that; we had some warm sunshine at times but also a 15 minute hail storm on Monday.  Sunday afternoon was mild and although grey, it didn’t rain so that the match was enjoyed (and the victory savoured).  Not being a fan myself I went with a friend to Rome and instead of rugby enjoyed the Capitoline museum.

In a vase on Monday – and more tulips

Monday has arrived again and I haven’t posted since my vase last week.  I have had a virus and not felt up to doing very much at all and on Wednesday last week the winds were so strong it was almost impossible to stand up.  One of the canes helping to support the new Carrob broke in too leaving the tree blowing wildly around and so despite the cold and wind I had to help rescue it. 

In a Vase on Monday – Hand Tied Tulips

A grey wet morning greeted me when I opened the shutters this morning.  It is a good thing that I had picked the flowers for today’s vase yesterday.

More tulips!  I hope that there will be tulips every week for the next few weeks from the pots of forced tulip bulbs in the greenhouse.  On Friday I noted that the first couple of Tulip Purissima were beginning to show some white colour (I know white isn’t a colour, but you know what I mean).  By Saturday one had opened completely.

Tulip Exotic Emperor

As promised I want to show you how my Vase on Monday tulips have opened.  I think it is always good to know how long flowers last in a vase and how they change; but don’t worry I won’t be doing this with every tulip I grow (well, probably not)!

Making me smile this week 3rd February 2016

Weather-wise it has been a mixed week with a couple of days of really warm sunshine and blue skies and the rest rather grey with a cold wind.  On Monday I began pruning the wisteria on the pergola at the front of the house.  I wish I’d taken a photograph immediately as the new structure against the blue sky was really making me smile a lot, against the grey sky today it looks far less impressive.