Monday 9 May 2011

First Poppies in a May Garden


In dappled shade, the first poppies of summer stand tall above soft bonnets of aquilegia.
Gorgeous, scarlet poppies, papery petals crinkling.
Sunlight reflecting glistening orange fire.




Shy, earth-facing , pastel aquilegia cluster by background greens........




....while the snowball bush throws green -white globes against the twisted trunk....




...of tortured willow`s writhing young bright leaves, higher this year against a summer sky.


Eleagnus Quicksilver, tiny yellow blossoms scent the air...


and tumble a silver, shining mane of leaves out of a corner shade.


Bees hum in over the hedge, from a wild hive on the hill.....



Pale lilac climbs towards the sky,


while yellow potentilla shines lemon sun-flowers of its own.


Double white lilac flowering now, a gifted cutting once from another village house.


Spirea Wedding Veil , shooting out long sprays of white.....


...beside a shock of perfumed orange flame.



Horse chestnut candles start to fade.......



Crimson rhodedendron tops mock orange blossom whites.


Clematis Montana rubens swathes a wooden pergola in stars....



...that weave through new leaves of lime green vine....


and launch up into an oak, fresh leafed, bright against a warming midday sun......


....and under hedge bottoms, pale, almost-over bluebells curl their pastel petals to the light.
.

6 comments:

Kath said...

Just delightful!
..I found a little swarm of bees in my garden today. A little visit to my bee-expert neighbours for some advice methinks!

rachel said...

Lovely. So much to see and to notice at this time of year - every day something new unfurls or creeps into view.

Karen said...

The first of my daylilies are starting to bud and I am anxious, anxious and more anxious for them to bloom and the rest to follow. I want them to bloom badly as they are all lost tags and I won't have a clue as to what they look like until they do.

Your flowers, bushes and trees are gorgeous!

WOL said...

What a bee smorgasbord you have! They must think they're in hog heaven. I was told if you pour bluing (what people used to use to get their white clothes white)on the roots of your snowball, the flowers will be blue. -- that is, if you can find any bluing -- not sure they still make it. Pity, as it is good for ant bites.

Morning's Minion said...

This post is an illustrated poem--your words add depth to the lovely photos.
My Dad had a snowball bush--one of the first things he planted when my parents' small house was built in 1949. I found the scent of the "snowballs" off-putting. In later years it was where he hung bird feeders in the winter.

Yarrow said...

Your garden is looking amazing and I love your words and pictures on our walk out together. That was a lovely day :D