For the moment the garden has decided it is opting for full on spring.
We have not really had a winter yet. The borage decided to keep on flowering this year. The bees did not complain.
The colour is supplied by the Camelias and everywhere the Mimosa trees are in full bloom. That is everywhere but in my garden as I do not have the patience to deal with all the shoots they push up around their trunks. The bees just have to go a bit further to find them in neighbours gardens.
Next door’s sheep have been producing a good crop this year, mostly twins.
My first Osmia cornuta arrived on the twelfth of February.
By the next morning lots of male Osmia were already checking out the holes in the bee holes hoping to find a female. They will have to wait some time yet. In the meantime they rest in the holes when they are not hungry or it is cold.
How many bees can you see in the photograph above?
I can see five. Four in/on the log and one (rather blurred) sitting on the wall to the right of the bee house.
It is a delight at the moment watching the bees enjoy all the spring flowers.
This year I am enjoying finding the different hybrids of my self-seeded hellebore.
I still love my original dark purple…
but I like the variety of this delicate small petal variation.
The big pussy willow at the bottom of the garden is just starting to display pollen and as the plum tree nearer the house is starting to finish flowering, the bees will transfer their allegiance to the willow from next week, I think.
Next week I will be keeping my eye on the Japanese medlar and I wonder with this mild weather whether we will have medlar fruit this autumn for the first time.
Whatever happens the garden always keeps you guessing.
a french garden 