I am away from home this week, so unable to post a vase from home. In the absence of any floral inspiration from today’s drive along the M6, I thought I would take a look back at my May vases from last year – how nice it is to be building up such a catalogue of material! I will be linking up with Cathy at Rambling In The Garden as usual.
From 5th May last year I can see that the garden was ahead of where it is today. I had the allium Purple Sensation, viburnum opulus sterile, elderflowers, honeysuckle, dicentra and geraniums in this arrangement. Today my alliums are just opening up and the viburnum opulus is starting to flower. There are no elderflowers or honeysuckle yet.
In the same week last year my only tree peony flowered – the buds are not yet showing colour this year.
On 19th May I posted these beautiful dark pink ranunculus. There are no signs of flowers yet, so will keep my fingers crossed that these are yet to come.
On 19th May I posted my first peonies. There are plenty of buds this year, so fingers crossed that these will be out by the end of May. Just look at that honeysuckle – I always forget how much I love it.
On 26th May I had roses and clematis and look at all that produce!! Asparagus, broad beans and strawberries – my mouth is watering. We are picking asparagus now and the broad beans and strawberries are flowering, so it cannot be long.
Finally I had to show this one again – the first pick of Sarah Bernhardt peonies on 30th May – I cannot wait!
Before I wrap up for tonight I just wanted to share a couple of photos of a surprise visiter to our garden this weekend.
Our first thoughts when we saw this amazing bird was that it was something tropical that had escaped from a zoo or bird sanctuary. Whilst one of my daughters went off to ring the RSPCA for advice, the other did a search on google. Typing in colourful red and gold bird – looks like a pheasant, we quickly learned that it actually was a type of pheasant. This is the Golden Pheasant which we now know originates from China, but there are colonies in East Anglia (which is where we live).
This beautiful bird stayed in the garden overnight, but moved off at some point during the day yesterday.
I am now away for a week – on a trip with my mother to her home town in Lancashire. I have wi-fi in the hotel, so hope to catch up with my tulip post this week and the Greenhouse Review which will be published on Wednesday (I am trying to stick to the 2nd Wednesday in the month).
I apologise for the quick post tonight and hope it is not full of mistakes – we are out for dinner so I have no time to check it through!
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Julie these are superb….I love how you used the bleeding heart and honeysuckle, but the peach and purple is exquisite as you put it together on my birthday last year. Have fun on your trip.
Thank you Donna and I am pleased I managed to hit your birthday last year!
How very exotic and wonderful! Imagine seeing a bird like that in your own garden..love it, and glad you were able to get the photo. Enjoy your trip!
Thank you Libby – you can imagine how excited my dogs were!! I think we almost missed the moment trying to get the dogs back into the house.
Enjoy your trip away Julie, thanks for the reminder about the greenhouse review.
Thank you Christina – we had an amazing tour around the Yorkshire Dales today – am area I have never been too before.
The Dales are one of my favorite places in England. It is funny that now I live in Italy I want holidays in the UK.
What a gifted artist you are! Yet the bird takes the cake in this post–how thrilling it must have been to see a pheasant like that around your home. Travel mercies.
Thank you Susan – you are right that the bird surpasses everything – I was amazed to see such a beauty walking around our garden.
Interesting to compare bloom times Julie and how now you have these flowers to look forward to this year. The pheasant is really cool.
Thank you Susan – I love the way that this meme is creating a record of our annual flower highlights.
Julie, your vase retrospective was a delightful reminder of your beautiful creations last year and I look forward to seeing more of those beautiful flowers this year. Your visitor is a very flashy dresser – he’s even more colorful than the peacock that paid me a brief surprise visit last year.
Thank you Kris & that certainly was a visit to remember – I wonder if he will ever come back. A friend of mine had 3 peacocks trying to move into her greenhouse before Christmas, but they have moved on now – birds are such a visual treat.
I am always surprised when I look back at my vases – surprised to see just how pretty most of them are, and it is lovely to look back and be reminded of yours today. I had been thinking things were earlier here than last year so I think I need to look back again myself – but I suppose you had lower temperatures in March and April than we did. Your peonies are always lovely – I moved my Sarah Bernhardt in the autumn as it hadn’t flowered for a few years and it is looking quite happy so far, I am pleased to say. Is your Mum on a Memory Lane visit? Thanks for still thinking of us today 🙂
Things are certainly later here in east anglia Cathy – although catching up now. As you suspect, we are on a memory lane trip here, but one I like to bring her on a couple of times a year. I will keep my fingers crossed for your Sarah Bernhardt peony, but it often takes a year or two for a peony to flower after a move. Having said that I did split a SB peony in my last garden and she flowered straight away the following spring.
What a gorgeous pheasant! Looks so spectacular… and not at all what one expects to see land in the garden! Love your flowers from last May, and hope your garden will soon be catching up. Safe travels! WG
Thank you WG and you are right – that pheasant was the last thing I expected to see on Saturday evening!
How amazing!!! A good omen.
That golden pheasant is fabulous. He should be showing off to some lady pheasant somewhere! The sight of those peonies made me sigh. Beautiful
Enjoy your trip, Julie and thanks for such a beautiful review!
Actually it was lovely to be able to watch the progression of bloom from last May! And what a magnificent bird 🙂
A good idea to look back. The vases are such a great way of keeping track of when everything flowers. Yes, that honeysuckle really is gorgeous. Enjoy your trip Julie!
Julie, your vases and photography are both beautiful its a joy and inspiration to read your posts.
incredible looking bird!
it’s lovely to look back through images. How fabulous to see a Golden Pheasant in your garden – I will have to look out for them here in Suffolk (they are not easy to miss!).
What a spectacular, brilliant bird! Its colours and stature are just amazing. I don’t doubt that you first thought it had escaped from a zoo or sanctuary. I would have thought the same thing 🙂