Local showers, bitter April day!

It looks like the perfect spring day, blue sky and sea, white fluffy clouds but it’s frosty and the wind is still biting. Lamlash must be the greenest place on Arran; it seems to rain only on Lamlash!

In spite of the cold the ‘wild’ flowers are bursting into flower. Tiny Dog Violets (Viola riviniana) are popping up around the garden, hoping to have enough to make a violet syrup! Honesty (Lunaria annua) is always a delight to the first emergent bees and hoverflies and smells so sweet in the warm sun. You can tell whether it’s purple or white as the former has purple tinged foliage (as purple Foxgloves do too.) Bluebells are just beginning to flower; I used to pull them out of the garden as they were too prolific but now recognise that they are English bluebells and not Spanish squill, so being a bit more lenient. Tiny blue Forget-me-not punctuate the garden with their delicate blooms but if you don’t like too many don’t let them go to seed…

I know men often think that a pristine green sward is the most delightful thing in the garden and every tiny rosette flower should be yanked out post haste. But I like my ‘weeds’, they are so cheerful, Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) also called Pilewort is a useful little herb. (Clue is in the name 😀 ) I love a lawn full of Daisies, traditionally it was used in much the same way we use Arnica now (and it’s local – local herbs for local people!). White honesty looks beautiful beside the purple, the silver seed cases will be gathered later for dried flower arrangements. The fruit trees are just beginning to blossom too, Damson is always first but the cherry and apples will not be far behind…

In the greenhouse there are trays of seedlings waiting to be planted out but they will have to stay until the frosts have passed (June then…) Meantime I keep hoeing off the weeds from the beds. There’s plenty to keep the Hopeful Herbalist busy!

Thanks for stopping by today – what do you most look forward to in the spring garden?