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Rose,I wish you could see it...it is a mixture of moss and other green things!!
Thank you Klahanie..I love this time of year with the emerging shoots.

Sorry for my question on previous picture.

Nice all over Julia....is your magnolia blooming?
You are so far ahead compared to us. My daffs are just starting to bloom.

We can only do our best Shirley. Remember my last garden? We discovered that 2 feet down we had pure golden sand and beach pebbles. Trees would grow so big and then just stop or die. I mean, who has perfect loam? We just do what we can with what we have.

Thank you both. When it comes down to it we mostly have to work with what we have don’t we. Builders are charlatans and there’s no way we can afford to have it all removed. Plants are very forgiving though, and most will survive.

I am quite envious really of its relative small size. Especially as we spend a lot of time either with the girls or having mini breaks or out on the motor bikes. I seem to have less time at home despite being retired.

Steve is planning a bike ride over for a night next month. It will be a lot quicker than in the car.

Karen, this is the problem I always have in the front gravel garden as there's so much rubble under it. It's a rare occasion for me to plant anything new in there now!

Thanks David.

Thanks Rose, there were some Bees buzzing around the blossom earlier. Sunny here, but a bit chilly.

I agree Lindak, the Magnolias too are looking fabulous.

Rose, it's clay here too so it was hard work digging it out, then re-filling with top soil, compost and grit. Thank goodness it only had to be done once.

Wow, what a beautiful garden it is going to be, and the views are just gorgeous . A lot of hard work but it will be well worth it. x

I also sympathise Karen. we have areas that only hav 10" of soil then we hit bedrock chalk so not even able to dig it out.

I am still removing builders rubble and our house was built in 1965/66.

Lovely to see the cherry blossom. All the trees seem to be full of blossom this year.

The Orchid flowered 4 times last year. We place the pot into rainwater, then sometimes we put orchid feed in and let it soak, then let the water drain from the pot. When the plant had finished flowering we cut the stem to the next node down.

The female Robin has less colouring on her chest and they are all beginning to get their territory established ready for nesting now.

It definitely was Shirley! I have often been toying with the idea of cutting a circle in my front lawn for a cherry tree, but it would be so hard to dig out due to clay soil.

Very pretty!

Wow! You had your work cut out there but is paying off.
And a beautiful view too.
It will be so so satisfying to see the end result.
It was good of their neighbours to let you use their bins.

I sympathise with you Karen. When we first came here it was clay soil but not as bad as yours. I lost count how many bags I put in and it has paid off.
It must take an age to water all your plants!

Your lawn is so pristine Julia and puts mine to shame! lol

It looks very pretty Julia.

Well Eileen, they have found a lovely first home there with those gorgeous peaceful views. I hope you enjoy helping to make it theirs. Don’t overdo it though…you need energy for your own! X

I’ve seen some up in the SF Bay Area. One my favorites is Fucshia boliviana, which is very common in coastal California.

Well,what an interesting blog..
Thank you so much Eileen for showing it.Your daughter and her husband are very lucky to have you as part of their family..
Your enthusiasm,knowledge and hard work shine through.

Hi Janey.. sorry to be so late responding. So sorry to hear about your loss. Jack Russells are so special...and wee Lottie was so full of life and vigor. Our Ryot is suffering with dental issues and he's going to get the snip on the 16th. April. I was just out raking along the stream and caught him in a fight with a little red squirrel.. I managed to separate them but the squirrel was badly injured and as soon as I took Ry into the house I went to see if I could find it. It has a burrow under the old walnut tree and I think it's gone to ground. so sad, and it's hard to not discipline Ry for instinctual behaviour. He knows I'm not happy... he keeps peering into my face. "Moooom! hello?!!" We are expecting a spring storm... 15 cm. of snow in the next 48 hours. it will be a mix of freezing rain and snow and I'm worried about losing power so I have to get water in and wood for the fire (to cook). This spring, like the winter just passed, is psycho. Strange, so strange. Unremitting cold too. on the calendar spring has started but looking out the window is like December!

That's a lovely picture of your Robin, Lindak! :)

I've never seen one on the balcony but I quite often see them around the area where we live. One Saturday returning from doing some shopping in town, I cam,e up a path that has quite a few trees on one side & I saw 3 Robins in the space of about 5 minutes or so! Very unusual! They weren't the same one flying backwards & forwards because at one moment I saw 2 of them almost at once.

That's a lovely orchid!

I have an orchid with a flower stem that has lots of buds developing but it will be some time yet till they open! I've had it at least 5 years I think & every year it flowers for me! :) I also have 2 others but for the moment there are no signs of flowering stems emerging. :(

Not sure whether it was rock or concrete Shirley. Either way it’s not good.

A beautiful Camellia, Shirley! :)

When we moved south, about 18 months ago, I could not bring a single plant. Not even the Camellia rosthorniana and hellebore that I bought with gift vouchers from my daughter on her wedding day. Not the Wedding Gown Hydrangea I bought for her engagement. Not the Rosa ‘Rachel’ that shares her name. Many plants given by dear friends and a beautiful pine I had grown from a tiny plant to a wonderful feature. All the Sedums I loved and had collected that I cannot now replace because the nurseries have closed down. A whole collection of Aeoniums …and on and on and on. Buy yourself a new one that the nursery have grown to a decent size for you. It won’t be the same plant, but it will be the same! And you will love it just the same. Good luck. X

Thanks, FF! :)

Thank you Linda. Kind of you. Much appreciated x

Lovely Siris.

In a pot to be planted out.

Jane, this Camellia has always been in a pot, never in the ground. Do you mean your soil or your garden style doesn't suit them?

Karen, you hit rock?!! That's not good ... :o(

Thanks ladies. It is in a West facing border and thrives there.

Lovely ... worth waiting for.

Thanks Janey, both of the Prunus came from a DIY store 2 years ago!

The other ones are planted in a sloping border.I did mulch well in the Autumn. Once the flowers are out they just go on and on..I was told not to cut the don't stems just pull them out.

I really love the colour of this one Julia.
I've not tried growing them in this garden. I imagine they'll need a lot of moisture?

Thank you for your comments👍

Beautiful!

So pretty and dainty Shirley..

My favourite little Fuji cherry. Mines still hanging back with more flowers to open.

Such a gorgeous shrub for spring!

So beautiful Shirley. I only wish my garden suited them!

Wishing you a good year after your Birthday Karen. You have worked so hard in your garden, and I expect it will be full of colour too when the weather improves. Take care and good gardening. Linda x.

Lovely! Way ahead of mine Shirley.