Spring 2014

Hello Hywel ...
lots of lovely plants and shrubs ...
The lithodora Blue Star is very eye-catching :o)

Thank you TT. I only bought the Lithodora last week, and brought it home on the bus from Carmarthen. I had many envious looks !

Hello Hywel,lovely to see you back,and I have missed your lovely garden photos and blogs..We all need a break sometimes,I was the same a couple of months ago..no concentration..so what's new? Lol..Your garden looks wonderful.and so much colour..warms the heart,and lifts the spirits,doesn't it ? Looking forward to seeing you around a bit more now,take care xxx

I've never noticed that variety on sale ...
Hywel .. if I'd seen you on the bus I might have asked you for a cutting ;o)

You would have had to share it with me,Terra :o) x

Hi Sandra ..
I thought I recognised you on the bus ..
I wonder how many more GoYers were travelling with us from Carmarthen ;o) x

WELCOME BACK MR GREEN FINGER. YOU ARE ALWAYS THE WINNER.

Lovely photos Hywel I think the mild winter has certainly encouraged me more, I like the gypsophilia one very pretty as are all of them :))

Wow, wow and wow again! I love all your plants, Hywel, but especially all your 'blues' - so beautiful. Blue Star and Starry Eyes are both stunning. I missed the bus, couldn't find my bus pass in time or I would have asked for a cutting too :)

Gee.. you didn't miss out on a cutting because Millie was on board with her pet passport ;o)

nice pics h, but prefer the native primula to all the others with the possible exception of the cacti. to me one or two slabs out of place in a garden path can add to the charm of a path

Welcome back to blogland Hywel. Your garden is beautiful. I do like primulas and these are all unusual and very pretty. I must admit I do have a special soft spot for the native primrose. I agree with Maisiedad, the slightly uneven slabs do not detract from your garden but fit in well with the cottage garden feel of it. I have tried Lithodora several times and not found the perfect spot for it yet. I read an article the other day about topiary. Round wire balls were used to shape the bush but then removed. I reckon you would only need one. I thought the frames were left in place but apparently not.

Lovely photo's Hywel, the Auricula are the ones that really caught my eye, although all are looking good, I've realised whilst looking at your pics that my Starry Eyes hasn't shown its dainty head this year, thats two I've lost now so obviously they do not like where I am placing them..
You wanna be careful bringing plants back on that bus it seems the folk carrying bus passes are the ones to watch, lol...

All so lovely! I've not been successful with lithodora but not tried it here. Hope it does well for you.
I started to try to choose some favourites but had to give up! Is there a market stall with plants in Carmarthen?
Hello Bella, nice to see you again.

Lol Terra.you would have been quite safe on the bus with your cutting,,as we English aren't allowed to use our bus passes in Wales or Scotland..so Gee and I will let you keep it..:o) Maybe you could give Lincslass a bit instead? I'm not going to presume if you are of a similar age,Sue :o) xx.

Lovely selection of plants Hywel and all looking so healthy and colourful;0)

Hello Hywel I too have had a break nice to see you back, garden looking lovely :)

your garden looks amazing Hywel..the spring has been very kind to us...:-)

Beautiful flowers Hywel, nice to have you back , I missed you and Bella x

Spring has been kind to your garden, Hywel. Everything looks lovely. Your lithodora is a pretty one but like other GOYers I have never had success with one as yet. I bought 'Heavenly Blue' this year and have put him in a pot to see if that suits him better. As for the uneven flagstones you mention, I didn't notice them - I was too distracted by the lovely Bella making her way down the path!

Nice to see your spring garden Hywel - what a treat for your return blog. It's all looking great and of course nice to see Bella too. I hope she hasn't missed writing her blogs too much ;)
I too think the 'rustic' path adds character to your garden.
Welcome back :)

Lovely blog Hywel welcome back x
What super flowers you have and all looking splendid, your garden is looking as good as ever and Bella too, hoorah Hywels back :o)

With Spring colours and blooms like this, who needs Summer! Lovely show Hywel. I am a Lithodora victim too, nurtured it all last summer and it died on me a couple of months ago, so lots of luck, they are so pretty too.

Hi Hywel, seems we have all had some sort of sabbatical just lately, as long as we are keeping well, that is important. Your garden is certainly looking very pretty, so much is in flower, we have had a very wet garden, then it went dry and now gone wet again, very difficult to garden in these conditions so I let it get on with itself at mo. Lol.

A fantastic collection of flowering plants. I was smitten with "Blue Star."

Garden looks wonderful Hywel.

great pictures and lovely flowers love the blue and white star style flowers:)))

Hi Hywel, you have been busy, both in the garden and with the camera. Garden looks great, some cracking photos. :~))

So glad to see your lovely garden again Hywel, you`ve plenty going on in there and its nice to see the general views it gives us a glimpse of how everything meshes together. A great cottage garden.

Thanks for all your comments :o)
Bella says Miaw to you all (she can't spell it lol) =^..^=

I hope you are all well, and that the ones who have taken breaks are feeling the benefits of it. It does one good to switch off sometimes.

I don't know if the Lithodora will survive. I had one a few years ago, and it came through a few winters outside. I'm hoping this one will last a while longer, because I'm going to give it more protection.

As for those bus passes, well I can only use mine in Carmarthenshire, West Glamorgan, and Pembrokeshire. So I could visit Steragram and Sandra with it lol :o))

Steragram, there's a little garden centre in Carmarthen, on the corner behind the market. Sometimes they have rather unusual plants there, and they also have stalls on the road down the side of M&S from Wednesdays to Saturdays.

The slabs - well they are sloping, and it can be a bit awkward to walk on them, especially if I go to call Bella in when she stays out until midnight ! :o)

Scotsgran I've never tried topiary, but it would be good to have a go. I've taken several cuttings of box, and may try it with one of those :)

Sandra I too have a bus pass, 7yrs next month, only ever used it in London after first paying to use the undeground hundreds of times, not realising I could use it, could have saved myself pounds (DUH) ...
Hywel you must have noticed how my pavers in the grass are getting smaller and hiding in the grass, lol, thats because they all need lifting and more sand under them, its one of the jobs I have on the arountuit list, bit like painting the sheds and fences, lol....

We use ours all the time,Sue.we are so near to lots of places,and good bus services etc and we always take them on English holidays..only use the car for a big shop,or somewhere inconvenient by bus..I would be lost without it,and out of pocket.:o)

Hello Hywel, welcome back ! You have a great collection of plants there ! Your garden looks lovely.

Yes I've seen your pavers Sue. I thought you were going to let the grass grow right over them ;)

Sandra the bus service around here is crap !

Hi Rose. Thanks for your encouraging comment :)

I like the Auricula Greenfinch, Hywel, it looks a ginger colour to me! Starry Eyes is such a pretty flower ... and you have many more pretty plants in your garden ... nice to see you back ... and Bella too! :o)

Hywel are you serious about visiting? I would love to meet you at the bus station if you are. (When I'm mobile again)

hello my friend nice to have you back and sharing your beautiful garden with us.
Is the Clematis C. macropetala? I have a similar one in flower now and my Montana is still in tight bud.
I adore the native primroses, so simple yet so effective.
Bella looks to be thriving to.

Your garden's looking better than ever Hywel. What a lot of colour.

Hi - ok,you've guessed it, I am another Hywel and bella fan. So glad to see you back in time for spring and summer. Your garden is looking gorgeous, like the Prunus triloba. Carry on Blogging Hywel and Bella, very pleased to see you back on GoY,

Thank you everyone, for all your comments and welcomes 'back' :)

Thank you Shirley I am disappointed with Greenfinch, I thought it would be one of those nice bright green ones :( but it's growing on me (slowly)

Hi Steragram. I don't know if I would make it to Haverfordwest on the bus from here. The service is so poor, it would be time for me to come home before I got there.
I would love to come if I could though :)ghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
That was Bella walking across the keyboard LOL :D She is very naughty ;)

Hi Seaburngirl. In the past I always thought that Clematis was C.macropetata, but someone on another forum told me it was C.montana. I had my doubts, but being the very unconfident person that I am, I gave in, and started to call it that.
However, I shall trust your better judgement :) C.macropetala it is from now on !

Thank you Herb :o)

Sarah, thank you, I didn't know I was so popular lol :o)))

Such a treat to see your really lovely garden again Hywel, you have some beautiful Spring colour there and so many pretty flowers.

Great to see you're back on GoY once again, Hywel! Hope to see you around a little more often again! Nice to see Bella around once again, too!

You have a pretty impressive garden there, Hywel! I love all the flowers you have there! The blues are such lovely colours at this time of the year when we mostly only see Bluebells.

The Clematis is a beauty! How's your front garden doing? We haven't seen a photo of it in such a long time now.

Thank you both :)

My front garden is doing quite well Balcony. I haven't taken any recent photos of it. I'll take a few soon.

waow, full of lovely spring colour, i love the miss indigo and blue star flowers, iv got a thing for blue flowers, always nice to see your garden hywel, welcome back

It all looks gorgeous, Hywel - so full and lush and colourful. I love the clematis, and the euphorbia - they are a favourite of mine.

(I don't know how you get away with pretending to be a bus pass holder!)

Thank you both :)

Melchisedec I will have had a bus pass for 4 yrs next week :O

Sent you a PM Hywel.

:)

How nice to see you back Hywel, you've been missed, as you've probably gathered from the comments.
You have some beautiful flowers and plants but like others I also loved the Lithodora, it is quite stunning. The uneven paving stone look fine to me, I don't like gardens which are too perfect. As for the Ribes between you and your neighbours, it looks so healthy it would be shame to lose it. I'd rather get rid of the wall.

Thank you :o)
I'm quite astounded by all these comments lol
As for the slabs, they can be a bit dangerous to walk on. After I've levelled them, they still won't be perfect, but I won't be afraid of falling :D

All looking very nice Hywel, nice to see you back... :)

Thank you :o)

sent you a pm, Hywel.....

ok thanks :)