Treasures of the snow

We need more of this! It is quite sunny at the moment. My snowdrops are coming out, and my half-barrel pond is now crystal clear after two years since I refilled it. Hurrah!

Ah the delights of spring colour. So pretty.

you have sun melchi? lucky you. i have nearly two inches of snow on the garden

i have snowdrops under the snow!

thats great news about your pond ~ do you know why it has now gone clear? do you have a picture? i have a half barrel but its not looking too good at the moment!

thanks oliveoil, lovely arent they but im cheating really ~ i havent grown them ~ just bought them. i thought they were quite reasonable so i bought two! hope they keep going and survive a few years now; i went looking for snowflakes!! [the bulb type] but no one has them!

They are lovely Sticki - nice to have the colour. The only plant I have in flower was bought just before christmas, so I think I'm kinda cheating too...lol!

The others are 'nearly there' but not quite!

mine are hidden apart from these scottish!

hope the rest of yours come out soon.

They are so bright and happy looking Sticki.
Are they Anemone ranunculoides? I have lots of these around the Big leaf maple base and they miltiply readily.
Unfortunately I can never see them as they bloom very early. My neighbour usually sends me a picture. I love their leaves as well but they die off around June . I have more and more of them each year. I know you will enjoy them year after year. They are very cheerful.

thanks klahanie
i bought a pot last year but i havent seen them back this year yet ~there is a possibility they are still under a stone where i put the pond?

the label says 'winter aconite' [eranthis cilicica]

what a shame you miss yours ~ i think they are so lovely and i love the leaves too ~ very like anemone leaves.

Lovely and cheery!

I'm a bit jealous because mine haven't appeared :(

i cheated geranium gem ~ neither had mine so i bought this!!!

Lovely sunny spring colour! X

Lol, good idea :o))

Thanks Beverley!

Sometimes you just have to I think gem!

What are these flowers, Sticki?

we call these winter aconite katarina, bit like buttercups arent they?

I see.

they are lovely and bright just what we need at the moment to cheer us up with this cold weather :)))))

Thanks mark, that's what I thought too!

Simply beautiful Sticki....perfect antidote to this weird weather ! Roll on Spring !!

thanks BB, this one was open because i had just bought it so had it in the kitchen for a few minutes, ever since i put it outside its been closed!!! [cant blame it can you!]

Lovely Sticki cheers me up thank you :0)

thats good sue, thanks, it cheers me up too!

I had to refill the barrel after it was polluted by a grey resin "fairy" that fell into it two or three years ago. It happened just before a prolonged spell of sub-zero weather. I hadn't noticed and it stayed under the water for ages. By the time I removed it, the water was full of strange purple globs of jelly! I had no fish, luckily. So I refilled it. I remember Charle Dimmock saying that a newly-filled pond usually clears after its second spring. It seems an age at the time, but I have noticed this to be true. It's been murky for about two years or more. But now it's lovely and clear, so I expect it to stay pretty much that way now.

And like just about everyone, we've had grey weather followed by snow which has now turned to wet slush. But by all accounts, it should be gone by the morning. Here's hoping!

i hope the slush has gone by the morning because if not its going to be horribly icy ~ there is still ice and snow around here.

ooooh er that water spirit/fairy doesnt sound as if it was good for the water?!!

i only set up my barrel last year so im not quite sure what to expect, i havent got it right yet ~ i had two plants in it but they arent very happy right now!

It does take a couple of years for a pond (especially a small one) to settle down. You may have to wait until after next spring, though. I have a floating weed in mine. Before I had to change it all, it had grown so much the birds could stand on it. I really liked it though - I thought I'd bought the same type again, but I don't think I did. It's very similar though, and seems to have survived so far.

how many plants would you put in a small pond?

Well - I only have one in a pot, and it is supposed to be just below the surface. It keeps falling in, and I keep trying to stand it in a stable position. It did flower beautifully in late summer, though. I'm not really the person to give you advice. I went for the weed in the first place because it just had to be thrown in! I like to think that if I had a pond it would be beautifully planted up, but a barrel is slightly different - all one depth and no soil.

thanks melchi, i have bricks in my barrel to give a bit of a different level, maybe i will ask in the local GC where i got the other plants?

I've got bricks, too, but the plant still keeps falling over (it was taller than I expected!) I'm sure the GC will have good advice. When the weather's better, I'll have a go at providing a stable platform. I know what the problem is - I've got a layer of very attractive but rather impractical cobbles at the bottom. Now that it's clear, I'll be more motivated to sort it properly - I'll move some of the stones and set a couple of bricks on the bottom.

mine kept falling over too, if it survives the winter i will have to put a stick in to keep it upright but if it doesnt i shall buy lower growing things!

i want to put a yellow flag iris in

Beautiful colour .....

Thanks Shirley, like your new avatar.

Thanks, Sticki ... I got fed up with being a Hellebore! Have changed to an Anemone for a while ... :o)

And a beautiful coloured one too!

:o)))

It's so pretty! I bought one last year and it flowered for months....but I can't see it yet...but then, the leaves are very dark and hard to spot in the earth...lets hope it is n it's way!

A stunning photo Sticki ,so clear and bright !

I found some of mine hiding under a stone karen! hope you find yours.

thanks amy! they are such bright little flowers arent they!

A really beautiful photo Sticki....

Well, mine could also be list under a stone come to think of it! Thanks Sticki!

Love these little flowers and they are just what is needed at this time of year.

Very nice Sticki....:>)

Thank you DD and motinot, I do agree wildrose, bit of cheerfulness!

looks like ranunculus brazen hussy - very pretty

I can't remember the label saying that? I will have to check.

don't think it is Brazen hussy - justs looks similar :)

it just says

Winter Aconite [Eranthis cilicica] on the label

yes and very nice -I like aconite

I wouldnt have bought one with that other name!!!