The days are lengthening, everywhere flowers are appearing, it is that delightful and energising time of the year again. Still under strict lockdown here in Ireland, many of us are giving full attention to our gardens, it is also the right time of the year for it, and the pleasure that being busy with plans and engaging in the actual garden work must not be underestimated. And so that is what I am doing too. We can still only go out 5km from our front door and although I have plans to go further afield and I have things in mind to photograph and write about, this will have to wait. Latest news is that maybe lockdown won’t be lifted until the end of April. Meanwhile everyone’s hair gets longer and longer! 🙂
A few delicate tulips are flowering inside, they are wonderful and have opened a week or two ago. Their colours are pastel pink and yellow. I bought the bulbs last year. They are called Tulipa Foxtrot. I really love them and was glad that they could withstand growing inside which probably made them last longer.Here is my mood board for this summer’s flowers in our garden. As you can see I am planning to grow a lot more flowers, some of which I have just sowed yesterday. But central to my plan are a few perennials, to start off with I plan to buy a Daphne shrub and a dwarf lilac tree . I love their scent. I have this vision of a bench surrounded by flowers and I’m hoping for a lovely warm summer, so that Ian can enjoy sitting in the garden and soak up the beauty of it. To me it means creating, in cooperation with nature of course, and creating is good for the soul.
Some baby hyacinth bulbs rescued
These mini daffodils are very fragrant
Last year I started to grow more flowers from bulbs and many are coming up again this spring, they have given us immense pleasure by their beauty and seeing them come up and waiting for them to bloom is also exciting. Even the lilies are doing well and I have those in the kitchen. Beginning of the season my kitchen is more of a greenhouse in actual fact, seedlings, plants, bulbs, soil testing, it all goes on in my kitchen, and I like to be surrounded by it all. Until the weather improves and it can all go happily outside.Seed packets ready for sowing.
And during late winter I had another go at clearing our shed. I did get a bit side-tracked though, first by this most beautiful peacock butterfly, it was hibernating but I accidently disturbed it. After taking the photo it settled down again and I have not seen it since, I do hope it survives.
I also hope that nobody minds my photos of the spiders, these are Steatoda grossa, although I think the light coloured one is a Steadoda nobilis. They also live in our shed and I have become quite fascinated by them. There are at least a few of them.
Steatoda noblis ?
Steatoda grossa
My solution for not having a greenhouse to protect tender shoots from constant harsh rain and wind.
And because we are experiencing such a lot of rain and stormy weather this spring, lets just say it is cosy inside and there is such a variety of activities or just sharing some time with Ian in the evening in front of a warm fire. At the same time I say…roll on dry and warmer weather so that I can spend days creating our garden. If you have noticed that my English is not flowing, the reason for this is that I am absorbed in writing in my mother tongue everyday for the past month, I am presently in a Flemish mode. It is nice!
I hope that everyone is keeping well. I think that I am very behind again with reading all your blogs, so from tonight onward I will make a start with that again, looking forward to connect.
Thank you, it is a great way of preparing for the coming growing season, I find a mood board works for me in whatever I am planning, inside or out. Enjoy your plans too.
Lovely post, Agnes. Looking ahead to the gardening season rejuvenates and excites. I’ve planted some Viola and Verbena seeds, but the rest I will wait to direct sow. I hope you see the sun soon!
Hi Eliza, thank you for your comment. Verbena sounds lovely and viola too. Like you I will be sowing straight in the soil but will have to wait for that as too cold yet. Happy times!
Lieve Agnes, wat een leuke blog! Goh, ik zou zo graag kunnen toveren, dan tover ik mezelf bij jou in jouw omgeving en dan zou ik eindeloos snuisteren tussen alle scheutjes, zaadjes en in het laboratorium van je keuken.
Geniet van al je ‘gepriegel’ en ik hoop dat je tuin almaar rijker en rijker wordt!
Genegen groet!
Dank u hoor Chantal, je zou er zeker van genieten dat weet ik en je zou heel welcome zijn! Je plantje doet het heel goed het is nu echt heerlijk aan’t groeien.
We love all the pictures and messages. You are a very good photographer. I particularly like the Butterfly. Rede Admiral seems a strange name. I have found something that suggests it was Red Admirable
Thank you very much Colin for your encouraging words. The butterfly in this post is a peacock butterfly, or you maybe referring to another post? But thank you all the same! 🙂
Thank you Sarah, visualisation is a good way to achieve something isn’t it, it works for me too. Yes those tulips are still flowering and giving so much pleasure.
Yes I will be very busy, happily busy though. Yes it’s been the wettest spring ever, the garden is showing it alright. Happy gardening to you. How are your bees?
Lovely bright colours – I’m reading backwards so this was quite a contrast to the lovely soft day at the coast. Thanks to my wife we currently have seed trays everywhere. It will be worth it, but it’s a bit tricky navigating round the house at the moment.
agoyvaerts 
I love your mood board. I have been thumbing through flower catalogs and making plans. I am looking forward to seeing your blooms in the summer.
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Thank you, it is a great way of preparing for the coming growing season, I find a mood board works for me in whatever I am planning, inside or out. Enjoy your plans too.
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Lovely post, Agnes. Looking ahead to the gardening season rejuvenates and excites. I’ve planted some Viola and Verbena seeds, but the rest I will wait to direct sow. I hope you see the sun soon!
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Hi Eliza, thank you for your comment. Verbena sounds lovely and viola too. Like you I will be sowing straight in the soil but will have to wait for that as too cold yet. Happy times!
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Lieve Agnes, wat een leuke blog! Goh, ik zou zo graag kunnen toveren, dan tover ik mezelf bij jou in jouw omgeving en dan zou ik eindeloos snuisteren tussen alle scheutjes, zaadjes en in het laboratorium van je keuken.
Geniet van al je ‘gepriegel’ en ik hoop dat je tuin almaar rijker en rijker wordt!
Genegen groet!
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Dank u hoor Chantal, je zou er zeker van genieten dat weet ik en je zou heel welcome zijn! Je plantje doet het heel goed het is nu echt heerlijk aan’t groeien.
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All that colour is delicious.
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Thank you Jean, colour is so uplifting isn’t it!
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Thank you,
We love all the pictures and messages. You are a very good photographer. I particularly like the Butterfly. Rede Admiral seems a strange name. I have found something that suggests it was Red Admirable
C
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Thank you very much Colin for your encouraging words. The butterfly in this post is a peacock butterfly, or you maybe referring to another post? But thank you all the same! 🙂
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Lovely blooms, butterfly, and pens for summer. We now have three Daphne odoratas.
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Hi Derrick, thank you for your comment. How do you like your Daphne odoratas? Are they easy enough to grow?
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They are slow growing but worth it. My comment should have read plans for pens
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Thanks, slow growing is all right, looking forward to flowers though.
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I love your mood board – I can almost see your garden come alive as I look at it! And those delicate tulips are gorgeous 🙂
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Thank you Sarah, visualisation is a good way to achieve something isn’t it, it works for me too. Yes those tulips are still flowering and giving so much pleasure.
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You have been busy and will be busy with all those seeds. Just wish it would dry up a little
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Yes I will be very busy, happily busy though. Yes it’s been the wettest spring ever, the garden is showing it alright. Happy gardening to you. How are your bees?
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Only seen a couple yet. Still a bit cool
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Finally the weather seems to have turned a corner.
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Lovely bright colours – I’m reading backwards so this was quite a contrast to the lovely soft day at the coast. Thanks to my wife we currently have seed trays everywhere. It will be worth it, but it’s a bit tricky navigating round the house at the moment.
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SO NICE xxx
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Thank you xxxx
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