Annual Spring Report 2023

It’s May 1st again, and time to check on the progress of spring.

We had a quite rainy and mild winter until March arrived with lots of snow and cold temperatures. April gave us some sunny weather, although cold at night. It is not often we see deep all-over snow disappear solely by the help of sunshine around here, – usually it is the wind and rain that gets the job done. We had a warm spell, so the woods suddenly turned into that beautiful spring green colour. The photo above is what it looked like about ten days ago.

Since then the weather has been more or less like in the photos above, with some short sunny spells which luckily melted away the white layers during daytime.

So the green has not progressed much, – it is more or less like it was ten days ago.

The borders of narcissi have large yellow buds, but the plum trees, or what is left of them, have no leaves or flowers yet. Just as well, as no bees or other insects are out and about during the showers of snow and hail anyway.

The narcissi by the south wall are in full bloom, but have been partly beaten down by the north wind and hail.

There are still more than 30 tulips by the other south wall. I think we planted a lot of reds, but yellow is now the dominant colour. The small group of tulips in the second photo was planted more than 30 years ago, and a few of them turn up still, – mostly yellow as well. We can also be very sure that the weeds will turn up, – every year. I persuade myself that it is not a bad thing altogether, as these are edible, and are full of vitamins and minerals and other good stuff. So if there is a famine, they might save our lives.

The white anemones pop up all over the socalled lawn, which we will not mow till the grass is quite long, and also the cuckoo flowers have had a chance to bloom. Lots of food for the bees.

Not a single rhododendron bush has shown its colour yet, not even the early red ones. We have a lot to look forward to still. The spirea bush has large buds, – compared to the size of the blooms, that is. The cherry laurel also has lots of buds.

We planted this primula last year, and I am happy that it has survived. Love the colour.

As usual, the flowering currant has been in bloom for a few weeks now, – lots of flowers this year.

The forsythia bush is also still in bloom, poor thing. It is quite old, but has always been a bit thin and straggly, – maybe the spot is too windy. It is still alive, though.

And here is another optimist popping its head up. Not many around yet, but there will be more. Although it is late this year, spring, and then summer, will eventually come.

🙂

Eldrid