Saturday 9 March 2013

Spring Garden Notes, with Additional Commentary by the Immortal Bard

I was drawn into the garden yesterday by a cacophony of croaking, to discover a huge number of these little chaps, basking in the sunshine in the pond. 


"Eye of Newt and toe of frog"
I counted at least 29 frogs, though it's hard to be sure as they kept diving and resurfacing, and it is not a large pond. (It does have a lot of duck weed though. I really must try and do something about that).  
I didn't see the newts, but they are there in the ooze at the bottom.
Anyway while I was in the garden I thought I'd see what other signs of spring I could find.
 " I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, 
Where oxlip and the nodding violet grows"

No wild thyme, mine is all cultivated, and the violets aren't out yet, but a clump of oxlips are in bloom

and dafodils


"Daffodils that come before the swallow dares,
And take the winds of March with beauty"


and primroses

"Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads"

and crocuses (croci?)

"Who with thy saffron wings upon my flowers
Diffusest honey drops"
and the rhubarb is starting to sprout

and I'm pretty sure Shakespeare didn't have anything to say about rhubarb, (lets face it, the last two were stretching it a bit), but I'm willing to be corrected. 

Edited: Thanks to Gillie who found this quote from  The Scottish Play:-

What rhubarb, cyme, or what purgative drug,
Would scour these English hence?

24 comments:

Barb said...

Lovely signs of spring Christine, but hope those frogs stay in that pond. Shall have to venture out into the garden to see if anything is out here, our violets have been out for ages .

Astrids dragon said...

Beautiful pictures, even the frogs!

Linda said...

Oh such wonderful signs of spring. I can only wish as our gardens are still under snow. It is raining right now and will not turn into snow until after sunset today,

Gillie said...

Macbeth, lol!

Mouse said...

love the frogs and quotes seem ok heheheh ... and spring is starting to show its self at the mouse house too whoop whoop :) love mouse xxxxx

sharon said...

It's wonderful to see such new signs of growth, not much of that here yet, hopefully soon! Your pictures are lovely!

Nicola said...

It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain

Julie said...

Such a lovely post Christine, its warmer where you are, my daffs are still all tight buds.

Diane said...

Ahhh, signs of Spring, lucky you, can't wait to see them here in snowy Michigan...though it is almost all melted away by the dreary rain...but, the plants need the moisture, so won't complain!!
(hey I almost made a poem...lol))

cucki said...

aww sweet pictures..
love for you x

AppleApricot Wen said...

o my, you have more spring there than we have here. It's actually snowing AGAIN here... Hugs, Wendy

Barbaral said...

Beautiful pictures, wonderful post!!!

Mylene said...

Beautiful flower pictures, even the frog ones... haven't seen much flowers here yet except snowdrops..We've had quite a sunny days last week with temperature around 12 degrees celcius now back to under 0 and had been snowing too.
Pretty cold today and coming days expected, feels like min 12 C because of the strong winds we are having especially here on the island.

Kerryp77 said...

Lovely spring pics except for the frogs *shivers go down spine* I squealed when I saw a clump of daffs at the bottom of the garden, they're like spring sunshine themselves

Carin said...

What a beautiful pictures, it looks like spring !
Overhere we got again snow yesterday and its still snowing ... I want spring too !!

Sally said...

That's a lot of frogs. I reckon they'll be pretty cold now!

Your flowers look beautiful.

Dani - tkdchick said...

Oh my goodness I would love it if we had signs of spring here!!!!

Carol said...

What a wonderful spring post--I woke up to more snow this morning so your lovely photos are much appreciated :)

Lesleyanne said...

Great pictures. That is a lot of frogs. Your flowers are beautiful.

Heidi Kuijer said...

How wonderful to see spring coming and including those special visitors. We have shot backwards into winter again and my plants look very sad about it.

I am reading a book about Cornwall at the moment. It is called Up With the Larks by Tessa Hainsworth. Do you know it?

I would love to see your charm bracelet. I wish I knew if my mother still had mine from when I was a girl. They are very in once again.

Hugs from Holland ~
Heidi

Stitchingranny said...

Oh I love spring in the garden, I am definitely a spring / summer girl. Spring means (well not last year but most years) that sunshine is on the way.
Catching up on blogs at the moment so wanted to say I love your upcycling projects especially the sea side (map) bag and the skirt, yep it looks like a skirt to me.

The Sage Butterfly said...

You have some gorgeous signs of spring. Those daffodils are lovely. I hear the frogs in the pond beyond the woods. I would love to catch a glimpse of them.

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

How lovely that runner is :)
And the froggies are still asleep here ... but I can imagine their pretty songs and can't wait until the awaken :)
Thank you for sharing!

ketz said...

Those daffodils are really lovely. We can feel the spring now and I'm happy to watch my garden blooming.

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