the buds of spring

The bulbs Cliona planted in the winter are in full flight.

tulips galore

grape hyacinth

My neighbour and wine-maker Remy and his son-in-law Romaric came good on their promise to give me a heap of artichoke plants.

I planted them in the ground which my other neighbour, Monsieur Malbec, had kindly prepared for me with his tractor.

I will put potatoes into the other half of the patch.

The birds are all a-twitter, having found their Spring voices.

The roses are bursting with new leaf, green and coppery-red.

The hydrangeas have come back to life and we can see new buds of peony.

The lawns around Ellesmere have gone berserk so I am busy keeping them in check.