Mainly Tulips

One of the magical things about tulips is that they look so amazing at every stage of their development. Their leaves are sculptural in the first place, then their buds are so perfectly egg-like, after that there is a huge diversity in shape, colour and size - and in the end, when they die, they are even more fascinating. 

Blowsy tulips

 I forgot to mention, the satisfaction of the way the stalks snap off when you pick them. Fantastic plant. If you grow a wide variety, they can also have a very long season. 

                                                  Cast out tulips growing in the flower beds

This year the earliest were the ones I chucked out into the garden when I was emptying the pots after they had flowered last year. Practically all of them came up again in April, smaller than before, but looking really attractive growing haphazardly among all the early greenery. This has not happened before so, again I think it is to do with all the mulching I've been dong in recent years. After them, came some big blowsy white ones, and the tiny dwarf red and yellow ones which come up reliably every year. 

                                      

               Dwarf tulip 'Bright Gem'                                Dwarf tulip 'Little Beauty' among forget-me-nots

Now the elegant spiky -flowered ones in the pots are opening out - I seem to have gone for black and white this year (I'd forgotten). The black ones will flower a little later, adding length to the tulip season. 

Spiky tulip 'Sapporo' growing with 'Queen of the Night' -  still in bud

Vegetable-wise, the three Italian Giant parsley seedlings I planted out a week or two ago are thriving. When they get to a good size I look forward to having mounds of parsley in absolutely everything I cook. 

Wildlife-wise the foxes lead their mysterious lives. I discovered a large terra cotta pot  which acts as a sort of focal point completely overturned one morning. I brought this pot back from Ireland about twenty years ago. It was made by Nicholas Mosse in Kilkenny, better known for his decorated tableware which is enchanting.  Perhaps the parent fox I see in the garden lets the cubs play here at night?  But the pot is big and  heavy - I can't imagine how they managed to knock it over. 

 Last week  a friend just down the road discovered a mother fox and three very young cubs had made their home under her shed.  They are adorable to watch and the mother does watch them anxiously all the time.  It's hard work being a mother.