Spring Shrubs

My little magnolia in late February

So many things are beginning  to bloom together  this year, after the warmest winter ever. 

      

                                                                                             Witch hazel flower                                                    Branch of witch hazel flowers        

My witch hazel flower, called Jelena, is  an interesting reddish colour and came out so early I didn't even realise it was in flower.  It was given to me when my son Charlie died and is in his memory. I keep an eye on it and was really surprised to find it had been in flower for several days before I saw it. 

Witch hazel 'Jelena' flowers

The other splendid shrub out now is the Magnolia stellata. Two years ago it nearly died (I think of drought, it was very dry that year and it didn't cross my mind to water it) but I am happy to see it seems to have  recovered completely. I shall certainly water it if we have another very dry spell. 

Magnolia stellata just coming out

The magnolia  has my lot of nettles under it. Nobody seems to notice them and as they planted themselves there, I leave them for the caterpillars  to eat them, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell or Comma. It's really a tiny lot of nettles but I reckon once the butterflies have found them, they will be used. 

Nettles rising in the new year

I also planted two 'indoor' plants I was given for Christmas, some daffodils and a blue hyacinth. The daffodil is a  very pretty small double. All the daffodils out of doors were eaten by something this year, perhaps this double one will escape next year! Last year all the primroses were eaten but this year they have escaped! The hyacinth is paler blue than the others in my garden and I have put it separately as I think it will look best on its own. I also have white, pink and blue ones as well.