now that April’s (t)here.

 

 

Because this year, it seems as though Spring has been a long time coming and now it’s finally arrived, we appreciate it all the more.

 

 

It looks as though the plants in the garden have been waiting to burst into flower and the number of primroses in the hedgerows is remarkable.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many.

 

 

Almost all self-seeded in our garden, the range of colours is delightful and I imagine we have the birds to thank for the planting?

 

 

Spring colours are lovely and a little sunshine this morning drew me outside with my camera.

 

 

I love the buds on this willow tree, which break out into fuzzy pompoms.

 

 

The fuzziness catches the sunshine and looks lovely against the sky, too.

 

 

We plant a few grape hyacinths – muscari - each year to add to the little clumps here and there.  I usually cut a few to bring inside but this year there have been so few until now, I’ve left them to bloom in the garden instead.

 

 

My favourite isn’t a flower at all, though, but this gorgeous lichen which has been growing steadily on a gate post for several years.  I love the colours, the shapes and the texture of it.  Whenever I’m in that part of the garden, I pay it a visit and see how it’s doing.

 

 

This morning I had a surprise.  The opposite gate post has begun to cultivate its own baby lichen!

 

So, although I’m thinking that last Sunday, we were in Central Park, enjoying the sunshine with Jordi, having lunch behind the red curtain in the Parker Meridien and leaving Michaels without all my purchases, on this Sunday, it’s good to be at home.