weekly photo challenge: seasons

This February has been the mildest and warmest we have known since moving here. Usually it can be very cold with periods of -5C to -9C overnight and sometimes much colder. A few days ago it was 20C during the afternoon, so it’s no surprise that the garden is a bit advanced and we have primroses in full bloom.

These are also some of the first photos I’ve taken with my new phone (Moto G 3rd gen.) and I’m really pleased with the results, a great improvement on my old iPhone 4.

This post is inspired by the WordPress weekly photo challenge, this week the challenge being seasons.

Spring flowers

It’s going to be one of those spring Auvergne weeks weatherwise, with daytime temperatures ranging between 16C – 19C but below freezing at night.

In the garden lots of spring flowers both cultivated and wild are now at their best, the first to appear were the crocuses, but these are now over, with the  violets and primroses taking the main stage. All these early flowers are much appreciated by the many bee species we have in and visiting the garden.

The narcissus and cowslips are now also out along with some grape hyacinth, though the daffodils need another few days to open.

narcissus

narcissus

cowslips

cowslips

daffodils

grape hyacinth

narcissi

Elsewhere in the garden the flowering currant and forsythia are just coming into flower and the wild garlic and bluebells are putting on lots of growth. Even the humble daisy is welcome at this time of the year.

forsythia

flowering currant

wild garlic

bluebells

daisy

 

 

wordless wednesday: First Primroses

Spring is here

 

In the meteorological world, March 1st is the first day of spring and the garden is beginning to pull itself out of winter, with primroses appearing on a sunny bank and daffodils showing through the earth.

first primroses

First signs of winter coming to an end

first primroses.

First broad beans sown….

The snow has finally melted from the garden and we have restarted work on the raised beds. I’ve sown the first batch of broad beans in pots and will start them all off this way in batches every 2/3 weeks.

Also the weather has suddenly turned very mild here as the thermometer shows! Its never got much over 2c for a few weeks.

The warmer weather and the thaw has brought out the primroses. Next exterior planting will be the shallots, as soon as the raised bed is completed!