It is a while since I have updated this blog, but the weather has been such that I have been able to very little in the garden.

I see some of the bulbs I planted towards the end of 2008 have managed to push up through the snow. Penstemon in the top bed are looking very healthy and have quite a few new shoots. I never cut my penstemon back until after the worst of the winter weather. I know most of the books say to do it after flowering but they seem to do better for me if I leave them until the spring.

Whilst the ground has been covered in snow the birds have been feasting on any berries they can find in the garden. I think most berry carrying shrubs have now been stripped.

Mahonia Charity is heavy with flowers but they seem very reluctant to open fully.

With the garden mostly covered by snow, it has been great to have the amaryllis in flower in the house.

This was the first to flower. A lovely orange red. Just the one stem with 4 super blooms.

The second one to bloom was this gorgeous red and white one. It has two stems, the first produce 4 enormous blooms and the second bud is now opening and would seem to have another 4 flowers.

The last one has only produced one stem with just two blooms but the flowers are such a beatiful colour, creamy white, with a green throat and pale pink tips to the petals.

One of my orchids is in bud and the buds are getting bigger by the day so hopefully this will be well in flower by the time the amaryllis have finished flowering.

It has become much milder and the snow is thawing so hopefully some real gardening will begin soon.