Six on Saturday – 6th March 2021

Another lovely spring day after a cold week. So busy day clearing weeds today.

1. This is one of robin’s friend’s favourite places.

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  Robin

2. A new bird box built by my son in his woodwork class last term. Already being inspected by blue tits.

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  Bird box

3. Willow catkins. Great for bumblebees. We saw our first bee last Sunday, then no more till another one today. Haven’t managed to get photo yet though.

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  Willow

4. One of my favourite spring flowers – primroses.

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  primrose

5. The larger daffs are all opening too now.

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  Daffodils

6. It is so nice to see fresh green shoots emerging.

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  New shoots

Thank you to The Propagator for hosting Six on Saturday.

Prolific Primroses

The primroses in the hedgerow bank near our house are flowering in prolific profusion.

Primroses

There are always primroses here. The dappled shade from the hawthorn trees is just the kind of habitat they thrive in. The primroses are one of the few spring flowers that got off to an early start this year, despite our cold spring. So it may be that the surrounding grass isn’t as high as it would normally be.

So the flowers can be seen in all their gorgeous glory. I only wish I could share with you the beautiful, rich scent they were exuding as I took photographs of them this evening.

Primroses

Primroses

 

Primroses

Primroses are one of favorite spring flowers. They seem to be flowering early this year. At the edge of our garden, there are the remains of a hedgerow. It used to be a field boundary but these days it just has a few old hawthorn trees, and one or two bushes of gorse. The trees are planted on top of a soil bank and at the top of the hill the bank is particularly steep and each spring it is carpeted in primroses. The snails or slugs seem to like the flowers too, as many of the flower petals have chunks missing out of them.

Primroses

The scientific name for our native primrose is Primula vulgaris. There is also a salmon pink variety, which is much less common but also thought to be native. In fact, I know where some grow in our neigbourhood. In Ireland, primroses are typically found growing in hedgerows, woodlands and roadside banks.

Primrose

 

Spring is coming

It may be cold outside but there is a definite feeling of spring in the air. The birds are singing and chasing each other around the garden, and stocking up on peanuts.

bluetit

The flowers seem to be coming in small flurries but I love the bright daffodils. So far only the dwarf ones are open but the others are not far off.

Daffodils

Daffodils

snowdrops

 

And the primrose are flowering in the bank by the hedgerow. They are one of my favorite wildflowers.

Primrose

And for the early pollinators food is becoming available, so I am sure if it warms up a couple of degrees we will start to see a few early hoverflies and bumblebees. Willow is an excellent early pollen provider. This is a cultivated willow, always one of the earliest to have catkins and pollen in my garden. The wild willows are usually a couple of weeks behind it.

Willow catkins

Plenty of pollen

 

Gorse, another early flower

Wood sorrel just showing