Fritillaries

This year all the spring flowers are magnificant due, I suppose, to the very wet, mild winter and lack of severe frosts knocking things back. Some of the loveliest spring bulbs are Fritillaries. Ours are growing in a patch close to the rockery and pond which has a rather old and holey plastic membrane with gravel and stones covering it.

Snakeshead Fritillaries

The name Fritillary comes from the Latin term for a dice-box (fritillus) after the checkered pattern of the flowers. We have various colours: purple with cream and the reverse, and some creamy white with very pale mauve markings. The Wikipedia entry for fritillaria shows other colours and patterns. They always seem rather special but actually are very easy to grow and if you leave the flower heads to set seed they will increase by self-sowing. Make sure over-zealous weeders don't mistake the young leaves for couch grass and pull them up. The first Fritillaries I saw were on the banks of the River Anker in Tamworth Castle Grounds and had obviously arrived there by wind or on swan's or other bird's feet.

Night life

It's my job to put the rubbish out before turning in for the night. Of course these days it's not just "the bin" but the glass bottles & jars to the glass jars red recycling box, plastic and tins to the other, compostable stuff to the purpose-built green bin with a lid (which the mice have chewed through anyway), bread, pastry and meaty bits thrown onto the lawn for the early birds (and cats and foxes) and the everything else into the actual dustbin.

Thankfully we have security light that comes on as I open the back door. At this time of year, right through to Autumn, I have to be careful where I put my feet to avoid the slugs and snails and the worms which retract with amazing speed into their holes. Last night I nearly squigged a newt which was sitting right on the doorstep.

Haven't yet heard any frogs and only seen one little one out at night. Should be out and doing by now; maybe they've up and went with the very mild weather. When we first moved here there was a lot more vegetation, russian vine and ivy everywhere, and these were home to frogs and big black toads. At night the back yard was hopping and crawling and we had to shut the back door quickly to avoid the critters jumping in!.

Daffodils

This year, the early warm spring has brought out the spring bulbs and in particular a great display of daffodils. Daffodils are also called Lent Lilies and certainly they have been flowering right through Lent.

Orange trumpet daffodil

Daffs at the front of our cottage

Pale yellow daffs

Yellow daffodils