So what was that flower in my garden?

Earlier on this spring I posted a photo of some stems coming up in my garden and asked if anyone knew what they were. Well now I can show you.

These are Snakes Head Fritilary, folfalarium as they are called in Staffordshire.

If you visit my new blog beyond my gate you can follow a walk around a local nature reserve which has the most northerly population of Snakes Head Fritillary in Britain. 

To finish with just a couple of pictures of one of our mornings this week

Enjoy

Helibores and Hawthorn

I really enjoy Spring, so much to look at and enjoy, things that in a couple of weeks I will be taking for granted but at the moment are fresh and exciting. I saw my first swallows for 2010 on Sunday 11th April, later than usual and this morning I spent 5 minutes or so watching and listening to a chiffchaff on a walk home from village, I was so excited I had to phone Mr Smith so he could share in the moment, neither the swallows or chiffchaff  sightings were from my garden though, so I cannot include them on my bird list, maybe today will be the day.
I can, though, report that the hawthorn has started to flower and my helibores are again stunning, I only have a couple of groups, but they give such a lift to the back hedge.

My glorious helibores

Hawthorn

Happy Easter

My first daffodils of this spring, just in time to cut a few for Easter. SO late this year.

Happy Easter everyone

This isn't supposed to happen in April

I was convinced that the evidence of the huge snowflakes that fell last night would have vanished by the time I got up this morning, so what a shock to see the fields and common covered in snow. I know that Scotland has had some terrible conditions and this is nothing compared to that but this is Staffordshire and I wasn't expecting to see this in April.
So with the risk of boring you all with yet more pictures of snow I had to document it.

And even the hawthorn hedge didn't provide enough shelter for these helebores 

I had to go out for most of the day, needless to say the blue sky has vanished behind grey clouds and all the snow has been washed away by the rain, so back to normality again.