The grape hyacinth flows like a river of blue alongside backyard borders, hedgerows and woodland areas. A small, hardy plant that does not appear to thoughts the chilly. It has patiently waited for the bees whereas the crocuses withered in late frosts.
These plump, purple-blue flowers are receiving many bee guests as spring awakens.
Like our toadflax, grape hyacinth spreads rapidly to fill beds and borders. In the event you do not thoughts flowers that select the place they wish to go (I do not thoughts, that is my concept of lazy gardening), then grape hyacinth seems fairly when planted underneath bushes and left to wander throughout the garden (a really charming planting scheme I’ve seen in neighboring gardens).
In the event you choose a tidier backyard, you might strive planting grape hyacinth in a spring container as an Easter current for the bees. However I am unable to promise it’s going to keep contained.
I got here throughout just a few backyard escapees throughout a neighborhood stroll. Grape hyacinth and cowslips bolting underneath the gate.
The dandelions are additionally popping out and a few are rising up within the bushes.
The soil continues to be too moist in our backyard to do a lot – not that a lot must be carried out. Mulching our beds and containers with gravel, bark or leaves in October has helped to decelerate the expansion of weeds this spring, though the lengthy, chilly winter has most likely helped too.
After a second serving of snow in March we put the bee home again within the shed to maintain heat. I additionally anticipated the frogspawn to freeze however it has survived. Nevertheless, we did lose one among our goldfish, Zachary, after the thaw. John buried him on the backside of the backyard with our different two fish underneath the stones.
When the climate frustrates your gardening, as in beekeeping, there’s little else to do however make plans. I have been eyeing up the lungwort (pulmonaria) that is sprung up uninvited in my father or mother’s backyard (and which my step dad calls ‘weed’). It will look good rising within the shade of our ivy.
The lungwort hasn’t made itself any extra common by planting itself proper exterior my father or mother’s entrance door. This busy flight path resulted in a standoff between bees and people every time the door was opened. I’d present you a close-up photograph of those decided little bugs, however I am not capable of bend down as simply with my digital camera nowadays.
John and I predict our personal new arrival in July. For now, the bees, birds, fish and frogs can care for themselves, and I believe they may do exactly high quality.
NEXT POST: Within the bee backyard from Might to June.