As usual I have a few photos taken during this last month that wouldn’t make a post by themselves, but by putting them together they make a mixed bag for February. I’ll start with a couple of sunrises, they have been spectacular this month, but you have to be up early to catch them.
Half six in the morning.
This looked a really angry sky when I first parted the curtains, but it was followed by a lovely cold but sunny day.
Morning sky.
Stay in bed too long and you miss it!
Sunrise through the trees.
No two mornings are the same.
The undergardener had to make do with looking at my photos, he was always sound asleep when I got up!
He’s back!
Did I say the other day, that I hadn’t heard the pheasant on the field? I still haven’t heard him, but I see him now that he is coming every day to the bird feeder to see what the other birds have dropped. Sorry about the reflections but I had to photograph him through the back door.
Male pheasant.
He looks so handsome standing in the sunlight, the colours of his feathers are so beautiful, they glow like a stained glass window.
Dive bombed by pigeons.
Two of our wood pigeons took exception to the pheasant eating the food that other birds had dropped and repeatedly dive bombed him until eventually he wandered away. He is a handsome bird but I hope he leaves my snakeshead fritillaries alone this year. The first buds are already there in the woodland and the pheasants are very partial to fritillary buds!
Hippeastrum.
My first Hippeastrum, Black Pearl did get darker and darker before it finally faded away, I’m now waiting for the 2nd flower stalk to grow to flowering height. My second Hippeastrum, Purple Rain is now flowering, but the reason for its name is eluding me, so far I can’t see any of the colour purple!
Snowdrops and Cornus.
The snowdrops in the bed by the front drive are increasing each year. I moved some wild ones and some Galanthus Atkinsii here about 5 years ago and they are doing well.
Snowdrops and Cornus.
There are also narcissus which will flower later and primroses which are left to seed around further back in the border.
Betula jaquemontii with cornus and snowdrops.
Betula ermanii with snowdrops.
All the silver birches planted in the border between the red stemmed Cornus contrast with each other, the white of the bark links in with the white of the snowdrops and I hope make a nice picture through the winter months. The icing on the cake is when all the snowdrops are in flower at their feet. As soon as the snowdrops are over, it is time for the chop and all the Cornus stems will be coppiced so that we will then have the bright red colour next winter.
This last week has been very cold but dry, thank goodness, so work has been going on at a frantic rate, trying to beat the next lot of rain which is coming across the Atlantic! There is so much work to do with not being able to get onto the garden for so long as it was so boggy, at the moment I feel there aren’t enough hours in the day, do you feel the same?
Hi Pauline,
Your sunrise pictures are stunning! And, they are all different, aren’t they? Now that we’re retired, I seem to sleep later and later! Guess I’ll have to enjoy the sunrise vicariously through your pictures. I love your pheasant. They are such beautiful birds. We had all kinds of wildlife here that we no longer see. I think it’s because we now have coyote. Your gardens are coming to life more and more every post. I love the cornus and want to see if I can grow it here. Wishing you dry weather and lots of fun in the garden!
Since We’ve been retired Sally, I seem to get up with the birds, the dawn chorus here is amazing in the spring! How interesting to have coyote in your garden, I can understand that your other wildlife is keeping a low profile.
The last week has been wonderful, being able to get out each day in the garden has made such a difference to how the garden looks, though there is still lots more to do.
It seems to have been an attractive February although a wet one. You pheasant is beautiful. I might be ready to give us some snakeshead fritillaries for such a bird but I expect he also likes many other garden plants.
It has certainly been a wet February Alain, we just hope that we can dry out now. The pheasant likes lots of the flowers in the garden, but the snakeshead fritillaries are his all time favourite!
Beautiful sunrises, surpassed only by that magnificent pheasant!xxx
I wouldn’t have thought it could be the same pheasant each year Dina, but why do they always arrive in the garden just when the snakeshead fritillaries are coming into flower. How do they know that their favourite food is almost ready?
He is a beautiful bird.. If he fills himself up with bird seed maybe he won’t eat his greens?
I agree Jessica, he is a very handsome bird but I think he would want his seed and his greens and I feel I mustn’t encourage him!
I didn’t realize pheasants were so grand. Looks like first cousin to a peacock. Nice to see your Snowdrops in full bloom.
They are beautiful Jason and such big birds too. They are quite dainty as they wander through the birders, giving a hop, skip and a jump if any plants are in his way, it’s just that he takes a bite out of any flower he is passing. They are famous for eating fritillaries, one of their favourite foods!
The snowdrops are increasing ever so well in the front border, they will soon need dividing again to make more of a drift, it will have to be another year, too much still to do already!
Such a beautiful pheasant! Too bad they’re such a menace to your fritillaries. Gorgeous skies and I’m a bit jealous of your predicted sunny weather as we’re supposed to have a rather wet and windy couple of weeks. Oh well, in like a lion and all.
He is gorgeous isn’t he Peter, I just wish he would leave my plants alone! This last week has made such a difference to the garden, being able to get out and tidy up winter mess has been wonderful, still lots to do though!
The sunrises have been wonderful recently haven’t they? I wonder whether I’m enjoying them all the more because of the incessant grey days of the preceding months, still, as you say, better weather has come at in time to allow us to get on with much needed work in the garden. Your snowdrops are both lovely accents to the cornus and a nice echo of the birch bark, beautifully planned. I shall keep my fingers crossed for the fritillaries.
You could be right Kate, the contrast with the dull days of February, makes the sunrises more beautiful, it was really wonderful being able to get out into the garden once more and tackle all the winter detritus.
I’m keeping my beady eye on my fritillary buds, this pheasant seems to creep around the garden without announcing his prescence as in previous years, I don’t know if it’s the same one or not. I still have plan B which could be put into operation if rusty pheasant fails!
Beautiful sunrises Pauline; perhaps the Under-gardener would like to be woken to see them!!! I love the combination of Birches, Cornus and snowdrops – Perfect. I hope the weather stays dry for a while longer; don’t over do it Pauline.
I can assure you Christina, that the undergardener is more than happy just to look at my photos! I think the only time I have gone and woken him was when a dragonfly was emerging from its chrysallis at the side of the pond. We sat there in our dressing gowns drinking tea at 5 am watching it, a moment never to be forgotten!
Our dry weather has come to an end, but maybe, with a bit of luck, I’ll get more done tomorrow.
Sunrises like those make getting up early worth the effort. Love the photos of the pheasant. And the snowdrops with the red stems of the cornus are lovely.
I’m an early bird anyway Pat, so it is no hardship to get up before the sun! I’m glad you like the snowdrops with the cornus stems, they brighten my day, each day as I go in and out of the house.
I love the betula, curnus and snowdrop combination and thank you for the timely reminder to coppice the cornus, something I tend to forget! A lovely set of photos Pauline with your handsome pheasant and lovely sunrises. Glad to hear your weather has pemitted some work in the garden. No sign of spring here yet though it is lovely that the days are getting longer and lighter!
Thanks Denise, the combo in the front brightens up my day when I go in and out. It will be a couple of weeks until I get round to coppicing the cornus and if spring hasn’t arrived with you yet, I think I would delay cutting yours for a while. I hope your snow soon goes and that spring is just around the corner for you!
Hope you haven’t been battered too much by wind and rain today Pauline – bit of a damp squib here but now sunny enough to go outside and get things done in the garden. Good to see your mixed bag of things – we experienced some lovely sunrises mid month too. I noticed them especially when I went swimming as the pool’s windows face east and you see the skies changing as you swam up and down – beautiful!
We have had quite a lot of hail Cathy, and the wind has been horrendous, I just hope my poor little flowers have coped with it all ok! You must go swimming awfully early in the morning!
Yes definitely worth being up early to see sunrises like that, Pauline. Its so nice that we have managed to have a few dry and sunny days towards the end of the month. Plus the days are getting noticeably longer now. What a perfect combo, the red-stemmed cornus and the snowdrops.
Today has been more like winter than spring with gales and hail Annie! At least the rain is falling vertically now, at lunch time, the hail was horizontal! The weather last week made me feel that the garden had turned a corner, with the birds singing, lots of sunshine and lighter mornings and evenings. Glad you like the Cornus with snowdrops, I’m very happy with how they look together, a combination that lasts for about a month.
Your weather sounds stressful. Hope it moves out quickly and you have some calm. The pheasant is really a magnificent looking creature. Too bad he’s partial to your fritillaries.
The wind is still howling Susie, but today is supposed to be much better! Mr P is a beautiful bird, but at this time of the year, I wish he would stay on the fields next door!