Spring has sprung with snow

A cold start to March; and a cold start to Spring. 

Spring started on 1st March, based on the meteorological calendar. The seasons are defined as Spring (March, April, May), Summer (June, July, August), Autumn (September, October, November) and Winter (December, January, February).

It's feeling way too cold to be Spring, with snow falling this morning. 

Above: crocus covered in a dusting of fresh snow. 

Above: Dogwood/cornus looks really vibrant with a snowy backdrop! A great Winter shrub-framework with brightly coloured stems.

Above: Carex grass, I think this one is called 'frosted curls'.

Above: Carex buchananii bronze coloured grass.

I think I prefer the 20th March for the official beginning of Spring (astronomical calendar)!

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

Frosty Mornings

Its been a bit frosty over the past week. Last year it was bitterly cold on St Patrick's Day and I had to delay planting potatoes for a month. In 2013 we also had a big snow around 20th March - who knows what will happen this year. I do love photographing frost and snow! Its just so pretty especially on a bright, sunny day.

I've been holding off sowing seed but am starting to get the itch to sow!

Left: frost covered stone and fern fronds.

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

Spring has hopefully arrived

Spring seems to have arrived... 

The weather over the past two weeks went from very cold, to snow, to very chilly and windy, to sunny gorgeous days over the Easter weekend. The last few days have been sunny and beautiful (even if there's still snow lying on much of the higher ground). Today over lunch, I followed a bee around taking photos - it was quite an accommodating bee and didn't mind me being about an inch or two away from it with my camera watching its every move.

This bee enjoys flowers from the conservatory - windows open, bees in and happy.

Whereas last week snow was lying and showing little signs of melting. The snow arrived on 23 and 24 March and is still lying in some places. However, it does look beautiful and is much away now. Finally, jobs in the garden can be seen to!

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

Snow Days

We're getting snow this weekend... Spring is on hold and so is the outdoor gardening!

It's cold and the ground is slushy. I've even decided to hold off sowing seeds until April.

Top photo - this week.
Bottom photo -this time last year.

This year my daffodils are late flowering;
last year the daffodils were flowering in mid March. Photo above taken 15 March 2012.

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

Very cold this week

Its been rather chilly this week with some snow flurries.

Outdoor projects are temporarily on hold.

I usually plant potatoes on St Patrick's Day but thinking I may hold off.

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

Snow Days

The snow that arrived on Friday, 18 January is still lying and hasn't melted yet. This is a bit out of the ordinary for Northern Ireland where locals generally describe our weather as 'mild' meaning it never gets too hot or too cold. (Northern Ireland's average daily high temperatures are 18 °C (64 °F) in July and 6 °C (43 °F) in January.) 

I've enjoyed the snow flurries and colder weather this week, however, we had nearly 100 schools closed, buses not able to get to rural areas, and many people basically snowed in. It's not that we've had loads of snow (as you can see in the photos), it's more that our country isn't set up to deal with the colder, icy conditions. 

Just a few photos of our lovely snow days...

As you might see in this photo, I never got round to removing the dead palm trees - shameful :) 

Above: Corkscrew Hazel, also known as Harry Lauder's Walking stick, is at its best this time of year.

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

1st Snow

Our first Winter snow arrived! Friday, 18th January it started snowing and over the weekend we had a combination of snow, hail stones, sleet and slush. Mostly sleet and slush! Needless to say, it has been very cold. Curries and hot chocolate went down well this weekend.

Here are a few photos I took over the weekend...

Cyclamen

A little rabbit ornament - snow defrosting.

The worst of the snow - Friday evening - photo of the house and the 'blizzard'!

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

Frosty Mornings

It's been a mild Autumn so far, with our temperature  this month fluctuating but mostly staying in the 40's (fahrenheit). Some frost as well and one morning I went out to capture a few frosty photos. There's something magical about cold, frosty mornings. I'm also looking forward to snow - December always seems like our month for a bit of snow. 

Left: Frost covered fern.

Above & Below: Frost covered geranium (perennial).

I love the frost covered Sedum Autumn Joy. 

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

Seasonal Changes and Multiple Frosts

It's amazing how much things can change in the garden in a week or so! I suppose the multiple light frosts we've had throughout October and going into November add to the changes this time of year. 

Left & Below: This tree has gorgeous purple leaves in the Summer. In the Autumn it looks fantastic as the leaves turn a bronze colour before dropping. 

Variety: Copper Beech (I think but not 100%).

Above and Below: Photo taken approx a week apart. A week makes a big difference - the leaves soon drop and the Autumn colour begins to disappear, looking more Wintry.

Above and Below: Photo taken about a week apart. The pine tree is quickly going from green to yellow pine needles and needles are beginning to drop to the ground.

Above and Below: Photo taken approx a week apart  Not sure there's much noticeable change but seems the colour is disappearing e.g. the blue forget-me-nots, etc.

Above and Below: Last week the courgette / zucchini were still going strong; this week they've been zapped by frost and are pretty much finished.

The runner beans have been finished off by frost. 

Above: Kaffir Lily with Sedum Autumn Joy are slightly past their best (in my opinion) but still look lovely in the garden.
Below: Aster and Sedum Autumn Joy. 

Burrr, it was cold taking photos today!

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

April Fool's Frost

After a sunny Saturday, April Fool's Day brought a crisp little frost.

Where I live in Northern Ireland, we can get frost up through the end of May so I have to be careful about planting out tender plants. I usually harden off plants I've grown from seed in May and plant out from the 1st June. Plants pictured are established and have to fend for themselves when its frosty!

Left: Frosted Lupin foliage.

Columbine/Aquilegia drooping (more than usual) from the frost. 

Frosty azalea shrub.

Frosted geranium leaves.

Black mondo grass whitened with frost.

Tulips coming into flower amongst the Honesty - they don't seem to mind the frost.

Palm Sunday today! Enjoy your weekend!

Frost Damaged Cordyline Update

Just over a year later, the Cordyline trunk begins to crumble.

I'm a fan of Cordyline Palms. As long as they're kept tidy - ever see ones that have dead leaves hanging from them, such a bad look in the front of a garden! I like the 'warm weather feel' Cordyline provide (reminds me of Florida). And when Americans visit me in Ireland they always comment on the palm tree in my garden. Then in Dec 2010 the "big frost" struck and many a Cordyline Palm tree looked like death.

Here's a little update on my favourite warm-weather-look tree...

Two rotten trunks pulled away with no effort have been removed. I have a suspicion the other trunks are rotting too. However some new growth is appearing at the base so some hope for a baby Cordyline.

New growth at the base.

The Black Mondo grass is taking over where the palm trunks have been removed. Invasive little grass!

The Cordyline Palm tree pictured April 2011 after the Northern Ireland's "Big Freeze" in Dec 2010.

To view other posts on the Cordyline Palm:
http://kelliboylesgarden.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/frost-damaged-cordyline.html
http://kelliboylesgarden.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/winter-damaged-cordyline-palm-update.html

More on Ireland's 2010 Big Freeze:
http://kelliboylesgarden.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/snow-coldest-night-in-10-years.html