Spring Plants and Flowers in April

The garden has burst into flower this last few weeks. It seems to happen all of a sudden as soon as the daffodils start to fade back. Here are a few that are out at the moment - those April ones that I always look forward to seeing. It doesn't stop now, the garden just becomes brighter and fuller as one plant fades and another plant buds as the days become longer and warmer. 

My young and deep pink magnolia bush is opening up.  I try and enjoy its flowers while they last - a strong frost and they can be burned and spoilt, but for now they're enjoying the sunshine and showers. 

The bluebells are up and coming out - these are the Spanish variety and they do brighten up my garden both back and front. They start on pushing through their shoots as early as January and it's interesting to watch them at each stage until they're out in full bloom. 

The pansies in my pots and baskets have almost bubbled up and over in full colour after those gloomy winter months when they flower and try to brighten the days, but keep being swept back by the weather. Now they're bursting full again as they feel the warmth of the sun. 

I love the golden forsythias and the bright white of the bridal wreath shrubs. 

Forget-me-nots always give a splash of strong colour, I tend to let them seed and run riot amongst the borders!

Quince is another spring favourite too with its pretty red flowers tumbling and spilling against the front wall - I like to see a glimpse of it from the front window. 

Lugwort always makes for some welcome bright patches of colour in the borders in this early part af the season. It has interesting spotted foliage too. 

Pretty clusters of saxifrage colour the front of the borders. 

My wallflowers persist in flowering all year round - through all the seasons, but they are putting on a really lovely show of colour this April. And the last of the daffodils just crossing over with the growth and new blooms. Most of them have faded, but I have a few late flowering types. The daffodils have lasted for ever this spring, which has been uplifting on the colder days.