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. 

April in the Garden

April is a beautiful month in the garden, the longer days and all the beautiful sunshine we have had this last few weeks has really brought the garden to life. There have been some stunning sunrises if you're an early starter and the song of the dawn chorus has been waking me up every morning - it is sounding at its loudest. 

There are so many gorgeous plants in bloom now - our recently planted miniature peach tree has been gorgeous, brightening up the front garden along with the deep red blooms of a well established quince.  Hopefully between them we will have some fruits later in the year. 

We've a few patches of hyacinths growing here and there - you can almost catch the powerful scents wafting as you pass them by. I often have hyacinth bowls in the conservatory and then we plant them out when they've finished so we can enjoy them in following years too. I love the purples of the aubrietas too as they bubble up in flower and spill over walls and rocks.

The blues and pinks of the lugwort are always at their brightest in April too and spilling into the pond we always enjoy the sight of the marigolds. The pond has been full of frog spawn this spring and now there looks to be millions of tadpoles. Rob has been clearing it out and the busy birds are enjoying bathing in the waterfall pools. 

One of my favourite plants in April, is the pretty and delicate Easter flower. It always flowers during the Easter holiday and is a welcome sight in our garden. I've brought this little plant with me each time we've moved house and replanted it in each garden we've had over the last twenty five years! 

The mahonia shrubs have flowered spectaculary this year too, giving a lovely contrast to the aubrietia in a little front corner plot. The butterflies are back in force again as well, fluttering around the front garden especially. 

There have been so many plants enjoying the sunshine and bursting into flower there are too many to feature in one blog - so watch this space, there is much more to follow.