Shrubby colour

The flowering shrubs are now adding to the colour and in some cases scents of our garden.

You may remember I have mentioned in earlier posts that we have a daphne shrub that appeared in our garden from nowhere. It nearly was weeded when it was tint but but something stopped me. It didn't look like a weed and in such cases I like to wait and see what happens.

Well eventually this happened:

Fortunately it has a very upright growth as the birds planted it on the very edge of a border tucked up against an arch. Too late to move it but in a way it means we can appreciate the scent.

I'd like to think that it was the birds way of saying thank you for feeding us but I guess I'm over-thinking. It does show though how you can plant the berries from a plant and end up with something special.

This other shrub was planted by us - it's a pieris - Forest Flame which was planted many years ago and is now quite a size.

At the moment it is dripping with flowers.

The clusters of bell like flowers remind me of bunches of grapes.

Then there's the camellias - the one that Martyn gave the hard chop to is flowering down the side that he didn't chop but most of the flowers are hiding at the back of the plant.

Hopefully this will 'green -up' at the front but how long will that take?

Then there is the one that really needs either moving of pruning.

What a dilemma!

The magnolia buds are also gradually opening - a few sunny days and it will be spectacular. Having so many flowers we tend to focus on the whole picture rather than individual flowers so I decided to take a close-up photo or two out of a bedroom window.

Individual buds are much pinkier than they look when fully open.

The shrub is certainly going to be loaded with flower again.