Signs Of Life..

GNB said:
It's very pleasant when the sun shines at this time of the year, not only do you get out to run the occasional train but you also get to see the signs of Spring around the garden.

Here's a few images, taken this morning, that show that Spring, in the far North, is well on its way.

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I love the little blue flower, in the last photo. What is it ?
 
GNB said:
A few days of fine weather, extended day lengths and the North British Spring is in full swing.
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The vigorous saxifraga and geum give the rack train something to get its teeth into!
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Miniature iris are transient and beautiful and to the right the bright red Anthyllis vulneraria var. coccinea is an ideal small spreading colourful plant..
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Another hardy small colouful plant is Aquilegia canadensis ‘Little Lanterns’ and like the bright red Anthyllis (seen in the background) can be a useful plant around garden railways.
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A couple of useful links:

http://www.perennials.com/plants/aquilegia-canadensis-little-lanterns.html
http://www.perennials.com/plants/anthyllis-vulneraria-var-coccinea.html

Enjoy.
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First photo, looks like a stink bug :sick: to me ! I thought they were all from Asia.

Second photo, it's nice having frogs in the pond. Our resident Bullfrog gives a chorous every day. Oddly, we have no Spring peeper toads this year. First year in a long time I haven't seen or heard the little peepers.....:(
 
Two pics of some pretty Flowers out just now. The Purple Iris thing is in my Pond, the other is a Bulb of some sort that I have never seen before. Why it chose to Flower this year I know not. But it is so interesting, wish I knew what it was. I moved a load of Bulbs about this Year and wonder of it had been at the wrong depth before so had decided to be Dormant, or perhaps it has Dormant Years? Very Trifid like in my view. Stem is 2ft or more High.
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JonD
 
Madman said:
I love the little blue flower, in the last photo. What is it ?
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Omphalodes cappadocica or the Cappadocian navelwort.

Family Boraginaceae

Genus Omphalodes can be annuals, biennials or perennials, with simple leaves and terminal racemes or cymes of blue or white flowers resembling those of Myosotis (forget-me-not)

Details O. cappadocica is a clump-forming perennial to 25cm in height, with finely hairy, ovate, evergreen leaves and loose racemes of bright blue, white-eyed flowers 5mm in width

See:
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=5383
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=1350
 
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dunnyrail said:
Two pics of some pretty Flowers out just now. The Purple Iris thing is in my Pond, the other is a Bulb of some sort that I have never seen before. Why it chose to Flower this year I know not. But it is so interesting, wish I knew what it was. I moved a load of Bulbs about this Year and wonder of it had been at the wrong depth before so had decided to be Dormant, or perhaps it has Dormant Years? Very Trifid like in my view. Stem is 2ft or more High.
JonD
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Your purple/pink iris is very attractive and you are clearly much further on than Northern Scotland.

Water iris details here: https://www.rhs.org.uk/Search?query=water+irises.

I'm very partial to iris in general and we have lots of varieties around the garden that give a bit of a succession that counteracts there rather transient, and very beautiful, flowers.

Your Trifid looks like a variant of Nectaroscordum siculum or Sicilian honey garlic.

Genus Nectaroscordum are deciduous bulbous perennials with linear, garlic-scented leaves and a tall leafless stem with a terminal umbel of bell-shaped flowers in early summer.

Details N. siculum is a robust perennial with keeled basal leaves and a stem to 1.2m in height, with a terminal umbel of nodding, long-stalked, bell-shaped flowers combining cream, pink and green tints, followed by decorative, erect seed pods in late summer.

Plant range S Europe

See: https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=1320
 
GNB said:
Your purple/pink iris is very attractive and you are clearly much further on than Northern Scotland.

Water iris details here: https://www.rhs.org.uk/Search?query=water+irises.

I'm very partial to iris in general and we have lots of varieties around the garden that give a bit of a succession that counteracts there rather transient, and very beautiful, flowers.

Your Trifid looks like a variant of Nectaroscordum siculum or Sicilian honey garlic.

Genus Nectaroscordum are deciduous bulbous perennials with linear, garlic-scented leaves and a tall leafless stem with a terminal umbel of bell-shaped flowers in early summer.

Details N. siculum is a robust perennial with keeled basal leaves and a stem to 1.2m in height, with a terminal umbel of nodding, long-stalked, bell-shaped flowers combining cream, pink and green tints, followed by decorative, erect seed pods in late summer.

Plant range S Europe

See: https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=1320
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Many thanks for that GNB, good to have a Plantsman on the Forum.
JonD
 
Don't know about background colour..

Those shots certainly add BACKGROUND.. Very impressive vista's!
 
PhilP said:
Don't know about background colour..

Those shots certainly add BACKGROUND.. Very impressive vista's!
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The vista's may be impressive but that corner of the garden is difficult to manage in the winter;).
 
Sorry that was a bit off topic, back to the Garden Railway, it's always heartwarming when you get the late Spring burst and everything goes green.
 
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It's the start of that excellent time of the year when the railway starts disappearing into the garden.
Things are looking up in the far North.
 
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Recent downfalls have topped up the pond and small frogs and newts have been basking on the lily pads during the sunnier intervals. Still enjoying extended daylight, but, sadly, from now on the nights will start drawing in.
 
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GNB said:
Recent downfalls have topped up the pond and small frogs and newts have been basking on the lily pads during the sunnier intervals -

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This handsome young fellow appears to be a Palmate Newt, also found on the heaths and moors of Northern BritainView attachment 212478

The marsh orchids also enjoy the damp conditions and have grown well this year. So much so that special rail-bus tours have been laid on for keen naturalists. Hope they're not flower presses stowed on the roof rack!View attachment 212479

Primula capitata, a native from of Nepal & Tibet, with their white stems and deep blue-violet flowers are particularly attractive at this time of the year.
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Still enjoying extended daylight, but, sadly, from now on the nights will start drawing in.
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The frog and the newt are Ireland's only indigenous amphibians - two creatures which abound around here (but are rarely visible!). And it is three years since I last saw marsh orchids opposite our cottage (the roadside margin was disturbed by contractors upgrading our local water scheme). However, I was delighted to see five flowers heads appear again. A joy to behold in this rural backwater and nice to see your photographs.
 
Thanks Trammayo, orchids are much under appreciated in the wild. Last week I was passing a small rocky pasture on the edge of the Cairngorms that was chock full of small creamy white butterfly orchids. Sorry no railway!
 
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We have had quite a few dull wet days but at least enough occasional sun to encourage the water lilies and running the odd train.
 
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We seem to have moved into a Monsoon period and even the local miners are retreating from their flooded galleries under the roots of a wild cherry. Well away from the floods the Nepalese lilies appear to be enjoying the damp conditions.

Regards from the Northern uplands.
 
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