New Arrivals

 There may have been orange tip butterflies in the gardens of Hexenhäusli Device earlier this year, but this one is the first I've seen (I've seen several up at the allotment and surrounding fields, though).  And there are plenty of black ladybirds around here, but the 'eye' markings on this harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) are the first I've noticed.

 

 Anyway, that's the new fauna out of the way.  Now for the flora!

 

 On Thursday, I took The Mother to Hadfields garden centre in North Walsham.  I wanted a cherry tree, some 8ft canes, seed trays, and plant pots of the right size (as Jon pointed out, all the plant pots one has at home are "never the right size").  While I didn't get plant pots of the right size - does no one have them?! - I did come away with some 'extras':

 

Back left: Fuchsias 'Delta's Sarah', 'Dark Eyes', 'Wendy's Beauty', 'Marinka' and 'Dancing Flame'

Back right: Salvias 'Amistad', 'Cherry Lips', and 'Amythyst Lips'

The four trays at the front are The Mother's cosmos and snapdragons.  In the middle is an agapanthus she bought a couple of weeks ago (at the back is a pot of narcissus and a horse chestnut).

 

 

 Then yesterday I had a delivery of Hosta 'White Feather' and Batflowers (Tacca integrifolia and chantrieri) which I potted up straight away (unlike last time).  Hopefully this time they'll actually grow!

 

 

 And finally, from the allotment:

 

The first water hawthorn flower.

Well, there's another out of shot but they both came up at the same time.

 

Conference pear blossom - which is not dissimilar to the water hawthorn

(pear blossom stinks, though - well, this one does!)

 

Apple blossom from the tree I moved from the garden 2 or 3 years ago.

 

Apple blossom from the nicer existing tree

(I seem to have pruned the other one a little too vigorously as there are barely any flowers on it)

 

And a bit of colour to finish.  These primulas aren't new, but with the forget-me-not growing between them, they're very pretty.  I tend to ignore them up here at the allotment so as they're spreading rather rambunctiously!  Once they've finished flowering I might take some to the garden for some extra spring colour next year.