GBBD: Spring Blooms


The constant gales and driving rain have thwarted my plans for this month's Garden Bloggers Blooms Day. My idea was to show you this forthcoming new stamp issue and match the stamps with the blooms in my garden.

Today's weather means I'm stuck indoors instead. The trees are howling and I daren't go under them even for a quick snap of the snowdrops. A quick gallop around the garden earlier in the week confirmed I have 3 out of the 6 featured flowers in bloom at the moment - primrose, snowdrops and lesser celandine, with the daffodils and blackthorn well on their way too. I must add some dog violets so I can claim all 6 next year.

As you can see the hyacinth experiment* I started in January has indeed resulted in stumpy flowers. Whether this is down to the alcohol used or other factors is hard to say. This experiment merits further investigation, though whether I can stand a kitchen constantly smelling of stale booze is another thing - perhaps my choice of cheap cooking sherry was a bad idea ;)

Garden Bloggers' Blooms Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

* = I was wondering whether the reported method of restricting the growth of paperwhite daffodils by growing them in alcohol would also work for hyacinths, which I've found also flop over when grown indoors.

Comments

  1. Commonweeder15 February 2014 at 13:02

    Nice to know there are outdoor blooms somewhere! We have lots of flower stamps here, so our snail mail, if there be any, look very cheerful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Carol Michel15 February 2014 at 13:20

    Record snows here, record rains there. I like your goal of having all the plants on the stamps in your garden. You always see the bright side of everything! Thanks for sharing with us for bloom day.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lea15 February 2014 at 13:25

    Pretty stamps!
    Maybe you should adjust the alcohol - maybe 1/2 as much would get them to the exact height.you want.
    Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP21 February 2014 at 23:59

      That's exactly what I was wondering Lea...

      Delete
  4. Anna15 February 2014 at 15:24

    Seeing those stamps has cheered me up on what is an absolutely foul February day and a set will definitely be going on my shopping list so many thanks for featuring them VP :) Hope that the wind abates with you soon so you can get out and about in the garden. After what we experienced on Wednesday today's wind seems like a gentle breeze.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP25 February 2014 at 11:41

      Thanks Anna - thank goodness this week's weather is much better!

      Delete
  5. CJ15 February 2014 at 20:46

    The hyacinths are indeed stumpy, how intriguing how it works. The stamps are beautiful, I do hope there's some good weather soon (tomorrow?) so that you can take your photographs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP25 February 2014 at 11:42

      Hi CJ - aren't they great? The better weather means gets on with the gardening rather than taking photographs :)

      Delete
  6. Rose15 February 2014 at 23:35

    Lovely stamps--I probably would want to keep them instead of use them, though. As much as I've complained about snow this winter, driving rain sounds much worse. Hope it lets up soon so you can enjoy going outdoors again, VP!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP25 February 2014 at 11:42

      Hi Rose - lovely to see you again :) I collect first day covers, so I will be keeping these beauties!

      Delete
  7. Pauline16 February 2014 at 11:34

    The stamps are beautiful, lets have more flowers on our stamps, not that I write many letters these days! Hope you are having lovely sunshine today as we are - how long is it since we had lovely warm sunshine? All the crocus in the woodland have opened now and they look gorgeous with the snowdrops.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP25 February 2014 at 11:44

      Hi Pauline - yes my crocuses have opened up too, it's amazing what a little sunshine can do. I've realised how much they've multiplied since last year :)

      Delete
  8. Donna@Gardens Eye View16 February 2014 at 16:02

    Sorry to hear your weather thwarted your plans...weather here has kept the ground covered with snow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP25 February 2014 at 11:44

      Sounds like the weather's thwarted your plans too Donna :(

      Delete
  9. Tira16 February 2014 at 16:48

    Lovely stamps. Sorry to hear of your weather, I just posted some color to cheer up the cold climate gardeners

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP25 February 2014 at 11:45

      Hi Nicole and welcome! Thank goodness you did that - I hope it cheered them up :)

      Delete
  10. Janet/Plantaliscious17 February 2014 at 21:05

    Better cheap cooking sherry than the almost tantalising smell of something better, who knows what another bout of foul weather might tempt you to! I was thinking I needed to add violets today too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP25 February 2014 at 11:45

      That's right Janet, anything better and I'd be drinking from the vase ;)

      Delete

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