Taken this weekend. The Irises suggest spring cannot be far away 😀😀😀
Plants, Botanical Art, Humour and Random Stuff by Darren Sleep
Plants, Botanical Art, Humour and Random Stuff by Darren Sleep
Taken this weekend. The Irises suggest spring cannot be far away 😀😀😀
The Arty Plantsman 
Very pretty!
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thank you. And congrats on recently reaching your big follower milestone! 😄😍
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You’re welcome!! And thank you very much for that! 😄
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Wow… Ours are no where near this.. Only just poking heads above the earth 🙂 All of them..
Wonderful photos 🙂
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The irises were very sudden. No sign of them last weekend! Thank you for your lovely comment😍
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You are welcome.. 🙂 our daffs are about three inches, or so above ground in the pots but not as far in the boarders.. the crocus are just peeking through. 🙂
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I think we are probably only a week or two ahead of you. We have a few crocus showing colour in the garden. The hoop-petticoat daffs in my pics are always early. Snowdrops are just approaching their best here.
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🙂 yes snowdrops out here too.. 🙂 love those miniature daffs, so tiny, smaller than I have ever seen comparing thumbnails LOL 🙂
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The one with the thumbnail is Narcissus hedraeanthus which is the smallest daff of all 😄. Pity it is a sod to grow! This is one of the rare years it has conceded to produce a flower😉
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Well, well done to you.. 🙂 and its the tiniest I have ever seen.. 🙂 But exquisite ..
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Thank you and it is lovely 😄
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Glad I caught your post in the reader this evening 🙂 Now roll on Spring! 🙂
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Indeed. You would like the little trumpet daffodil I posted on the 14th too😉😃
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So pretty!
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Thank you and a big welcome😄
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Oh wow! There’s no sign of them around here yet. What’s the last one? It looks so peculiar and lovely! 😊
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That is Massonia pustulata from South Africa. This is the true species. A botanist in 2012 discovered that the plant that had been grown under this name for a century was the wrong plant and if you google M. Pustulata you still usually see the wrong one which should be M. Longipes. These species with large visible pools of nectar are usually pollinated by mice and gerbils in the wild.
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Thanks very much! I love scientific stories like this! And I wasn´t aware of mice and gerbils functioning as pollinators too!! Learned something new today, thanks, Darren! 😀
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You are welcome. I have the papers somewhere that describe the first observations, quite recently, of mice pollinating the similar M. depressa. It has long been suspected because the flowers look a little like, and smell like, some low growing Proteas that were known to be rodent pollinated. Also the nectar has a special thickening agent in it that makes it too viscous for insects to suck it up through their proboscis, which stops the bugs stealing it. Isn’t nature amazing? 😄
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Wow! This is amazing! I feel like I´m back at uni again – thanks so much, Darren! Nature rocks, eh? 😉
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Beautiful!!
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Thank you and hope you are doing ok?😍😄
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Of course, my friend! I’m doing okay, howre you? 😊
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I’m ok now thank you. Last two months have been tough but things are improving😄
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Spring…. 😏 i wish so
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😄
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Wonderful shots, Darren! 🙂 Spring is not too far off (because of your photographs)! You are an exception to the following (although you didn’t sin):
From Issa:
Winter lull
no talents
thus no sins
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Thank you Tom, and I love rhe quote 😄
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Beautiful! I miss going outside and checking on our flowers!
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Won ‘t be long now..😄
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I am holding you to that! 🙂
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Ha. I can’t even control my own life so I’m not taking responsibility for the weather😉😀
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Beautiful photos, I love the wealth of colour!
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Thank you Marie.😄😄😍
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Magical! Do you use a digital SLR or an old fashioned one or what? Stunning work.
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Thank you. For these I used my digital SLR. It is a now quite old Canon 1000D. The poor light at this time of year makes depth of field a challenge without a tripod. The last pic is the sharpest because I could rest my elbows on the bench to steady the camera. Sometimes I use the phone or ipad camera but still getting used to these.
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Beautiful….and hopeful!!
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Yep- spring is not far away😄. Thank you Jen😍
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I totally agree with Sarah, the last flower looks so unusual. Massonia pustulata from South Africa, you say? I learn new things every time I visit your blog, Darren. If it’s not about you it is about a plant. Either way I always enjoy it. Beautiful shots! Hakuna Matata my friend.
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Thank you Dominique😄😄❤
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So gorgeous
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I’m sorry things haven’t been easy!! But improving is a good thing! Sending positive thoughts your way! 😊
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Thank you. Have a hug!😄
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Lovely pics.Except the cyclamens that are as beautiful as when I planted them all the rest is still behind here.just one daffodil,a brave one daring the wind that is back😱
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I did read your lovely post about the sunny windless friday. I was not best pleased about being stuck in the office on that day as the weather was similar here😢
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Oh dear,if it is if any consolation the Saturday was rainy and windy and…yes it is still windy and rAiny today.😭have a good Monday anyway…. 😉
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Same here. Very annoying to have a manky weekend after sucj a nice friday.😄
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Your posts are getting me excited and inspired for Spring to come so I can get my camera out! What is the fifth flower down? It’s yellow-purple? It’s beautiful!
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Thank you Liz. That is Gymnospermium albertii:
http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/plants/plant-portraits/Gymnospermium+albertii+/99/
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beautiful, as always!!!
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Thank for sharing lots details,i really like and very useful post.keep,up,the good work.🤗
https://www.lukhidiamond.com/LOOSE-DIAMONDS
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Simply sublime…
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Thank you Linda 🙂
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Beautiful pictures! They are inspiring me to dream about spring!
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Thank you. I have been dreaming of spring since September…😉❤
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