Sights and Smells of Spring

While walking around the gardens searching for the subjects of my next blog post, I came across this sight...

One of our resident groundhogs, whom I shall call Fred, out sunning himself in the Barn Ruins.  Or maybe searching for his shadow. I had to get closer, but disturbed his meditations in the process, and he fled to one of his secret passageways. Then, to my surprise and the groundhogs, I found myself mere feet above him!  I don't see a shadow...Fred says spring is here! And then he ran in fright toward the Spring House.

There is no holding back spring now.  The gardens at Welkinweir are exploding with the blooms and scents of spring.  Perhaps most spectacular right now is this white flowered Japanese pieris growing on Azalea Lane.  The plant is sagging under the weight of many wonderful white blossoms.

We also have a nice pink cultivar, Pieris japonica 'Dorothy Wyckoff'.

Magnolia stellata is starting to bloom near the weeping European beech.  This bud looks very promising.

These last two plants not only look beautiful, but they smell delicious! My personal favorite is the delicate lemon scent emanating from Lonicera fragrantissima, winter honeysuckle, planted near the Barn Ruins.

And Viburnum x bodnantense: 'Dawn' viburnum, although still fairly young, has spectacular pink blooms with a pleasant aroma.  Come smell for yourself! Maybe Fred will pop up and say hello.

To learn more about Welkinweir, visit our website: http://welkinweir.org/