Every time I walk up my front path I stop and take a moment to check in on what's happening in the front flower garden. Usually this gives me instant joy, but, sadly over the last couple of days it has caused me stress. Why? Well... It's because I have entered the local "Spring Garden" competition for the first time. And the problem is that they have timed the visit to coincide with what would normally be the peak of spring- bulbs showing, spring blossoms in bloom. The issue is that spring came about 3 weeks early this year.

So, instead of a beautiful garden full of flowers, I have some unattractive dying foliage left over from the finished spring bulbs. Because of the unseasonably warm weather the inspection is falling in the lull after the bulbs have died down, and before the summer flowers are ready to show. The only things that are doing it for the team at the moment are the pink azalea, lavender and nemophila (baby blue eyes). But they are few and far between!

So to give myself some small comfort, I thought I would post some images of the flowers while they were showing off. Sigh. There is always next year. And, I suppose, every gardener in the area will be in the same boat- perhaps we will all just have to make do with structural plants and foliage this year!