A Spring Garden

Spring bedding display at Balcarres, Colinsburgh, which was open under Scotland's Garden Scheme.

Daffodils were beginning to fade but it was still a colourful display.

 A display of hellebores.

A patch of primroses in the woodland garden..

 Ferns beginning to uncurl.

My favourite bulb, fritillary.

Fritillary bulbs natualised in the grass.

Cambo in February

 One of the delights of February in Fife is the display of snowdrops at Cambo.

 Snowdrops line the banks of the Cambo burn pushing their way through the fallen leaves.

A clump of primroses.

Pale blue scilla.

 Brightly coloured aconite.

Snowdrops against a background of the strap-like leaves of black mondo.

 The exposed roots of a tree in the woodland.

 Horseshoe fungus (Fomes fomentarius).

Keil's Den Spring 2015

A beautiful morning in Keil's Den - sun shining, birds singing and beside the burn, near to the new bridge, carpets of wood anemone.

Wood anemone  (Anemone nemorosa)

From the sturdy new bridge can see the old stepping stones and even although it's been an exceptionally dry April so far, some of the stones are under water, so the bridge is a welcome improvement.

Here and there patches of primroses and violets.

A bright yellow-green patch close to the middle bridge in the den. I think that this is golden saxifrage.
It is a plant that grows in damp places, like the banks of a burn. There are two species - Chrysosplenium oppositifolium has opposite pairs of leaves on the main stem, whilst Chrysosplenium alternifolia has its leaves arranged alternately and is much less common.

Bluebells on the bank of a small burn. However, the bluebells are not all out yet particularly in the upper slopes of the den and they should be at their best in a week or two.

Blackthorn was in full flower. The blossom comes out before the leaves.

Walking back into Lundin Links along the path that runs beside a field a pony came to say hello and pose for a picture,

 ..... and was joined by a friend.

I love this view looking back to the den with Largo Law beyond. The lower slopes of the Law are clothed in yellow gorse at present.

The Serpentine Walk Greens up.

In the few days that we were away to the West Coast a remarkable change has occurred in the Serpentine Walk in Largo. Suddenly spring has sprung, the trees have started to come into leaf and the grassy path is lush and green.

Just a couple of weeks ago (April 22nd) there was very little colour.

The flowers of the blackthorn arrive before the leaves.

The lacy flowers of the ash trees. Those in the Serpentine Walk look healthy at present.

 A primrose by the path.

Wild garlic coming out.

 The daffodils are going over but the bluebells are beginning to flower.

Flowers by the Path

On the walk to the lighthouse there were numerous clumps of primroses and bluebells.

 There were also some violets, celandines almost past flowering and wild garlic just coming out.

On the upper shore by the lighthouse there were masses of scurvy grass (Cochlearia sp.)

Cardamine pratensis (Cuckoo Flower or Lady's Smock)
At the end of the walk at thefar end of Tobermory Main Street there was a mass of these pretty pink flowers.

Primroses et al

A lovely bank of primroses on the disused railway track in Largo.

A patch of cowslips on the bank.

A red cowslip - a garden flower.

A patch of ox-lips on the bank. They are most likely to be hybrids between primroses and cowslips since all three were growing in the same area.