The flower eaters

Parrots - messy eaters.

Now why would these perfectly good blossoms be lying around on the pavements near our house? It's not been windy, there have been no hard frosts, and the tree is in good health.

Looking up, I spotted the answer... the green parrots of South London (no that's not an April fool - London, and parts of the South East have a resident population of parrots). They seem to like eating the flowers. Which I think is totally charming.

The hard winter seems to have done them no harm at all. I keep on spotting them on my way home - munching away amongst the blossoms of a cherry by the side of a busy road. When a bus comes along, the rush of air makes them scatter with a squawk and an inelegant flap, but they soon return.

A long winter

It's been a long hard winter. I've barely been into the garden, nor have I felt like writing anything here.

But the armandii is out, the peonie is looking rude, and the sap is rising. Spring is coming.

Now - where are those seed catalogues.

Peonies... Rude

Clematis Armandii: the only thing in flower at the moment.

More Clematis Armandii