FIRST FLOWER FRIDAY OF 2022

As we have lots of flowers in our garden at the moment, amazingly, I decided that I would take part in today's flower Friday challenge. I was spoilt for choice really as I wandered around and couldn't believe that we had honeysuckle blooming. I got very close to it and it even smells beautiful - unbelievable in early January.

Mr. HCB was out in the garden because we had several trees delivered a few days ago - just small fruit trees - and he wants to plant them this morning. We also have something special for our next door neighbour, because it’s his birthday tomorrow but I can't say what it is because I know that Lynn, Mike’s wife, reads my blips!

Whilst wandering around I saw the blue wheelbarrow, which Mr HCB planted up a few weeks before Christmas, and there are lots of beautiful little violas in there. I know that he did go round a couple of weeks ago and took off all the flowers that were on the plants - according to Alan Titchmarsh that’s what you should do and then they will not only flower for longer, but more prolifically.  I don’t suppose Mr. HCB said, “Sorry” to each little flower as he snipped it off, as I did one year - I felt so awful but remember that we were rewarded with beautiful flowers a bit later.

Anyway, here is "Viola Neptune" in all its glory with a nod to it being the first Flower Friday of 2022, so ably hosted by BikerBear for such a long time.  I did put my coat and hat on before I went out into the garden and was jolly glad I did, it was perishing out there - but not as cold as the temperatures in Sweden, according to HarlingDarling, so I mustn’t grumble - Mr. HCB would love some snow, but I’m happy with frost, thank you.  

I’m so thrilled that some of you welcomed wrencottage, a new Blipper and perhaps you would also like to welcome another friend, iPhone_User, who has joined after I encouraged him to do so.  When he told me he was thinking of doing a 365 challenge - I told him there is no better place than Blip to do it!

“The flowers of late winter
     and early spring
          occupy places in our hearts
               well out of proportion 
                    to their size.”
Gertrude S. Wister