A Garden In April

The first summery day of 2018 with bright sunshine and temperatures up to about 22°C with just a light southerly breeze. Perfect. And perfect for this month's jaunt to the Botanic Gardens in Cambridge to see how the seasons are progressing.

The Pasque Flowers are blooming on the rockery and looking very showy. These are much bigger than you ever see in the wild in this country, though they are also Pulsatilla vulgaris unless I misread the little label.

The Yoshino Cherry tree is almost in full blossom at the moment, though the grass still has to be cut - not a bad place to work though on a sunny day.

I went up close to get some more detailed shots of the cherry blossom.

No idea what these red flowers are though they are certainly attractive. (it's Clianthus apparently - see the comment from Kathy below).

  

Part of the garden is given over to the Systematic Beds which were designed by John Stevens Henslow, who laid out the gardens, as a teaching device for his botany students. The plants are arranged according to their scientific classification rather than any thought to make a pleasing assemblage of flowers. There's not much flowering there at all right now, though I did find these dazzling sunbursts of Willdenow's Leopards Bane. There were certainly no leopards around so I guess it must work!

We saw these Red Dogwood stems back in January when they were adding their vivid hue to the Winter Garden. For my money they look even better now when a few lime-green leaves are beginning to show.

Another part of the garden is given over to the Chronological Beds where plants are arranged according to the time when they were introduced to Britain from elsewhere in the world. This is Honesty, that traditional flower of every cottage garden, which was apparently brought here some time before 1550. Before that there was no Honesty in these islands!

I always have to check the name of Crown Imperials as to my ears it sounds all wrong for a flower, more like a sort of toffee or perhaps a brand of household paint. But no, Crown Imperial is correct or even Fritillaria imperialis if you want it in Latin.

These magnificent catkins are hanging from the Hop Hornbeam tree. The reason the tree is here is to illustrate some of the trees which should be part of our British woodlands, but which were destroyed by the last Ice Age and never recolonised. They say you learn something every day and that's what I learned today!

The Cambridge University Botanic Garden holds the National Tulip Collection. These are grown in pots and moved into the glasshouses when in flower. (They're not really six feet tall, that's just me playing with unexpected viewpoints again!).

While there are only a few of each variety on show they nevertheless show the diversity of colours and forms of the humble tulip.

Outside again to see some of the wildflowers which are encouraged in the grassy areas.

Each time I come here I think I'll try to show you more general views and include some of the beautiful trees, but once again I've come home with a memory card full of colourful flowers instead. So I'll leave you with this shot of the lake and a promise that I'll try harder next time.

Take care.