Another delightful house plant has arrived. This little beauty is a Schefflera hybrid and it’s bare roots grow through and over the black lava rock.

All it needs is plenty of water. How fascinating eh?

It’s really thrilling watching my living stones opening up and pushing through new leaves. Apparently the old leaves die back once the new head is established. I’m really looking forward to seeing if they flower later in the year.

I’ve been pottering around my marshy garden for signs of spring and have noticed that the birds are far more active now and birdsong is increasingly lively. I even spotted a few birds gathering nesting material, one actually pulled a shedload of crocus up while searching for mud.

Potatoes are so plentiful in my veggie patch that they’re actually rising to the surface. I’ll have to start eating some of them before they all start growing again.

I’ve harvested the last of the parsnips, they’re a little browned but beautiful once peeled. They grew really well in deep pots, unlike the carrots.

I have kale growing in the raised bed and in pots too, they’ve recovered surprisingly well after the cabbage white attacks in the summer which left them stripped to their sad little stalks.

I’m pleased to see the spring onions are still growing in pots, they have kept me well supplied throughout the autumn and winter.

Everywhere I look now spring bulbs are pushing through,

hopefully flowers will put in an appearance soon.

The Spanish bluebell thugs are coming up with their usual vigour, they seem to double every year despite me digging huge clumps up.

Snowdrops, however, are always more than welcome.

And Finally…

the fairies have arrived in the garden much to Littl’urchins delight.

Along with the three Amigos in the rescue.

Until next time, stay safe guys.xxx

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33 Comments

  1. Interesting houseplants do add a little winter interest. It’s snowing here at the moment, I am hoping for a decent fall, just one will do me. Your snow sounds lovely. Thanks Brenda.xxx

  2. I am enjoying all of your exotic houseplants. We are still buried in snow–which I love–but it’s always fun to vicariously enjoy the arrival of your spring knowing ours will follow a few months later.

  3. I planted some English bluebells last year that I am hoping will flower this year. Do they like mud?

  4. I don’t know which one is cuter, the fairies waiting for a visit from Littl’urchin, or the three Amigos neatly sitting together.
    You are an inspiration having potatoes and parsnips growing so well, not to mention living stones!
    Keep gardening, despite the rain, we are trying to ‘out do you’ in rain this week!

    • Thanks Gerrie, my veggies aren’t very happy at the moment as they’ve been frozen solid for days. Oh dear, hope your rain stops soon.xxx

  5. lowcarbdiabeticJan

    First of all this Grandma really like your fairy garden, every garden should have one 🙂
    I can understand why Littl’urchin loves it.

    Your parsnips look good and I like the sound of your Kale and other vegetables too.

    I am hoping the weekend may be a little drier, we’ve been out walking this week doing our best to avoid the rain showers.

    Roll-on Spring!

    All the best Jan

    • This nana loves the fairies too! My poor veggies are looking somewhat sorry for themselves at the moment due to the big freeze. At least next week looks to be warmer and drier. Yes, roll on spring. Thanks Jan.xxx

  6. Your lava rock with plant is an amazingly structural piece. What with it and all your stone plants, air plants, three dogs, Curly cat and yourselves, it sounds like you’ll have to expand your walls!

    Fairyland corner is sooo sweet. Littl’un will adore it.

    Are the three attractive bunnies related?

    xxxxxxxx

    • Hahahaha, yes, I am running out of space. At least when it warms up I’ll settle for growing plants outdoors. Littl’urchin is fascinated by her fairies. Oh to be young. I don’t think the bunnies are related, just a bonded group. Thanks Menhir.xxxx

  7. How I wish we had snowdrops in bloom. Instead everything is frozen solid, and covered with about a foot of snow. Envy your potatoes and parsnips, 2 of my favorites.

    • Goodness, a foot of snow! Everything is frozen here now too. Still spring will come to us all soon. Thanks Jason.xxx

  8. Great post and images. Your spring is coming.

  9. Love your indoor plants, so unuaual! You have done so well with all your veggies, I must get myself organised this year and start again, I’ve missed growing my own. If only we all had fairies at the bottom of our gardens, little urchin will be enchanted! Love the 3 amigoes, they look as though they could be up to mischief!

    • Thanks Pauline, my houseplants are certainly keeping me entertained. You remind me that I need to get seed potatoes and onion sets, time is flying by. Those bunnies do look cheeky! xxx

  10. Your Schefflera looks like my Hawaiian Schefflera, which has smaller leaves than any of the others I see around. It grows like crazy, too, and loves water. I keep trimming it back and rooting the cuttings. I’ve got some to find new homes for now; they all can’t stay here!

    Your bunnies are darling. Did they come in as a group, or individually? I imagine they’re happy to have one another for company. And just today, I heard a cardinal singing for the first time this spring. There have been some tentative coos from the doves, too. It won’t be long before they’ll all be singing — just like us!

    • How lovely to have all those cuttings, I’d be after some off you if I lived a little closer. I think the bunnies came as a group, yes they do love company, they should never be on their own. It’s lovely hearing birdsong again isn’t it, I’m looking forward to the dawn chorus. Thanks Linda.xxx

  11. Ah yes spring is in the air…and it feels wonderful. Love your plants and it will be fascinating to see how they develop. and I love the fairies and the three amigos:). I would love to be eating some of those spuds with you:). Enjoy xxxx

    • We seem to have jumped from spring like weather straight into a deep freeze! I do hope all the emerging spring bulbs survive. How I wish you were a little closer, there are many things we would enjoy doing together. Thanks Janet.xxxx

  12. So much life springing up everywhere, because of you, Dina! And yum: potatoes, parsnips, onions, kale!!! Wow, how wonderful.

    I love all your indoor plants and outdoor bulbs. Snowdrops are always such a delicate blessing, like a baby kiss from spring. And how magical is your fairy village? I just love it! Won’t you sweet little one’s imagination be nourished by that wonder?!! I think I’d be out there playing with it, too!

    Thank you for this wonderful post; you are a pep pill for the heart and spirit! xoxox

    • My poor veggies are now frozen solid, I’m not sure if they’ll survive. Hopefully the potatoes will be ok. Oh, yes, snowdrops are delightful little creatures for sure, a baby kiss from spring, how lovely. I must admit, I love playing with the fairies too, Littl’urchin loves it. Thanks for your lovely comment, love and hugs to you all.xxxx

  13. THE THREE AMIGOS!!! So cute. And I love the little fairy community. Well done on the veggies and herbs! When the Chinese flame tree was removed, I filled the soil depression with whatever pots of soil I didn’t need, including (apparently) some that had spring onions in them. They were dumped upside down and other dirt and bark were piled on top. Well, they’ve made their way to the top and now I have green onions where the tree used to be!

    Here’s to more sunshine and birdsongs and a bit less rain in your part of the world!

    • Those bunnies are cute aren’t they. Goodness, fancy your spring onions growing, I’ve heard that bulbs will right themselves if planted upside down. How amazing is nature. The rain has stopped now and frozen solid. So many lanes are unpassable. Thanks Anne.xxx

  14. I’m intrigued by your living stones! I’ve never come across them before so I hope to follow their progress! I bet Lil Urchin has a whale of a time with all those fairies. And I absolutely love parsnips. What’s your favourite way of eating them? xxx

    • I first saw living stones at Kew and have been after them ever since. I hope they remain happy here. Littl’urchin does love her fairies. Oh….parsnip soup or roasted with herbs and spices. Thanks Gill.xxx

  15. Lovely post and pictures with plenty of interest, especially your new house plant and the living stones. The tree amigos made me smile. xx

  16. Those living stones are weird but fascinating, like something prehistoric. Your veggies seem to be doing well, I remember inheriting a bed full of parsnips when we took on our second allotment, I’ve never known parsnips to grow so well, they were huge, but we could never replicate that success. The fairy garden is lovely, I’m sure Littl’urchin will be delighted with that, but I thought the bunnies had moved in too, I bet she’d love a pet.

    • The living stones do look prehistoric, they’ve probably been around for a long time. Some years the parsnips exceed themselves, what a shame you couldn’t replicate that success, maybe the previous owner was fertilizing them. I’m sure Littl’urchin would love a couple of bunnies. Please don’t tempt me! Thanks Jo.xxx

  17. I love your new plant on the lava rock and your living stones are fascinating. Well done on maintaining your veggies over the winter – I’m impressed with your parsnips. Lots of cavolo nero and chard here but not much else. I bet Littl’urchin is thrilled with the fairies at the bottom of the garden. xx

    • Thanks Veggiemummy. My poor veggies are looking sorry for themselves at the moment, I’m not sure they’ll survive the deep freeze they’re suffering. Oh yes, Littl’urchin is loving the fairies. xxx

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