Flowers!

Here we are with some more evidence that Mark's Veg Plot is gradually widening its range of plants...

This is the Hydrangea that my friend Rosemary gave me for my Birthday. Thanks, Rosemary, I love it!

My recently-acquired Dahlia "Bishop of Llandaff" is living up to expectations, flowering profusely now.

This is a Hypericum, which volunteered itself into my garden some years ago.

When the Hypericum flowers fall, they leave behind these beautiful berries, which start off white but eventually turn a deep pink colour:

My Sweet Peas ("Spencer Mixed") are producing flowers now. Not a huge number so far, but there are plenty of buds, and the flowers that have opened are in a range of really gorgeous colours.

I'm going to count this as a flower too. It is my Olive tree, which is currently covered in flowers.

Of course an Olive tree in England is never going to produce a viable crop, although this one does usually set a few fruits each year - tiny things about the size of a Blueberry. It is not intended as a food plant though, simply an ornament on the patio. You can't see this in my photos, but it grows in a large terracotta pot. It helps me to imagine that we live in the Mediterranean!

Finally for today, I want to show you this Harlequin Ladybird larva. I have only seen a couple so far. Perhaps they are not numerous in my garden this year because there have been few aphids (their primary prey).