"In the Merry Morning of May"

"Unite and unite, and let us all unite
For summer is a-coming today
And whither we are going we all will unite
In the merry morning of May"  PADSTOW

Years ago I lived in Hertfordshire and was friends with a lady whose husband was a Morris Dancer.  Every May Day we would join the Morris Dancers as they danced the sun up.  Whilst these days I am more likely to be enjoying my cup of tea in bed in the early morning, there is still something so wonderful about 1st May, and I go about the house singing the Steeleye Span version of the folk song 'Padstow'.  (I love Steeyle Span, and have seen them in concert a few times, and they are just as good now as they were in the '70s!)

This morning was bright and sunny and I pottered around the garden for a while, deadheading here and watering there, relishing the very idea that summer is a-coming today.  I took lots of photos of my favourite spring flowers, as they shook the dew from their heads and faced the sun...

Overwintered in a ladder style planter in the front garden, 
these delicate little blooms have come into their own.

I probably have over 100 primulas around the 
garden as I LOVE them!

I love Aubretia and it does well in pots, tumbling 
over the sides.

I've had several pots of hyacinths on the garden 
table this spring, and as each finishes I plant 
them in the garden for next year.

Saxifrage grows like a weed in the garden, and 
every year I have to pull up handfuls of it, 
otherwise it would launch a takeover bid!

It's lovely tumbling over the brick walls though, 
and I relish it at this time of year.

These Drumstick Primulas were a gift, and they 
are such a wonderful feature along the path edge

Geums are a workhorse in the garden, and the 
earliest ones are just springing into flower.  
They will keep going for months.

Jut look at these happy faces.  Don't they just make 
you smile?

These Bellis live in hanging baskets by the back 
doors and have already provided several weeks 
of colour.

Finally, my old friends the Hellebores, still going strong, and loving the sunshine!

I get so much pleasure from my garden, and the way our house is arranged I get a good view of it from the dining table, the sofa I sit on the most, and the kitchen sink!  There is always something to see.  On this 'merry morning of May' the garden is filled with the promise of things to come, but is beautiful in the here and now, alight with the colours of spring.

Donna x