>On Monday evening I went up to the garden again to enjoy the last evening of the Easter break. The “normal” mirabelle started blooming on Friday, and the purple mirabelles seem to be a bit behind, but now they’re beginning their show:
The flowers on the purple mirabelles are less profuse than on the normal mirabelle, but I quite like that. These pink blossoms dotted throughout the branches are quite delicate and charming, whereas that shade of pink might look a touch, well, like Barbie’s Dream Tree if the tree was entirely covered in flowers…
White flowers en masse, though, is always a touch more subtle to look at, and the normal mirabelle is now at full bloom, attracting hoards of bumble bees, honey bees and other insects, so there is a constant – and LOUD – humming when you stand under the tree.
I was especially thrilled to see so many bumble bees; we often see them one by one, but seeing literally dozens of them, hovering around the flowers on the tree, was incredible! Getting a shot of even one of them, though, was rather difficult due to the delay on my phone’s camera and their constant movement. Still, considering that all pictures on this blog are taken with a phone, I think I’m managing to get some decent shots every now and then, even if the bumble bees defeated my camera.
Last night I spent doing laundry in my flat and – more interestingly – making plans for the weekend. The drainage work should be completed by then, so first of all I need to set up the raised beds for the vegetable garden and quickly get some peas in the ground. Then comes the daunting task of getting the Ambitious Border started… I’m a little bit scared, but I need to finalise at least a rough sketch of the planting for the border so I won’t have to make everything up as I go along. (Especially since some of the flowers are still just seeds in packets or trays, and I need to make sure they will be allotted space to be features in their own right once they get going.)
>Trees are breathtaking when in full bloom. Yours are gorgeous. Love that you've got a lot of bees hanging around!
>I have never heard of mirabelles. I will look them up. Stunning photos Soren.
>You have beautiful trees. And the bees seem to enjoy them too. Today I saw bees buzzing around my pear, but the buds are not even close to opening yet. I got a few images, but none very good.
>beautiful flowering trees and quite a bit of work in your plans coming up..
>Spring: Blooms, planning, looking forward – the life of a gardener!!
>Holley: The bees really are a treat, I counted four different types of bees Monday evening..Patty: They're related to prunes/plums, and they produce small prune-like fruits in late summer. Ours aren't actually very good for eating fresh, but they make nice marmalades and compôtes when mixed with other fruits, spices and whatever grabs your fancy.Donna/GWGT: Our pear is also waiting a bit longer, so once the mirabelles shed their glory the little pear tree and apple tree will give some afterglow.Donna: Quite a bit, indeed… I'm getting the keys for our new apartment on Sunday, so on Friday evening to Sunday morning I plan to sort out the vegetable beds, get as far as possible with the Ambitious Border and then see if there's any time left for the courtyard. Weeding, mowing the lawn, painting garden furniture? That can wait…