buds

The winter is slowly fading.  It helps that June was a full degree warmer than normal.  My plum trees are just starting to burst into bud.  I've got two that I think are fruiting plums and three that I think are just ornamentals.  They didn't set any fruit at all last year but they were very neglected and stressed by the drought.  This year I've pruned them quite a bit, cutting out a lot of dead wood, and given them a bit of a feed.  So with luck this year I'll at least find out what kind of plum they are!  There are already a lot more blossom buds this year than last.  These are blossoms from the ornamental plum, aren't they gorgeous?  Reminds me of a Japanese painting.

I've also found a flower bud coming up from one of my three clivia.  I hope they all blossom this year, but I'm excited to see at least one is coming along!  With luck they'll live up to their reputation for being low-maitenance, un-fussy plants.

And finally, these aren't buds by any means, but I just love when the alyssum is at its peak and it's a thick carpet of snowy white.