I think I can say with confidence that we are in early spring. Certainly, we had some lovely, sunny days this week, and I even had lunch sitting outside when I was working at home on Thursday. It is a bit colder today, and a bit grey with showers, but it is August so what can we expect. Anyway, thanks once again to The Propagator for allowing us to share what is going on in our gardens. Check out the participant guide if you want to join in.
At number one, the first daffodils are beginning to unfurl. These are bulbs I planted last year and left in the pot, and am at a loss to identify which ones they are as the label has long gone. Anyway, lovely to see in any case.
At number 2, more of the hellebores. The large purple group is quite stunning, and is the featured image at the top of the post. There are several small groups of white ones too. There is something so delicate about them, and yet they are quite hardy. And yes I did get into contortions to take that first flower below!
Over to the herbs, and the tarragon I cut right back is showing new signs of life and I think once the warmer weather comes, I’ll move it to a bigger pot and give it some nourishment. The new-dish hyssop is establishing itself, as is the dill, to my surprise. I guess we have had a decent amount of sunshine recently.
Now to the camellias. They are everywhere, not just at home but all over where we live and in the Botanic Gardens. The large white one below is a bit awkward to get to photograph, being on the slope next to the stairs going up from the house. I managed to get the top picture below.
The big pink camellias are still stunning, and I tried to capture how the other camellia next to it is almost touching. Whoever planted these, knew what they were doing to get such a wonderful display. The magnolia is still covered in buds – hoping for a great display soon.
Mahonia berry time again…because I check on their colours every day when I come home. The whole clump of them, outside the side of the house are for me at least fascinating to watch, though I know other SoSers are not so keen.
I was going to put a picture of something indoors at number 6, but then this kākā appeared, singing loudly and enjoying just sitting there. They are an endangered species, but thanks to the conservation work at Zealandia, they are now a common sight in parts of Wellington. Recently, we have had quite a few stopping in to visit, which is wonderful of course.
So that’s it for me this week as spring begins to show its face. As usual, I am looking forward to seeing everyone’s beautiful gardens in other parts of the world. Hope you are all well and enjoying your gardens in whatever the season is with you.
You can find Thistles and Kiwis on Facebook, and also on Instagram@thistleandkiwis. As for Twitter….am totally inactive these days. If you want to get in touch, email me on thistlesandkiwis@gmail.com
Thistles and Kiwis 
The one disadvantage of the hellebores, they are a bit camera shy with the downward flowers. I watched on gardeners world a lady who had put them in raised pots so she could enjoy seeing the flowers. May try that this year.
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Yes that is true! I was bending down and trying to aim the phone in the right direction…love the ideas of raised pots.
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It was a terraced garden if I remember rightly. She was growing them in pots at the top of the terraces so you waled up to them. I wondered if I could manage this with my patio steps.
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Worth a try!
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I know those hellebores bring you much pleasure! Your abundance of camellias add great color, too.
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Yes, you are certainly into spring while we are slowly slipping towards autumn
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Love the hellebores. I’m a bit of a fan and really love the story of the kākā. Rather special to have it call by your garden.
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Yes we are lucky we have such avian visitors!
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Before we get onto flowers, that kaka is wonderful, what a fine sight. Glad to see the daffs flowering, I’ve been watching them grow with you. Lovely hellebores. 🙂
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I’m hoping for a decent spring display this year…fingers crossed!
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Oh joe in with you on photographing Hellebores. I’m often looking around for a twig or something that will hold them up whilst I can take the pic.
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Yes – not the easiest flower to photograph!
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Beautiful pictures! I no longer have a garden to enjoy. I am in an apartment now. I do have a few plants that I keep on my patio, but it’s not the same. Thank you for sharing your garden with us.
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Great spring pictures while we are suffering from a heatwave here in Europe. ( nice shot of the bicolor seeds of the mahonia )
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I heard it was up to 38C in Mainz…and even 28C in Malmo….
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Early spring is one of my favorite times, and your pictures beautifully illustrate the freshness of this season. Wonderful news about the Kaka. (Sorry I can’t give the word the correct accent marks.)
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Yes it really feels like spring is coming…and almost in full bloom.
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You can’t beat daffodils for Spring cheer. I thought the Mahonia berries were grapes for a brief moment.
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Yes the mahonia does almost look like grapes! I love the changing colours.
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Daffodils already! 🤭 Lovely to see the different seasons again.
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Thank you for the cooling photos, love the Kaka, glad they are rebounding and in your garden. Lovely to see all of the cool season flowers, I do miss Camellias so thank you for sharing yours.
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Thank you!
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Great to have the kākā in your garden, It’s all very well conserving species in reserves but to get a rare and endangered species back in peoples gardens should really get people behind the effort. I love that loose white (pale pink?) camellia.
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We have been here 7 years, and have seen increasing numbers of kākā around. They haven’t quite reached down to Parliament, but you do see them in the old cemetery nearby. The white (I need to get closer somehow) camellia just popped out from nowhere – well, not really but it isn’t that accessible so tends to get ‘forgotten’.
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Your hellebores are lovely. I had mine in pots on raised staging, which made them easier to photograph (I could also lift the pots onto a table to photograph). They’re in the ground now, but hopefully I can get some more varieties for the staging for this winter. The camellias are beautiful.
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That is a great idea! We are surrounded by camellias at the moment,
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This week for us in Kerikeri it has definitely felt like Spring has been in the air, there is so much flowering and the sunshine is glorious.
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It was lovely here today – even saw a butterfly! Spring is glorious!
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Lovely to see your daffodils and hellebores in the midst of high summer here
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Watching Spring reveal itself is such an exciting time. Lovely to see your fresh colours today.
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It is an exciting time!
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Your garden is looking lovely and fresh, whilst ours are becoming dusty and dry and in my case somewhat overgrown. How nice to have that avian visitor. Winter for me is all about the birds!
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no you’re still in winter. if you’re in early spring that would mean that we’re in early autumn and i won’t have it. shan’t! lovely to see daffs coming through. i’ve bought more to add to the growing colonies in my garden. the foliage drives me a bit crazy but it’s worth it i think.
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There you go! It’s that strange phenomenon called reality versus officialdom.
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Lovely Hellebores! I’m waiting for my one and only yellow one to flower. This is its first season and I planted it in a pot. I found your info on the Kaka very interesting. It is very pleasing to read that it has been brought back from the brink of extinction. They are very pretty birds. I have noticed a couple of signs that spring is indeed in the air…. the Jasmine is flowering, and my red cedar tree has tiny green shoots on it.
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Spring? How wonderful! Wonderful also, because that means autumn here and I do love autumn!
Getting a decent shot of the shy hellebore is indeed a photographer’s nightmare, but they make up for this in other ways.
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