Two "firsts" happened today in honour of Emm's birthday, we had 3 eggs in the top hut for the first time, which means that all three new girls have laid - I'm fairly sure it was the new ones, because among our other ducks Hedda used to be the first in a year to start laying, and she certainly hasn't started yet. I just counted up the eggs from 2nd February, just those two little ducks ...... oh, hang on a minute, how do I know that those three didn't take it in turns laying? It's just today we've had one from each of them, and that makes 36 so far this month - I'll keep those for you with your birthday date on Emm, if you want them!
The Hibiscus in the bathroom window has opened up the first bloom in time for Emm's birthday as well [I know there are two blooms in the picture, but I cheated, I stuck the 'full face' picture on top of the other one.]. After I pruned it severely last year because it had got very spindly, John de-loused it and re-potted it, and now it's looking very healthy.
The morning started very promisingly, it was dry and the sun tried its best to come out. I was very glad I went around the garden early to take photos of various plants that were blooming, because very soon the heavens opened and continued to cry all day - we even had hail about half past 3! I managed to catch a break before 4 to put bedding into the hut I'd cleaned out first thing this morning - it's raining heavily again now.
As I said, a little walk around the garden showed quite a lot of plants were bursting into bloom, the hellebores around the ponds near the house were plentiful.
Underneath the pergola the first mini daffodil had opened as well as my favourite deep yellow polyanthus:
There are quite a few more patches of polyanthus and lungwort flowering in the garden, these two are at the bottom end of the frog pond near the stile.
The Forsythia at the corner of the drive is doing its utmost to burst into bloom in spite of the weather ................
... and the snowdrops are still doing well, in the top duck run, in front of the house, along the beech hedge near the road and a few bits up the drive mixed with crocuses - but the latter didn't open at all, they don't like the wet.
I just had a worrying experience putting the ducks to bed. They separated nicely, as usual, but there were just three standing near the bottom hut, where was Captain? Then I saw him, he was lying down near the 'horse fence', and when I got close I could see he was horribly tangled up in some loose electric fence netting. I tried to bite through it at first, but then had to run to the garage to fetch scissors and secoteurs. The netting was so tight on him that I was worried it might have cut into him, but no. As soon as I'd cut a couple of strands he was free, flapped his wings, went for a quick swim with his girls and then into the hut. Phew, am I relieved! That netting is going to be put away tomorrow!
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