Euphorbias in spring

There. That only took ten minutes and an accidental April 1st post published with ABSOLUTELY NO CONTENT. Sorry for those of you who kindly subscribe.

I am still learning how to drive the upgraded blog format. Am I the only person who really does not enjoy the enforced upgrades? Were I planning on making a career out of sitting down in front of the screen it would be a thrilling ride….

Insert templates! Create stunning new designs! Play!

For those of us who just want to insert paragraphs and images it has baffled me. And I have not devoted the time to wrangling the software to stop hissing and sighing each time I hit the Add New button.

So I’m just going to shove this out there and hope the Cat doesn’t walk over the keyboard again and take out paragraph three.

I trust you weren’t all lulled into a sense of complacency about the amount of content I wrote in March. And expected it to happen again in April.

Busy. This is a busy time in all gardener’s lives.

Spring. A touch of complication with travelling on a strike day. A bit of volunteer work with other people’s gardens. Heaps of seed sowing. Finally getting the nod from Etienne that he can spare me six days of carpentry work (oh joy!) and what priorities ought I assign?

The list has been on my cork board since November.

Oh and this.

Complete incapacity owing to Having A Fall. Or if you are just squeaking in under the age of 60 taking a massive fall on slippery wooden decking, twisting one’s knee, and then smashing onto one’s back. Torn ligaments, damaged back muscles. Utter fury at such an innocuous slip messing up the next three months.

Oh, and failing to brush my hair before my friend Elodie snapped this shot.

(I blame enduring five hours at Privas Accident and Emergency which is a hair raising experience for everyone, even the hirsutely challenged.)

I have that sort of doped-up mad look of someone who is sampling the painkillers for the first time. Or one who has to work out how to use crutches in a landscape that is not flat.

Dear god, the challenges ahead.

But hey ho. Have some wonderful spring shots of my euphorbias instead.

That acid green just lifts the spirits. And if you are looking for some plants which will tolerate drought, then these are beauties.

Where once I had a whole bank of struggling lavenders, I now have a cheerful bank of evergreen euporbias. This variety is Wulfenii. Good do-ers.

Some of the lavenders are clinging on. But in that same understanding that certain weeds will survive armageddon, then euphorbias are brilliant for fixing all manner of tricky spots.

You do have to accept they will self seed. So diligence is required if you commit. And being diligent about cutting back the spent flowering bracts.

They add a distinctive fluffiness to the scene.

And over in the dry garden by favourite euphorbias – rigida – are turning into quite the statement plants.

You definitely get more euphorbia for your buck with this one as they turn a fantastic shade of crimson at the end of the season.

And that glaucous grey really delights. Or is that the drugs?

Sitting down is not easy, but I have so many shots of springtime delights. I am to be more organised….