This morning’s much needed sunshine was swept away once again by more cold thundery showers this afternoon. Fat, soft hailstones like white marrowfat peas exploded on the greenhouse roof above me and filled the emerging primula flowers with ice. The accompanying lightning brought the power down for a few seconds and the thunder woke Holly up who was sleeping off her birthday weekend. Still, I’m told it will all change with the full moon on Sunday – I hope so!
Last weeks snow has claimed one scalp – all of the young emerging Circidiphyllym japonicum leaves have blackened from the frost. I doubt the tree is harmed but it will have to start again for leaves this year. I only noticed when I was mowing and smelt toffee apples – the smell it gives off when the leaves die in autumn. 
Anyway, most plants are unscathed and just biding their time. The pulsatillas in the scree garden are opening and decking the dull gravel in their regal purple. And the pretty hoop petticoat daffodil, Narcissus bulbicodium is utterly untroubled by the cold. It is such a tidy little plant – I do like it.
2 Responses to “Drip, drip, drop little April hailstones”
We too have been having ridiculously lousy weather for april. In fact, if you look at the satellite pics it stretches right across Europe. oh well – it can’t last for ever …. (????)
Cold in Milan! How on earth are the native Milanese coping? They’d surely be expecting to start topping up their tans by now…
More worrying – I wonder how the Kent apple blossom is holding up. Mine is just bursting now, thankfully after the run of frost seems to be over.