I cried with joy this morning

[Whiskycav]

So, this is the first year I have done my own gardening. Exh used to do it all, but he was an abusive twunt. I now live in a small terrace hour with my 2 kids. For the first few years I just moved the lawn and left it.

As I have been working from home, I have been less exhausted and more inclined to be in the garden on an evening. Then kids said they missed the sunflowers they used to grow.

So this year we made an attempt at it I have never been had green fingers, so didn't expect much. We are also isolating at the moment. I just let the dog out and one of my red ones has bloomed and some of the yellow ones have. I was so happy I cried.

The giant one reached 9 feet but hasn't bloomed yet.

I can't wait to show the kids but they are asleep so I thought I would share them here.

Daffodils come up every year but open a few weeks later than my next door neighbour's which are in the sun. Different varieties flower at different times, from February right through to May.

Whiskycav did you know that a dahlia "flower" isn't a flower, it's a whole flowerhad. Each of the "petals" (including the flat ones and the tubular ones in the centre) is actually a complete flower, complete with stamens/stigma. The same applies to thistles, daisies, sunflowers - everything in the Asteraceae family), but it's a lot easier to see on the dahlia.

... Although sometimes the ray florets (the ones that look like petals) are sterile, but it's easy to see on a "single" dahlia as the central boss of disk florets shove out their anthers covered with yellow pollen.

That’s so interesting @MereDintofPandiculation
Thank you

Well done, OP!
Every year I think I can’t be bothered with the garden and every year it lures me in irresistibly .
Can I heartily recommend Urban Jungle by Monty Don? It has everything you need to know, particularly for small gardens.

@MilduraS I have to be honest I don't remember picking that colour either 😅. But it's pretty so, yes I am lucky 😁 weird how they aren't what you expect.

@MereDintofPandiculation no I had no clue. That's really amazing. It's so clever. I will definitely be keeping and eye to really look at the flowers when they do flower.

@Phyllis321 thank you, that's sounds great.

I didn't get chance to watch gardeners world properly last night. Buy I have recorded it to watch in bed tonight. Ds chatted all the way through so I missed most of it 🤣

So I watched gardeners world.

I loved it. I had my note book and learned some really great things.....but I think I want a pond now