Busting Out All Over

I've probably got the premise for the title of this post quite wrong. I had in mind the song "Spring is Busting Out All Over," but I have that nagging feeling that it might not be "spring" in the title, but rather "June," but I haven't googled it yet so I'll run with it anyway.

Photo time...

The anemones are starting to go over now and they are being replaced by these poppies (above). These aren't the type that is common in northern Europe, and they do rather resemble the anemones in shape and size, but I am reliably informed that they aren't anemones, and are actually a genus of poppy. That's why they don't flower simultaneously with the anemones, but come out about a month later, filling the countryside with a scarlet blush. This year, as with the anemones, the poppies seem to be in greater abundance than usual, which I put down, as with the anemones, to the generous amounts of rainfall that we've enjoyed this past winter.

Yesterday morning, as we were driving down the lane, we saw our first Hoopoe of the season too. They're just arriving from Africa. I didn't get a chance to photograph it, I'm afraid, but you know when you've spotted one, as they're so exotic (check out these links, one, two). Amazingly, they can be seen in the UK sometimes, but very rarely. Those that arrive there in spring tend to (as the RSPB puts it) 'overshoot' their migratory destination. They don't breed in the UK at all.

The above shot I took on Saturday morning. It's a little side street in the village of Pylona. It's very typical of a Greek 'avli', with the lemon tree in evidence, stretching out over into the lane. Lemons are mind-bogglingly useful. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you all of their health benefits, but one thing that a lot of people don't know is that you can leave them on the tree for as long as you like, only picking them to requirements. So, in mid-summer, when you need a new lemon to slice up to add some zest to your gin and tonic, you simply stroll out into the yard, pick one straight from the tree and off you go.

This one (above) was taken this very morning. the garden is just beginning to enter its most colourful season now, with the osteospermum (we have several versions in various colours dotted about the place) and the gazanias going crazy in their attempts to outdo each other. Gazanias are sometimes called African Daisies, since they so resemble giant daisies, although in a huge variety of colours. I've posted a few photos of ours in a photo album on my "John Manuel the Published Works" Facebook page.

And, finally, be warned, knobbly knee alert! Yes, I dug my shorts out for a session of gardening today, and we had a frappé for the first time this year instead of a filter coffee at break time. Summer is a coming and spring is, indeed, busting out all over ...as are my legs.