I tend to associate red leaves with autumn but we have lots of plants and shrubs with red leaves throughout the year.
This is the Corylus Purpurea, the purple leaved hazelnut/filbert that gives us so much joy whatever the season. This photo was taken with Brian’s compact, a Canon G10.
It has red catkins in the winter, followed by these extraordinary leaves that start off a deep dusky red/purple and turn green as the summer turns to autumn and then produces nuts in the autumn. The squirrels bury the nuts and we find seedlings all over the place. We have rescued some of the seedlings and they are growing happily in pots until they can be rehomed with friends. I am thinking about a little guerilla planting as we have a couple that no one has claimed….
This is an ornamental red crab apple. It has wonderful dark pink blossom but the most pathetic little fruits that are no use for making jelly. Not the best choice in the world!
The flowers come after the leaves – any day now.
And here is my osmanthus bush having its moment of sweet scented glory. When I come home after dark the scent knocks you sideways. I wish it flowered for longer but I treasure this week when it puts on its best show. I brought this plant from my old house where it had sat in a pot for years and planted it out and it is so very happy! I have seen teas made using osmanthus flowers, but I don’t know how one would go about it. Should I collect the flowers?
All photographs by Brian!
Zeb Bakes 
Beautiful! Don’t you just love spring. Thanks to you I am singing Pavarotti’s elephant song in my head – I can’t shift it.
Elephants Yeah! If it’s any consolation, so am I :)
If you value your sanity, anyone reading this, don’t click on that link…. ;)
Beautiful photos by B, thanks for sharing Jo! Catkins is so Wind in the Willows for me. Gorgeous colour in your garden, just as we’re starting to lose it in ours! xxx
He has fun with that little camera as well as his serious one! I’m glad you liked them Celia :)
Tulips any day now…. did you hear the Radio 4 programme about chicken keeping the other day? It was called Attilla the Hen. Can you get Radio 4? It was great, lots of it in Bristol, I was almost persuaded, until the woman started talking about tweezing maggots from her poor hen’s bottom…..
Ugh! Yep- you lost me there for good!
Ohh!…Now theres a job.
Love Brian’s spring pictures!
Tulips!!! My daffodils are showing a little bud- in the Spring Tease show we have going on here. Crocus came up, started to bloom and were frozen forthwith. Trees (Maple) are showing red at the tips but not moving any further than to blush.
I’m thinking Spring in Ohio is very prudish and Victorian with no abandon or frivolity.
English Spring is hip hop at the moment – though we do get the frozen crocus syndrome too. Do you remember that saffron crocus I had in the garden? Someone emailed me yesterday and asked if they could use the photo in their encylopedia. I said yes. Strange world, this blogosphere.
Those osmanthus flowers look like we should be able to smell them off our screens – Wikipedia says the flowers are dried and mixed with black or green teas. So, don’t let them go much further before you capture some for drying.
If the wind hasn’t blown them all away tonight I might try tomorrow Doc :)
My pear tree has sprung into bloom, and I think I spy a damson blossom from upstairs! Must be Spring in Surrey! Hope we don’t have more frost.
My pear tree is almost there, any day now, clusters in waiting…. I wonder if it will fruit again after last year’s bonanza! If I was a gambler I would expect more frost at some point though…
Aarghh – too late, – lalalalululu elephants yeah!
I had a brief obsession with the viking kittens a few years back too ;) But I think Pavarotti stands the test of time better.
Osmanthus tea is good. I bought some in China two years ago, have some left, and the aroma is still there. Try to make some!
I will try! Lovely to hear from you :)
Lovely photos. Happy to hear another likes to use the old G10 too :-)