This year the below freezing temperatures experienced in February have wrecked havoc in the garden.  Gone are the Polygala bushes, and the Jasmine.  Time will tell if the Citrus trees and the Oleanders will recover.    

The colder than usual  temperatures have slowed down the advance of Spring.  In past years years the garden in  April was full of the precocious flowering of many perennials.  This is not the case at the present time.  Still, there is some color present in the garden this month.

Although the last of the daffodils are finishing their display, the hyacinths are still showing their colorful heads. 

Ground covers supply the remaining color.  These include:

The ground hugging violets which are coming into bloom.

The moss verbena which has been flowering in the garden all winter, now needs to be cut back.

The low growing mat forming Persian Catnip, Nepeta mussini, which reaches a height of 30 cm is covered with its purple flowers. This plant makes an excellent ground cover or border herb.  Both the foliage and flowers give off a pleasing fragrance.  By July it will have become straggly and will need to be cut back--only to flower again later in the season.

Geranium.macrorrhizum  completes the list of ground covers in bloom

Maintenance:

• The climbing roses still need to be pruned and fertilized. 
• The jasmine needs to be cleared.
• The Pomegranate and Bay leaf trees need to be pruned.
• Weeds need to be cleared.