Named after the theatrical jester character Harlequin…

There is a profusion of creamy white satin blossoms…

“Is the Spring coming?’ He said. ‘What is it like?’… ‘It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine…”

The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

“The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies, but grows to the enduring happiness that the love of gardening gives.” Gertrude Jekyll

“As the daffodils sway in the breeze, they tell the tale of a world waking up to the magic of fresh beginnings.”

Emily Bronte

The nursery rhyme  ‘Oranges and lemons’ comes to mind and Saint Clement’s bells  I think had a very good reason to ring particularly at this time of year.

The blooms are large, goblet shaped, not so much fragrant, but they’re opulent, a deep magenta leaning to claret red.

I came across a quote the other day by Alfred Austin; “The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.”