First of the Orchids...

...and one of my favourites. The Mirror Orchid, OPHRYS ciliata. I've only found one surviving patch of these, near the Mastic bushes. They used to be a lot on the top of the slope, but there is very little vegetation, and very little soil left there now. Strimming has left the soil without anything to help it withstand the heavy rain, and at the moment there is only a scattering of coarse grass clumps. I can't get over how good a close-up I can get with this little Pentax Optio that 0j0 found on Ebay for me after I had a play with hers when she was here in December. It is a bit hit and miss though, as the screen is tiny, my eyesight is atrocious, and getting my eye level down to 2" above soil level isn't as easy as it used to be. I take half a dozen shots and hope for the best...

The Mastic bushes are in flower at the moment, and later in the year will be full of berries. The collared doves will gorge themselves and leave streaks of purple crap down the wall as they sit in a line on the telephone wire. The Latin name is PISTACIA lentiscus. It seems it is the same family as the pistachio nut; now I wouldn't mind a couple of those...Another little gem that has survived in pretty good numbers is the Muscari. I think the fact that it flowers so early, and that its leaves are in a ground-hugging rosette, gave it a chance to get some nourishment down to the bulbs before Ghengis Kahn got to work.

And finally for this post, I couldn't resist showing you this; a rogue freesia that has appeared right in the middle of The Bottom. I think the seed must have been dropped by the big ants that nest down there and collect a Winter store of seeds from all over the garden...more of their antics when they are active.