It's Almond blossom time again at the Quinta de los Molinos, Madrid.

Our daughter took the photos yesterday.

Read A MEDITERRANEAN ORCHARD IN THE CITY OF MADRID
 by Meye Maier
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 59 January 2010
There are some photographs of the garden here

http://www.mediterraneangardensocietyarchive.org/59-madrid.html

Spergularia marina, Lesser Sand- Spurrey

Seen blooming in February under the Tamarisk trees at Lychnari, Corinthia.

And a couple of photos of Lychnari.

A peony from the 1960’s
When my parents, who lived in the north east of England,  moved to a newly built bungalow in a newly built housing estate on what had once been a farm, they had three gardens to deal with.
The front garden which faced the north and enjoyed / suffered from regular winds was the first to be dealt with as it faced the road.
Although the estate was declared smoke free for some reason or other coal fires could be used for one year.
The coal man was very interested in the garden and donated two large peony plants from his garden.
The plants thrived for 40 odd years until the bungalow was sold and the front garden paved over. I often wonder if anyone saved the peony.

REAL JARDIN BOTANICO, MADRID
APRIL 2023
The statue of King Carlos lll
I quote

The garden was founded on October 17, 1755, by King Ferdinand VI, and installed in the Orchard of Migas Calientes, near what today is called Puerta de Hierro, on the banks of the Manzanares River. It contained more than 2,000 plants collected by José Quer y Martínez, botanist and surgeon.

In 1774 King Charles III ordered the garden moved to its current location on the Paseo del Prado. This new site opened in 1781. Inside an area defined by wrought iron fencing, the design by architects Francesco Sabatini and Juan de Villanueva organized the garden into three tiered terraces, arranging plants according to the method of Linnaeus.. Its mission was not only to exhibit plants, but also to teach botany, promote expeditions for the discovery of new plant species and classify them. There was a particular interest in the botany of Spain's colonial possessions. The garden was greatly augmented by a collection of 10,000 plants brought to Spain by Alessandro Malaspina in 1794.

REAL JARDIN BOTANICO
MADRID, APRIL 2023

Part of a notice board about the ornamental  flowering plants.
To see what is in bloom each month go to the website of the botanical garden

https://rjb.csic.es/el-jardin/en-floracion/galeria-febrero/