The view from the kitchen sink, end of April 2011

The rose in the foreground is Roseraie de l'Haie, one of the best. Never before seen in the month of April with bluebells, daffodils and azalea. The very earliest rose this year was lemon yellow Agnes by the sunny back wall. Rosa altaica was not far behind; this is another yellow rose.
April was as dry as March, excepting the stormy spell at the beginning.  Not especially warm but good and sunny, enough encouragement for the roses to get started a month early.  In the 1990's only a few roses flowered here in May, Rosa persetosa being one of them. (With its tiny  pink flowers, it was known as the "threepenny bit" rose. Its new home is the bottom of the drive, where it seems to be doing well.)