Berberis buds

One of the March-flowering shrubs of our garden is the Barberry (Berberis darwinii), an evergreen with prickly leaves. It is a plant that requires annual pruning and those leaves have to be handled with care. However, the local house sparrows don't mind the prickles and can regularly be seen sheltering in the bush, indifferent to people passing close by. The photograph was taken before the flowers opened, and the buds were making a fine display, almost looking like berries.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Darwin's Barberry

It seems almost a matter of chance whether gardeners refer to plants by their English or Latin name. The subject of today's photograph has always been called, in my hearing, Berberis and not Barberry. It's a plant that originates from Chile and Patagonia and was named after Charles Darwin. Berberis darwinii offers the brightest of orange to the days of early spring, and its only drawback, I find, is the prickly leaves that have to be handled after pruning and which often prick you when weeding in its vicinity. It makes a fine subject against a blue sky.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10