Our Silver Birch has been quite slow about bursting into leaf and we were getting a little concerned so were very happy to see the first leaves at the weekend.
Silver birch
A very delicate spider appeared on the purple sage.
Spider on the Sage
The lambs in the back field are growing very quickly.
Sheep in the back field
Yesterday I heard a recipe described on Radio 4 and decided it would make a treat for while Daughter No 3 was with us. It was designed to make use of left-over Easter eggs, something that never happened in our house! However, I did have some white chocolate in and some cream along with some frozen cherries and raspberries. So here it is – and very scrumptious it was too.
Frozen fruit with a warm white chocolate ganache
I have planted the Sweet Peas today in a pot with lovely curvy canes tied up into a tepee shape.
Sweet peas planted up
The Sweet Pea tepee is to the left at the top of the steps
We have a Hedgehog or maybe two!
Hedgehog poo!
Today is Primrose day and I have taken photos of many of the primroses in our garden. They are my favourite flower, delicate in colour but tough little plants that flower for months. Ours were in flower at Christmas and have grown better and better over the last weeks.
Primrose Day is the anniversary of the death of British statesman and prime minister Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, on 19 April 1881. The primrose was his favourite flower and Queen Victoria would often send him bunches of them from Windsor and Osborne House.
We love getting fresh eggs from friends’ chickens.
Fresh eggs and a glass chicken
The peaceful demonstrations being held by Extinction Rebellion have a Solemn Intention Statement which is read out morning and evening at each site. Beautiful – one mind, one heart, calm, focused.
Extinction Rebellion Intention Statement.
The pink of the blossom against the blue of the sky this morning was very lovely.
Cherry blossom
We have been watching a pair of Sparrows showing an interest in the lighthouse nesting box. They’ve been around for a couple of weeks. Their behaviour today was interesting. Hover over each photo for the caption.
Going out late this afternoon, I spotted a lone Bluebell growing in the gravel of the drive.
Lone Bluebell
Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Scented Narcissi
Fritillaria Meleagris, been in flower for weeks!
A purple, white and green day, keeping in touch with friends on Waterloo Bridge at the Extinction Rebellion protests, getting up-dates and hoping they keep safe. They speak up and sing for us. I wish we could be there too.
It’s wild out there today – and cold! I had planned to pot up a couple of Lavender plants for the top of the steps into the garden but that will have to wait! We’ve had help this week with some of the heavier, non-plant, tasks. The arbour has been renovated with a new roof and a new back. Now I have to paint it. The veggie boxes have begun to rot. They were made 10 years ago using the beams from the huge workshop that took up half of our garden. Dan has repaired those too so now we can get planting. We have no greenhouse and buy the little plants from our local nursery in Chacewater and had hoped to buy and plant this weekend but it seems another frost is promised so that job will have to wait too……
1. The Arbour
Repaired back and roof. Wheels added so that we can always turn it to the sun.
2. Veggie box, running repairs done on two of the four.
Repaired
3 New Growth. It’s lovely to see the blossom on the Amelanchier that we planted last year. It’s going to be very pretty.
Amelanchier Lamarckii
4. Fiddlehead Fern I love the early growth of ferns. This one is in my shady garden and planted in one of our many chimney pots. I’m told that they are edible but haven’t ever tried them mostly because I want the whole fern fronds in my garden!
Fiddlehead
5. Granny’s Bonnets, Aquilegea, Columbine. I love these pretty purple flowers, remembering them from my childhood. They seem to me to be flowering rather earlier than in previous years but I haven’t been back to check that out as fact! These flowers are edible too and are very pretty in a salad or decorating a cake. The leaves should NOT be eaten. The other varieties that we have, the yellow, the red and whites are not flowering yet. They self-seed with abandon.
Granny’s Bonnets, Aquilegea, Columbine with Snowflakes behind
6. More bulb beauties. The purple Tulips have taken over from the yellow Daffodils and join the white Narcissi in the pots up the steps. The white Tulips are a bit behind the white ones.
Tulips
If you have enjoyed my Six on Saturday, pop over to The Propagator’s blog. He started this brilliant idea and by reading the comments there you can visit gardeners and their gardeners all over the world.
After coming to singing with me this morning, I let LiveWire No 3 loose with my camera in the garden and she took some beauties. This is my favourite.
Muker, the copper crow
Both youngsters finished off their glass shooting stars this afternoon.
Shooting stars
And, of course, we went to the beach later in the afternoon for another session of dam building and stream diverting.
Having fun
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