Garden glow

Sometimes when you are delighted by something which is catching the sun in your front garden, and are hoping to capture that feeling

someone else comes along, who feels the same way, and just has to get involved

the primroses are still shining in amongst the forget me nots

our tulips, a wedding present from a friend, planted four years ago, are still bringing joy

there are hellebores, tucked away in spots behind other things, which tease with their shy beauty as they catch the evening sunlight

the rill, which runs down into the pond, tempts frequent visitors to adjust their feathers and primp and preen ready for spring courting

and the little water boy looks on serenely as the garden blooms behind him

I will be away for a couple of weeks as from next Tuesday. I am going here. I am very excited, and just a little terrified, but am expecting to see marvels and delights. There will be photographs, but perhaps not until I come home again

springing forth

A lovely walk on our blustery seafront shows me that Spring is decidedly here

I hope Spring is also springing where you are too

Waking up

Just the garden, doing it's thing. Just Nature continuing with no regard to us. though we love what she offers at this time of year. 

Front and back are showing signs of life - spring is almost here

An expedition

We took ourselves out this week to a garden centre to do something other than essential shopping and exercise. The trip was to find some primula to plant in our front garden.

Last year my lovely rowan, which I had nurtured since Jen's childhood, got some sort of unpleasant canker and died. Not as large as you might expect since it spent many years in a pot, I tucked it into a corner when we made our front garden in 2011, so it had a number of years of happy growth. In the Autumn it had to come out, so I replaced it with another "slow tree", which needed it's freedom. This time a crab apple; again, very small as it goes in, but we will see what happens.  My greatest fear is that, as part of the rosaceae tribe, it might succumb to whatever took its cousin. Then I will have to think again. For now, it has overwintered, and the buds are swelling with growth, so I am hopeful. 

Yes, it really is that small! 

Today I tucked those little primula around the base to welcome in its first spring of freedom, in open ground. I hope they settle in, and self seed. 

There is a great splash of native primroses self seeded in the same space, so there is a chance - time will tell. 

And that, of course, is the the pleasure of a garden - time, and anticipating what it will bring

some more Sussex springtime

It was a chilly morning, with a lovely impromptu tonal patchwork on the roof

But the sun was shining and the garden beckoned

The little old lady was holding her shawl close to keep herself warm in the chilly breeze

Then suddenly, above, a swoop and swirl of many many jackdaws, calling and congregating in the blue sky. There must have been almost 100. Can you see them?

Fairies

 The thing about living next door to fairies is that sometimes, if you’re very good, they leave lovely things on your garden wall to make passers by happy 😃 

today I had a helper

and found a different sort of treasure

Really there

I have made the decision, and opened up ‘An Elbow’s Length of Thread’, which began in 2017, to all my previous and new stitchy, textiley posts. A separate space in which to talk cloth and stitch. I will remain here too, with Ganna's lamp to my left  and all my loved ones, here and gone, beside me.

This space remains as it has been from the start; musings and gardens and thinking stuff. I would love it if you joined me in both.

So, a fresh post there, on the Venus Coat - follow me over 

While for here, another little touch of spring - these cyclamen make me smile every time I see them, so I thought I'd post them again

The vivid red leaves of the trachelospermum (star jasmine) have been there all through the winter, and soon will be joined by fresh leaves and then, in summer, by glorious jasmine scent

More signs of spring

Come with me, down the steps past the golden crocuses

To the secret space, tucked away

Here signs of growth hide behind last year’s dry stalks; suddenly there as I clear those stalks away, cradling green light 

Little flames of purple 

Blowsy blush flushes of frothy pink

A cat sits and ponders, wonders where his brother is. Usually nearby 

Things starting to age, to settle in

We spent a pleasant time just sitting in the last of the sunshine once we'd finished some clearing up. The sun has just begun to reach this spot - it will touch there now until late Autumn, rising bit by bit each day, peering over our south facing house, light falling down into the north facing garden, eventually filling the Dell with summer warmth.

Some garden for Els

Els does the most wonderful stitching, and felting, and drawing and knitting aaaaaaand gardening. This post caught my eye, as I had just come in from taking photos in our garden, hundreds of miles away ...

here they are Els

fritillaria

green

the old dears

moist and mossy

full of light

and shadow

free flight

buzzard and seagull vying for space as Spring surges

a little breath of wind

a flutter in the undergrowth

light held so delicately

I have had increasing tooth problems in the past couple of weeks and months - two abscesses, two extractions, much lowness of spirit, some forbearance;

I'm on the mend