Dig, Dig, Dig

A mixed bag of weather this week, sun, hailstones, rain and snow. I have been keeping on top of my gardens. I applied a generous stack of muck to my Autumn raspberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries. I have put cardboard under the gooseberry bushes to prevent gooseberry sawfly.

Autumn raspberries are cut back each year

Gooseberry and blackcurrant flowers are forming

Our beech hedge is coming into leaf.

When all the new leaves cover the hedge the dead leaves are shed

The farmers are busy rolling the grass and ploughing fields. The lambs are growing but are still young enough to gamble at dusk. I heard  the cry of three oyster catchers when I walked along the river in the evening. Candy my dog has gone back to the kennels she came from. 

Very smart

The gorse is a vibrant yellow along the lanes.

Acid yellow

Dandelions rule OK.

Dandelions are sun lovers and the flowers are also edible

The gentle Welsh poppies remind me of my friend.

Paper thin petals

I am making a series of door wreaths using flowers in season.

Ivy, blossom and daisies 

These are some of the flower arrangements I did for the Easter display at church.

For the entrance to the Haydock Centre

For the entrance porch

I have been weeding my allotment, extending the vegetable beds. I have made excellent progress with some very long days of digging. The soil is rock hard. I hope to finish by next week. Many of my vegetable plants in the greenhouse are ready to plant out, broad beans and kale and sweetcorn. I have planted some flower seeds today and the greenhouse is almost full. 

Hi ho, hi ho it's off to dig I go

I have redesigned my bees that feature in all my gardens and on my allotment.

New this year are wire wings

This is a sock monkey I made for my granddaughter.

Cheeky

Kielder Forest

I have been busy on my allotment extending my vegetable beds and planting my second early potatoes and onions. I have taken down the fence around my allotment so it now looks much bigger. On my walks with Candy along the river Eden I have seen a kingfisher and my first swallows. Spring is now here.

I had a trip to Kielder Forest. A view up and down the reservoir.

Tranquil

Looking up the lake

An alpine strawberry.

The tiny strawberries taste delicious

A moss carpet under trees.

An elfin wood

Frogspawn is in a clump, toad spawn is in a line.

Next stage tadpoles

Spring primroses.

Delicate shades

Look at this lichen it resembles paper.

Torn effect edges

Can you see the witch in the wood?

Hocus pocus

Can you see the crocodile?

Never smile at a crocodile

Tree flowers.

Delicate

The chestnut trees are just coming into leaf.

The chestnut candles are forming

Cherry blossom.

A froth of white

A sock bunny made for my granddaughter.

Hop

Do you like my fluffy tail?

Eggsciting Easter Eggstraaganza

Happy Easter to all my readers.

I have made some Easter cards that can be used as decorations.

Embroidered on tissue paper

I have been busy this week planting my potatoes both in the Artful Garden and on my allotment. I dug in muck before I planted them. They are First and Second Earlies. I have continued to clear my extended beds and I still have more to do. The other evening when I was digging there was a flock of pewits overhead and the bleat of lambs looking for their mothers. It was a magical moment.
 Candy is getting more adventurous and likes to dig, sadly in the same area I am working. For some reason she likes to eat soil.

The Big Hen wishes you a Happy Easter.

Cluck

The Meeters and Greeters are wearing small daisies on their hats.

Have a cracking Easter

The Rock Chicks have a friend and a basket of eggs.

Eggsotic

Large eggs hang in the lilac tree.

I remade these eggs this year

Small eggs hang on the branches next to a large bucket of flowers.

A large bucket of flowers

The scarecrows have new hats.

Bonny bonnets and Charlie is rabbiting about

Boozy Floosie loves her bonnet

Bobby Barley likes his chick boppers

This is a wreath I made for my front door.

Cherry blossom, daisies, grape hyacinths

Dig, Dig, Dig

Spring is definitely here. In many of the local fields are baby lambs. It is lovely to see them gamble and bounce around. The hedges are coming into leaf as are the trees and we have cut our lawn for the first time this year. The birds are singing from dawn to dusk and there is a woodpecker tapping away that I can hear when I am on my allotment. I have been going on local walks with Candy my border collie.

I have spent a large part of the week on my allotment. I have been extending my beds. The ground is very wet so it has been heavy digging. I am preparing the beds to plant my potatoes.

I find digging very rewarding and good exercise

Wheelbarrows of daffodils add colour to my allotment.

Golden trumpets

Beautiful lilies  on a neighbour's allotment.

Very exotic

Tree blossom.

This blossom is very delicate

Plum blossom in the Artful Garden is at its best.

A froth of white

Growth in the birch trees.

They look like giant pom poms

Daffodils and forget me nots in the Artful Garden.

Forget me nots are one of my favourite spring flowers

I have picked my first rhubarb this week. I put lots of muck on the plants so they are growing well.

Very tasty

I am busy preparing my Easter display. A French hen.

Poule savage