Spring and Sunhine

The weather is warming up and the birds are singing each morning and gathering material for their nests. I spent a long day in the Artful Garden starting to tidy it up. I am also busy restoring the artwork.

The snowdrops are beginning to fade.

Snowdrops in the orchard

The crocuses are now in flower. They always look their best when in a group.

Purple jewels with golden centres

The primroses are just coming into bloom.

Delicate primroses

The cardoon is starting to grow. I have decided what I am going to do with last years flower heads.

It is always amazing how high the cardoon grows in a year

Big Bird has new plumage.

Strut my stuff

The dragonflies are hanging from the apple tree.

Flying high

Baabaara has a new Arran outfit with matching headscarf.

Ewetiful

The Meeters and Greeters have had a makeover.

Hello there

Purple around Penrith for polio awareness day on 26 February.

Purple power

 A complete rainbow.

Several times we saw where the rainbow ended but there was no crock of gold

   

Sizzling Sun

Another red hot week of intensive gardening.I have had long days in all my gardens weeding and planting bedding plants. Everything is growing very fast the weeds faster than the plants.
I had a day trip to Wallington in Northumberland on Tuesday.

I saw this amazing deer on route.

Made from backen

There is a lot of wild garlic which has a strong smell.

Inhale deeply

I love this den in the woods.

So organic

Wallington has some huge greenhouses.

The geraniums were over 8 metres

I love wisteria.

Delicate

Gunnera always fascinates me. It is so transparent.

Rose type thorns

This mural of Grace Darling was in the Great Hall.

You can feel the motion of the water

As were a series of flower murals.

Painted during the Pre Raphaelite period

This attendant wasn't very helpful.

I only speak Geordie 

I love this bath.

Full size not a miniature

If only it would snow.

A dragon sleigh

The Bottle Heads have had a makeover.

Hello

Three little Bottle Babes.

Hi Boys

Oh Boy.

Anyone for a snifter

The chicken is celebrating the Queen's birthday.

Happy and glorious

Babarra also is celebrating.

Baapy Birthday 

Allotment Fever

I have spent this week on my allotment trying to get it into shape. The weather has helped. We have had frosty mornings followed by warm sunny days, so I have had some long days digging. My main challenge was the strawberry bed that was riddled with couch grass. I had to weed using a fine toothcomb method and have now cleared the entire bed. I have planted some strawberries with space left for more.
It is wonderful to work to the sound of birdsong including a woodpecker that taps away in the field alongside the allotment. The birds are also nest building and keep taking in large beakfuls the coir matting from my hanging baskets.

A cleared plot

I have planted my potatoes both in the Artful Garden and on the allotment.

Chitted potatoes ready to plant

Planting potatoes after having applied a liberal amount of manure

I have also planted out some broad beans.

I have picked my first rhubarb from the Artful Garden.

Made into a delicious crumble

The damson trees are just starting to blossom. I hope the early morning frosts do not kill the blossom before it has time to set.

Delicate white blossom

There are some beautiful flowers in bloom.

Look at the detail

A delicate shade of pale yellow

I love this old shed. It belongs to the time when the allotments were first formed during the Depression when the villagers were very poor.

I love the bleached look of the planks

Not high enough to stand up in

These are flower arrangements I made for the bishop's visit.

Daffodils and iris

The Lady altar

Baabaara the sheep originally came from the Sheepfest in Sedbergh. Since then she has had body contouring, plastic surgery, a facial, colours and a complete makeover. She is hoping to be a pinup girl for Carrs Billington Lamb Feeds who have sponsored her handbag.

Does anyone want me to be their pinup?