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 

Birds, Beetles, Frogs and Spiders

The weather again has been mixed and last weekend it was torrential rain in the Lake District. Trying to stay dry I visited the Cumberland Pencil Museum in Keswick. 

This van was once used to transport goods.

How many pencils does this van hold?

These wonderful pencil artworks are from a time gone by.

Pencil Circles

Pen nibs

1920 pencil packs

At one time the factory's had a clock where you 'clocked in' and 'clocked out' of work.

A clock that could tell a good story

The museum made a secret pencil for use in world war 2. Hidden inside the pencil was a map, how ingenious.

The third pencil in the row is the secret pencil

A replica of the map pencil

I saw this beautiful round topped gypsy van on the road near Hexham in Northumberland.

Beautiful artwork

How about this for accommodation?

This takes camping to a new dimension

When weeding the flower border in the Artful Garden out jumped a frog.

A frog he would a hopping go 

This black beetle was basking in the sun on the stone flags in my garden.

A sun baked black shiny beetle

This metal spider was along the disused railway track at the Garden Station at Hexham.

Metal spiders

Here I also found some large toadstools.

Red for danger

Another poisonous toadstool

I am still harvesting carrots. I think these carrots could win a prize.

The Manx carrot

The suggestive carrot

Mrs Woody has taken up residence in the stone trough at the entrance to the Artful Garden. There have been so many visitors that she wants to keep track of all the compliments about the Artful Garden. 

Don't mess with Mrs Woody

The Ooh La La bird has flown in from France. She was attracted by the smell of the onions drying on the picnic table.

Cherie the Ooh La la Bird

These don't look much like eggs

Cherie's beak and legs are made from a pair of wooden laundry tongs that inspired her creation.

It is the harvesting season. I am still harvesting, potatoes, peas, carrots, onions, garlic, courgettes and runner beans. I also picked the last of the blackcurrants this week and the Autumn raspberries are starting ripen.   I have been busy making Hot Tomato Relish. recipe to follow next week.