Spring has Sprung

What a glorious week. Cold nights, foggy mornings and warm sunny days, perfect for growing plants. I have had a busy gardening week clearing flowerbeds of last year's growth, weeding and planting seeds all to the melody of birdsong. I am tidying the flowerbeds in the Artful Garden and have received many compliments about the Easter display.

I thought I would concentrate this week on the spring flowers that are thriving in the sunshine.

Pom pom primulas, colourful drumsticks.

Look at the detail of each flower head

This primula has an old fashioned feel.

Beautiful

The flowering redcurrant is now in bloom. It has it's own unique perfume.

The bees adore this shrub

The grape hyacinths are creating a carpet of blue.

Little blue berry clusters

This  variety is two toned.

Dark to light

The cowslips are growing towards the sun.

I adore cowslips

This cowslip has a variation in the colour of the petals.

Orange and yellow hues

The first tiny violet to open.

Found when I was raking the leaves from under the beech hedge

I have had the potatoes 'chitting' on the window ledge. I am planting them today. I have chosen a First Earlys Nicola and Second Earlys Pink Fir Apple.

Can you see the tiny 'chitting' shoots in the Nicola potatoes?

Pink Fir Apple a strange name and an interestingly shaped potato

I found this bird's egg in the flower border, nature is full of surprises.

Fragility

When the sun opens a tulip it reveals it's full beauty.

Rich creams with a dash of yellow

Eggciting Easter

Happy Easter. Easter has arrived in the Artful Garden. All the scarecrows have new Easter bonnets and there are some new hens in the garden. All the daffodils are at their peak.

On the gate into the garden is an Easter wreath.

Eggsotic

There is a lovely bucket of flowers to greet you.

Sunny flowers to make you smile

Daffodils are flowering throughout the garden.

Daffodils in the orchard

Daffodils in the flower bed

Daffodils in the rose bed

Miniature daffodils, a lovely contrast with the blue

A giant egg

The lilac tree is decorated with Easter eggs.

Eggs of different shapes and sizes

Looby Loo has a lovely hat, Bobby just wanted rabbit ears.

Can you see the chick in the basket?

Boozy Floozy found a garland as well as a bonnet.

Bonny hat

Crazy Maisie decided on a green hat with huge daffodils.

Puzzled

Lotta Bottle just settled for a single flower.

Where's my Easter egg?

Charlie Barlie loves his new hat as his head was getting cold.

Hi says the Bottle Boy 

Flowers are blooming on the raspberry canes.

Smile please

The Funky Chicken has had a makeover.

Feeling chirpy

The trio of  Rock and Roll Chicks have arrived in the garden and are attracting a lot of interest.

Rock me baby

I'm the best

These are the  Easter flower arrangements I made for the church.

In the middle of the church

 The Lady Altar

Side altar

This is my favourite daffodil photograph. The daffodils look as if they have been painted.

Stunning

Canals Continued

The canal people were very talented in the way they decorated their equipment. These are examples of the Buckby watering cans. They were traditionally decorated with roses and each artist had his own style.

A very old water can. The name of the boat is written on the can

Traditional old can painted to a very high standard

The doors to the narrowboat were decorated with pictures of castles, nobody knows why castles were chosen.

Dreaming of a better life from the harsh reality of the canals

Interior of a traditional working boat. The family lived in a very confined space. 

 Everything has a place

To get through the tunnels 'leggers' were paid to lie on a board and 'walk' the boat through the tunnel.

 Leaving Blisworth Tunnel

Boards used by the leggers

 Leggers were employed by the Grand Union Canal and wore a special armband.

The men who did this work often died young

For special occasions the horses were dressed up.

A crocheted headband and a large oblong painted bead necklace 

 Metal marks on the bridge made by the ropes of the horses who were used to pull the boats. 

Marks made by the  horse ropes

We moored at Blisworth a very pretty village with a lot of thatched cottages.

Tiny windows and a dominant roof. Look at the downpipes.

The thatch looks as if it has been poured.

Advertise your trade here.

Eye catching

You see all sights on the towpath.

Just another one

A crazy patchwork tea cosy.

Look at the embroidery detail

The motorbike will not travel far.

Economy cycling

An apple a day.

Not sweet but sharp

A beautiful sunset.

Sunset over the canal