Easter

We spent Easter weekend in Yorkshire. It was lovely to be back 'home', albeit briefly.

I did my usual tidy-up in the garden and by the stream side.

The front garden is tiny, which is just as well since I'm only in residence every now and then. The white daffodils were just going over but there was lots of promise for things to come. I staked healthy-looking delphiniums and peonies.

The millstone that used to be set into the wall of the building had to be rediscovered from beneath a blanket of moss. The pebbles will have originally come from the river but I moved them from the stable floor before we started the conversion.

This carving of work in progress shows one of the two grind stones still in place in the wall. I would have liked to have kept them in position but it was them or windows and in the end I opted for windows!

We had a bit of weather while we were there!

And on Sunday got soaked on the moor top.

(Our own fault for not putting on our waterproof trousers.)

The First Born came up from London to join us.

Blackthorn blossom everywhere

and when we'd clambered out of our wet clothes there was the consolation of chocolate!

Auriculas

Every year I have a tussle to keep my auricula plants alive, but round about now, as they come into flower, it all seems worth while!

None of my plants are named. I can say, looks a lot like 'Rowena', 'Ted Gibbs' or 'Old Dusty Miller' and so forth but can't claim anything more specific. The names of the different varieties amuse me because they sound so old fashioned.

In the garden the yellow flowers that herald spring are fading and my two favourite colours, white and blue, are taking over.

Although this large camellia is putting on a bit of a shout. I think it would be far better to be flowering  in the summertime with all the other reds and pinks!

Growing

The weather is still unpredictable, but when the sun does shine it is glorious and everything in the garden responds with a burst of growth. The pear tree is now awash with blossom.

The temperature drops sharply at the end of each day so many things are holed up in the greenhouse for a while longer. We rebuilt the garage block several years ago. In winter when the trees are leafless the sun is low enough to shine in through the windows. As the year advances and the sun is higher in the sky then the greenhouse becomes more of a shade house and the temperature never builds up to be excessive. The only downside is that all the plants tend to lean sideways towards the light! 

We hunted around reclamation yards to find the Victorian glass tiles that form two panels in the roof. They took some cleaning as they were etched with black soot when we bought them!

This little greenhouse we had built onto the side of the house. It was a really good decision. It's a lovely place to sit with a coffee and a book.

Although just at the moment it is so crammed with seedlings that there's not much room to move!

Couldn't resist these little artichoke seedlings from the local nursery.

Weekend

We've had a good weekend. It started well with supper at a friend's house on Friday evening. I picked camellias from the garden and a flower from the Japanese tree peony, 'Blue Moon' that grows in a pot in the greenhouse

The camellias are going over already, they don't last for long.

But the auriculas are coming into flower

and everything is looking promising.

I bought all white tulips 

so where did those two pink ones come from!

I've spent most of the weekend in the veg garden.

We picked and ate the last of the sprouts. We've cropped steadily from the ten plants since early November, a good result! The carrots and swede are coming to an end as well.

 I moved the brassica cage to the next bed and planted out fresh sprouts and red cabbage

and put the scarecrow back on watch!

I've erected a motley collection of barriers to stop the pigeons spoiling all my work. And even more problematic - there's a rabbit!