Skywatch Friday

It's been a pleasure to skywatch this week, the weather has been dry and bright, there's blossom everywhere, large magnolia trees in front gardens as I drive into town and plum blossom in the neighbours' orchard.

I told you that the primroses were everywhere, can you see them in the vegetable garden path?

And in the row of chives along with some violets. Those violets are TOUGH, they've spread all over the lawn!

I have a four bed rotation system in the veg garden.

That makes me sound wonderfully organised, but it's not really the case. Some of the overwintering crops are still productive and while I could do with their ground I shall have to wait. Then in summer I pop things in where spaces occur and the whole scheme starts to fall apart.
One thing that did completely fall apart was our old fruit cage. I neglected to take off the roof netting a few years ago and a heavy snowfall made the whole structure collapse. Now the bits of metal and  old netting come in handy for keeping the pigeons away from the crops. Not a pretty sight but effective.

I love white in the garden

but I'm not averse to pink when it's as pretty as this!

Himself is an optimist. He put up a deckchair on the lawn. He didn't sit in it for long - there's still a chill wind blowing!

A good week

The week started well with sunny skies and on Easter Monday we walked into the woods with the visiting family.

It's beautiful at this time of year with patches of wood anemones carpeting the ground

and wild daffodils beside the woodland tracks.

Once our visitors had returned to London I got to work in the garden. It has had no attention for months. My damaged wrist had put paid to work in the autumn and biting weather stopped any action in early spring.

In spite of neglect things are looking well. I like the way that the 'St Patrick' daffodils fade to a paler colour as they age.

Just for a change the squirrels haven't eaten all my tulip bulbs and I've got quite a good display!

The camellias are weathering the cold night temperatures quite well with only a little burning on some of the blooms. I always marvel at how exotic they look.

This Japanese peony is in a pot in the greenhouse, it will be put outside when summer comes.

The greenhouse is crammed with stuff. 

Some pots have been put outside, others go out in the day and get popped back in for overnight protection when the temperature drops. 

But I need to clear the decks to have room for potting on my seedlings.

The auriculas are starting to flower and repaying my efforts of replanting and dealing with the vine weevil grubs that can't seem to resist them.

No such trouble with the common primrose - they flower with gay abandon all over the place!

Friday skywatch

We've had a week of glorious weather, sunshine and no harsh winds. On Easter Monday half a dozen balloons came floating by, the first one quite low over the house. There were about a dozen people in the basket waving and calling out 'Happy Easter!' I went to get my camera for the other balloons but they drifted some distance away towards the sunset.

For Friday Skywatch.

Easter Sunday

We have enjoyed such a lovely Easter. The weather was kind, still and dry -  and almost warm!
On Sunday morning, along with hordes of other folk, we browsed amongst the bric-a-brac of Frome's 'reclaim the streets' event, held on the first Sunday of every month.

It's always a cheerful occasion, the town full of makers, collectors and enthusiastic browsers.

The bakemonger's cakes are a work of art.

And some of the stall holders are just as colourful!

Frome is famous for it's vintage clothing shops so it can seem a bit of a time warp experience.

We walked along the quiet back streets on our way back to the car. The town has many beautiful old houses such as this one with it's magnolia tree just coming into bloom.

We were on our way to 'The Talbot' in Mells for a family Sunday lunch. They'd put the bunting out. Not for us, as it happened, but for the daffodil festival taking place on Easter Monday.

The meal was delicious. With a 'proper' Yorkshire pud!

After which a walk around the village.

The walled garden house has a pigeon loft and is just one of many attractive houses in Mells.