Signs of Life . . .

Planted the first lot of seeds  the other weekend, and finally there are signs of life from most of them: courgettes; tomatoes (cherry and beefsteak); shallots; onions; and cucumbers.

The peppers and butternut squash are being a bit slower off the mark but I'm living in hope!

The greenhouses have been cleaned and weeded ready to receive the seedlings, and the potatoes are chitting on the windowsill.  Next job, digging over the veg patches, and planting up some beans, sweetcorn, aubergines, chillis and leeks.

Watch this space!

Unwanted Guests!

At least it was a nice day for chasing sheep round the garden . . .

Spring Days Away

Spring seems to have finally arrived - the snowdrops are in full bloom and a succession of daffodils are making their debut.  We had a few days away this week and managed to enjoy some Spring sunshine (inbetween the clouds!).


Activities included visiting family in Cambridgeshire and a trip out to a National Trust property we'd not been to before - Belton House.




Belton has its own Deer Park (some of the deer had been corralled conveniently close to the house, providing some good photo opportunities!).



Will have to return to get a better look at the extensive gardens, but did enjoy the house which was presented around the theme of the Edward VIII abdication crisis - the then owner (the 6th Baron Brownlow) having been a close fried and Lord-in-Waiting to Edward.

Belton House (c. 1720 and in 2011):

On the way home, fitted in a quick return visit to Attingham Park.  No deer here, but the parkland does host an extensive range of grazing cattle (as many of these had rather scary looking horns, decided not to risk getting out of the car to take photos - the trees seemed much the safer option!).