Spring Gardens in Summer Sunshine

April is providing us with some distinctly summery days, and we've been out and about in the sunshine, catching up with some of Wales' best Gardens in all their Springtime glory.

Powis Castle (earlier this month) gave us magnolias, camellias, tulips, fields of daffodils, and dandelion interlopers among the spring bulbs:

 

 

Bodnant Garden (earlier today) was rich in azaleas, rhododendrons, tulips, and fields of bluebells:

        

   

 

And of course, our own garden has been ablaze with colour - the daffodils and tulips are over now, and the  last of the magnolia and camelia petals are falling - but the rhododendrons and azaleas are coming into full bloom already.

The Bunnies are Back . . .

The winter months aren't great for bunny sightings, but with spring well and truly here, the lawn is once more replete with bunnies:

No exceptionally cute baby bunnies just yet, but expect they are on their way!

They better stay away from my tulips though.

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!).

January February

Haven't posted a weather update for a while, so here we go . . .

January - bit of a mixed bag:

February - predominantly rather dull:

Beside the Seaside

It's been a quiet and rather uneventful month - not much to blog about anyway!


Took a walk down by the prom this afternoon - the waves were crashing up against the jetty . . .

and rolling onto the beach . . .

But it was the sound of the waves dragging the beach pebbles to and fro which was particularly evocative - this doesn't really do it justice, but gives you the idea!