Out in the local countryside

Some of you will remember the guided group walk with a local historian on English Heritage Day last September to see some old farmhouses in our area.  I've been wanting to return that way, but the weather hasn't been suitable until this week.  Today we decided to take a drive there rather than go on a longer trip, as planned, because of the possibility of more snow storms.

It was not a day for walking the footpaths or lanes where there were patches of snow and ice.

There were diversions where some tracks over the heights were still icy.

We passed a complex of buildings, a former farm that is now rented out.  Our daughter once rented rooms there. It's a lovely place to live in the warmer months as there are wonderful views across to the reservoir. However, one day when she was driving to work in snowy weather she skidded down a hill and ended up in a field.  It could have been worse as she could have crashed into a stone wall.  She eventually moved nearer to the city.

However, there are one or two working farms in the area as well as a few other isolated cottages.

It's not surprising that many of the larger farmhouses have high, solid wall to counteract the bitter winds during the cold months of the year.

This is the inside of the courtyard which we were privileged to enter when we went on our tour.

I'm looking forward to another walk in this beautiful area on a warmer day than today. There are many interesting historical features associated with these farms that we were told about on our group walk which I will write about another time.

Winter's treasures in a tranquil garden

                           

Thursday morning:  a visit to another

city botanical garden was a good place to be.

It was misty with grey skies,

but every corner of the garden

revealed nature's treasures.

                                            

There were different varieties of  the miniature iris

with lavender or pale blue and yellow speckled petals

(iris unguicularis, the Algerian iris)

growing in the rock and water garden,
cyclamens and snowdrops.

Little gems of colour
to brighten up the day.

                                       

The Walled Garden in February

Today I visited the library in the park

on a very different day from the recent snowy one

  and then went into the walled garden.

In the main area by the pond the sun had melted the frost.

The bees were flitting about in the sunshine,

but in other shadowy areas frost still lingered.

The gardeners and volunteers had been busy

clearing the area, pruning and cleaning

the greenhouses and preparing the ground

in the community garden.

Everywhere looked neat and tidy.

Beyond the walled garden there is a shelter

of living willow trees.

This is what it looks like in the Summer months.

The herbaceous border will be planted out

and will be looking colourful later in the year.

The pond in the wild garden had been 

cleaned out.  As usual there were

many birds and as another photographer

was taking photos

 it was good to stop for a chat

and compare notes.