This and that on a Friday

This week the sun has shone, but it's still very chilly in the early mornings when I walk around the garden to take a look.   

There are a few stalks of broccoli that are surviving the frost and ice.

A robin comes to visit and it's happy that there are berries still clinging to the hawthorn tree branches. I didn't do the RSPB Bird Watch Count this year.  I've only seen the robin and a few blue tits despite putting out bird seed and melting the ice in the bird baths.

Sunshine and the pink hyacinth lift the spirits.

I moved the plant to the windowsill.

Mr P's tomato plants are doing well and are at different stages of growth.

Snowdrops and crocuses are flowering - hurray!

We mostly stay indoors and I have a pile of library books to keep me occupied.  I stay in the present moment and try to stay focused on my immediate surroundings.  I shall be taking a break from blogging but I'll be back soon.  I thank you for coming by.  Have a good weekend!

Visit to the Local Garden Centre

Hyacinths in bloom - a gift from daughter M.

My calendar hanging in the kitchen indicates the fact that it's February!  January seemed to be a long month with less opportunity to go out and about except for the usual errands at the shops and a few trips out to local places.  We stayed in a lot of the time as I felt under the weather with a sore throat, which has now gone.  

the Snow Moon (photographed last night) clouds prevented sharp photos 

I'm thankful that we've had no snow recently and I hope the weather, although changeable, will not bring any as we shall be travelling 'down south' this month to stay with our Berkshire daughter D. 

I felt the need to get out for a short drive and as Mr P needed some feed for his vegetables we went to the local garden centre down one of the nearby lanes in the countryside.  The displays reflect the season of year when gardeners are growing seeds and planting bulbs if they haven't already done so.  Mr P has been busy nurturing his seedlings in the covered yard and indoors and I'm looking forward to seeing the Spring bulbs that are popping up through the earth in our garden.

Bedding plants were for sale.

  Hardy grasses were creatively displayed on colourful matting.

We've some yellow uva fritillary flowers in a pot on our kitchen window sill like the above, but it was interesting to see this variety.

This pink pussy willow is unusual.

I enjoyed seeing the different varieties of witch hazel.  I would love to have one of these shrubs in our garden, but even a small one on sale was expensive.  However, it's always good to wander around, have a wish list and spend some time in this garden centre.

more pussy willow

Our garden furniture is still stored away, but it was uplifting to see displays of garden furniture in the covered areas.  It's a reminder that warmer days are ahead.

We drove back home through the country lanes and stopped for a moment to take photos of the snowdrops that had been planted by local residents on the village green at Loxley.  Later on the narcissi will be in bloom there.  That's something to look forward to next time we pass by.

An old stone mounting block for horse owners  is on the village green. The horses are kept in the fields across the way and we saw a rider exercising her horse during our drive out.

Thank you for coming by.  I hope you enjoyed the visit to the garden centre and our drive in the local neighbourhood.  Have a good day!