Our Week

Yesterday I went to the library in the park to get the library books I'd reserved and then walked to the lake and around the walled garden.  Trees are beginning to produce their lime green leaves and there's still a lot of colour in the walled garden.

The cherry blossom in the park is nearly over now.

Behind the walled garden there's the coach house stable café where people were sitting outside in the sunshine.

You can now get to the café entrance from the walled garden and its courtyard.  Here's a view from the rose garden.

At this time of the year the magnolia blossom is out and the greenery looks pretty against the blue sky.

There are flowering shrubs, (possibly a daphne shrub), polyanthuses and lots of bedding plants in different areas of the garden.

The glasshouses are still full of plants as we're still getting cold frosts at night.  Later on these bedding plants will be planted out in the walled garden.

Across the road from the park I couldn't resist taking photos of the shutters on the closed café, which I've shown you before.  Each season of the year has been painted on the window shutters and I wanted to take photos of the bluebells.

The cherry tree in our neighbours' garden attracts the birds. 

Our magnolia tree looks prettier now that the green leaves have appeared.

I'll probably write about the books I collected from the library on a future blog as I've only just started reading one of them.

Until next time,  have a good day!

Our Weekend

It's been a good weekend. 

On Saturday morning we went to our granddaughter's home for a visit.  Mr P wanted to cut the vine shoots that have grown over the Winter months.  It was a showery morning, but Mr P got the task done in between the showers.  I stayed indoors and chatted to our granddaughter.  Her baby is growing fast.  She gives us lots of smiles and we love our time together. 

On the way back home I spotted a new pillar box topping.  I think someone who lives in one of the bungalows must have crocheted it.

There were crocheted flowers and the two crocheted 'people' wore hats - one with ear flaps. The other  had a sunflower hanging from the hat.

On Sunday afternoon I went for a walk up the hill to the old part of our village and then onwards to the Common - (which I've written about before).

Being high up I could see across to the distant hills.  I then walked further onto the Common.

 

Spanish bluebells are everywhere, but I was in search of our native bluebell.

There are horses in the fields as it's horse riding country in our locality.

Blossom is everywhere and there were other wild flowers along where I walked.

Eventually I saw a few native bluebells.  The white one must be a hybrid variety.  Unfortunately the bees and other insects pollinate the Spanish bluebells.  I don't want to dig up the few clumps of the Spanish ones in our own garden.  However, I prefer seeing the native bluebells in the woods at this time of the year.  These days we don't get to any local bluebell woods as we don't drive that way.

An information board shows the Common where I walked.

If you enlarge the photo you can read about the Common which is a good asset so near to where we live.                

There were bushes with berries on them similar to the ones growing on the local moors.  They are called whortleberries, winberries or in Scotland blaeberries.

 

Fortunately the woods on the Common have dry paths to follow. Dog walkers were out and about and I greeted them and their friendly pets.

I spotted a woodpecker in a tree and also a robin flitting about.  The woodpecker and other woodland birds have plenty of places where they can take shelter.

Stones were quarried on the Common and were used to build cottages and farmhouses in the local villages. These steps were used by the quarry workers and there are a few tumble-down dwellings nearby. The strong winds we've been experiencing lately must have uprooted this tree (below).

     

                                            

The information boards are helpful as are the talks given about the wildlife on the Common most weekends.

The Rose and Crown Pub locally is called "Top Pub".

It was getting gloomy as I walked down this avenue of ornamental cherry blossom trees so the photo isn't the best. I passed the local church and then I wasn't far from home.

Wild garlic, bluebells and rhododendrons in the churchyard.

 

This is the WW1 roll of honour in the church yard under an apple tree.  The WW2 roll of honour is in the church.  

I like to visit this part of the cemetery from time-to-time and also pass by the angel statue before heading home.

I hope you enjoyed the walk.  Have a good day!