Our Week (So Far)

It has been a varied week and since the days have been quite warm and sunny it's been an enjoyable one so far. Yesterday we went to our local daughter's home as she wanted her Dad to look at the vines and cut some of the branches so that the grapes could continue to ripen.  

This variety has the taste of strawberries.

Daughter M's garden is L shaped and there is decking with steps up to the top of the garden. 

I love seeing Michaelmas Daisies at this time of the year.

The mauve flowers of the asters look good against the red of the Virginia Creeper growing along the fence.

The roses have gone over now and are producing large, red rose hips.

Apples will be picked from this fairly new apple tree.

On the way home ..... 

there were pansies in a community planter ....

    .... and there was a new crocheted creature on top of the post box

Thank you for coming by.  Have a good day!

Welcome Sunny Weather

The weather is sunny again which lifts the spirits.  I'm able to download a few photos which is a relief as photography is my main hobby even though we're not venturing far at the moment.  It has been good to take a walk around the garden and take photos that I can download once again although sometimes the way I do it is not the usual one.   I've had to write down the process.  Sometimes it works and at other times it doesn't. :(

Here are some of the garden in Autumn.  

  

The above two are ones of our daughter D's garden when the grapes are ripe for gathering.  She usually makes grape jam with them.  Our own grapes will be left for the birds as usual although the ones in the greenhouse have ripened and have been enjoyed.  :)

Daughter D is in charge of gardening at the school where she works and above shows some of the produce that she and the children grew together.   Daughter D made soup for the children to try a small amount and more was consumed during the staff lunch break. Earlier in the year the children grew and enjoyed strawberries in season.  

That's all for now.  Thank you for coming by.  Have a good weekend and a peaceful week ahead.

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!

In Search of Snowdrops

My intension to get out for more walks this new year has been thwarted by a bitterly cold wind and snow showers, but yesterday I decided to go for a walk in our local park which has been part of my regular routine for many years.  The walled garden always draws me during the hours when it's open to visitors and I thought it would be possible to see new growth in such a sheltered environment.

It was a day when the volunteer gardeners were at work in their respective areas.  I asked one of them if there were snowdrops to be seen.  She directed me to the woodland just beyond the walled garden,

but before I walked that way I stood to admire the corkscrew hazel tree.  The catkins had formed since last time I'd visited and soon they'll be full of yellow pollen.

In the Stumpery and Woodland I did indeed find a few clumps of snowdrops.  The local children's artwork had survived and had not been taken down.  

There were winter-flowering bushes which added a little colour and the daffodils will start to flower in a week or two.   

It's good to see blue skies, squirrels up to their antics as they scamper about and berries still on bushes that the birds will welcome.

There were books to collect from the library that had been reserved before the holiday period.  I've been waiting a long time for one or two of them although I'm finding it difficult to read now and have to rest my eyes frequently.  I'm sure I shall enjoy them and I don't have to return them for several weeks.

Back home the plants are coming on nicely tucked up in the covered yard. Mr P's seedlings are on window sills in the kitchen and the living room.  There'll be hyacinths to enjoy later on too and buds are appearing on the cactus in the hanging basket.

 

Frosty mornings, snow flurries and icy conditions on the roads are to be expected.  I think of everyone having to get to work in such weather conditions.  

Thank you for visiting my blog.  Take care everyone.