Autumn Scene

 

I'm still unable to download recent photos.  This is an old photo of the local countryside in Autumn.  Thank you for your kind comments on my last blog post.  Happy Sunday to you all dear blog friends. P.S.  I'm going to take a break from blogging until I've worked out a way to download photos from camera to computer with a new download programme that I'm finding difficult to use. 

Maytime

It's now lilac time in our neighbourhood.  The blossom has just about survived showery days.   

Most of the tulips and other Spring flowers are over now.

The seedlings have been put outside to harden off as the frosty nights are no longer happening.  Mr P continues to sow seeds and tend the developing plants.  Colour is back in the front and back gardens.  The tomato plants are doing well in the covered yard. 

We've had May Bank holiday and a Bank holiday for the Coronation so many people have been out and about enjoying the mild and sunny weather.  We've stayed around our locality as I had plenty to watch on television and library books to read.

Ornamental cherry blossom in the park was attracting one family who were out for a walk. I watched for a while as a little girl was hoisted up on the father's shoulders to take a closer look at the blossom on the lower branches of the cherry tree.

The great grandchildren are happy and enjoy our attention (either the little girl who lives locally or from internet photos that our Berkshire Daughter D sends during baby sitting sessions). Berkshire Baby A goes to a mother and baby musical sensory group and local Baby S also enjoys her soft toys and dancing, musical  'friend'.

On Coronation Day our local daughter M and her friend came around for lunch.  We had tuna, cucumber and mozzarella sandwiches, salad and a lemon drizzle cake that I had made.  

I'm still reading the supplement pull-out magazines included in the weekend newspapers that Daughter M bought for me to keep as souvenirs and watching recordings of the Coronation ceremonies and evening concert.  Everything went off well considering the logistics and number of participants. I'm sure the television companies who were involved were pleased with the result.  A day to remember indeed.

The Local Walled Garden in Springtime

Recently I've had another blogging break as our eldest grandson has been staying with us in order to help us with some house maintenance.  He brought a high ladder and tools as Mr P can no longer climb up to do work at a height.  The gutters have been cleared, and woodwork done under the bay window at the front of our home.  We've been grateful for the help given especially as he lives quite a distance away. He also replaced a dripping tap system in the kitchen.  

Since then we've been out-and-about locally and one fine day visited the library in the park.  There are new plants appearing in the Walled Garden and the blossom is out.

I thought that these primroses in different shades of yellow were pretty.

Finally, coming out onto the main road this new mural on the closed shutters of a cafe caught my eye.

In our own garden the tulips have been blooming for quite a while along with the pear and apple blossom.                     

Thank you for coming by.  There will possibly be a disruption from our internet provider today so I won't be able to reply to your comments if this happens.  Have a good day whatever you're doing and I'll be back soon. 

A Local Walk

The sun was out today and although there was a nip in the air it was just the weather to go for a walk up the hill to the Common.  

Clumps of miniature daffodils and a bank of crocuses planted by local residents were in bloom, dog walkers were making the most of the dry weather to take their dogs for a run.  Some of them were managing several dogs on leads and it was an opportunity to say a friendly "hello".

Nature notes and talks for different groups had been posted on the notice board.  The tree for the month of March is the hazel.

The bracken is dry and brown at this time of the year.  The white trunks of the birch trees stand out against the blue sky as does a distant village.

It was good to get out in the fresh air again.  It's not far to walk back home downhill passed houses large and small and the parish church.

These are the flowers in bloom in our garden today.  Various varieties of daffodil, miniature irises, snowdrops and scillas.

I heard the distinctive song of the robin and then saw it perched high up in the hawthorn tree where there are berries still clinging on to the branches.

I picked the snowdrops from the garden as they were in danger of being nibbled at by some small bug.  They look pretty arranged with sage leaves in a small vase.

 Thank you for your visit.  Have a good day!

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!