Snowdrop Sunday at St. Botolph's Church, Swyncombe, South Oxfordshire

On our way down to Reading we saw hundreds of snowdrops in the Oxfordshire countryside.  There were daffodils in bloom too.  They had probably been planted and had spread and were growing wild along the verges and in the woods.

On our way back home to the north of England we did a detour to see the snowdrops and aconites growing in the churchyard at St. Botolph's Church, Swyncombe.  I've shared a visit to the church before, but as it was one of the weekends in February when everyone is invited to view these delicate flowers before they go over we took the opportunity during our journey to return.  Refreshments are served by members of the congregation on these special occasions, but we didn't stay long.  It was another chance for Mr P to rest before we joined the Oxford by-pass and then drive across country to the M1 motorway.  

It's a beautiful area.  There are woodland lanes, small villages and market towns on this stretch of the road.  It's also where the red kites hang out and it's good to know that the numbers are multiplying.  We saw them flying and sailing high up in the thermals in the home counties and even beyond Oxfordshire.

We turned off by the village war memorial at Cookley Green and followed other visitors who were going to the church.

St. Botolph's was probably built by Saxon workers under the supervision of the Normans.  It's situated on the Ridgeway Path which was once a major road from Avebury in Wiltshire to the flint mines of Norfolk.

The sheep in the surrounding fields still have their woolly Winter fleeces on.

There were daffodils in bloom that must have been planted by the residents of Watlington.  They were a bright sight to greet visitors.  Up here in the north of England daffodils are still tightly in bud in our garden and we look forward to sunnier, warmer weather for them to open.  (The ones below are from March 2022).

Happy St. David's Day to all my friends with Welsh connections!  

Thank you for coming by.  Have a good weekend everyone!

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.

A Short Walk

 

At last the snow has melted, the weather is milder and I could take a walk to the post office and then up to our local parish church to see the snowdrops in the church grounds. 

The old school rooms were converted into a parish centre

and there's also a modern building that's used by the local Guides and Scouts.

The church is often open for private prayer.

It was good to see the snowdrops and there's

 the promise of daffodils. Some of them are in bud at the moment.

This old rhododendron seems to produce flowers

all the year around as you can see from the numerous petals

scattered on the ground beneath it.

I was pleased once more to see the snowdrops planted

in the shape of a cross.

  

                        The buds on the magnolia tree in our front garden are beginning to form.

It's another uplifting sight.  

Thank you for coming by.  Have a good day!