My goodness I needed two pairs of socks on this morning. My garden was looking so so very pretty and the brilliant blue sky was wall to wall so I did not feel the cold till I started taking pictures. Here they are. The prunus that is just opening its white buds is breathtakingly beautiful when in full flower, the catkins are growing very long and the forsythia bushes are at last opening their buds outside. The crocuses were revelling in the sunshine and my snowdrops are dead gorgeous.
Another sunny day and warmer today so garden here I come. No doubt to the clatter coming from the site where the pub once stood as the building of the new house has started. If I can tear myself away from the garden I may take a walk round to see what is happening.
Post brought me a lovely surprise but i have to tell you the prequel first. Two years ago on a visit to Oxford Univ. Botanic garden my friend took a picture of me with the group under the famous very old Black Pine which predated the Bot, Garden itself which is the oldest in the country. The guide told us Tolkien and TS Eliot had sat under the tree writing and I remember thinking how I would like to sit under it and write a poem. I am the one in the green jacket with hood.
My friend recently attended a do at his old college and sent me a pic of it now. Some musicians had been playing under it and heard an ominous crack which resulted in two large boughs falling, so it had to be felled. He tells me there are plans to keep the stump and put an explanatory plaque on it.
Today in the post I received a cone from it and his Petits Fours in their pretty pink butterfly box. See pic.
I feel sure I can get some seeds from the cone and leave a Black Pine for future occupants of my garden.
A little research and I find the Black Pine lives along side the Scots pine which I have in my garden so looks hopeful. It is raining today but very mild. 8degrees already when I got up. I shall tidy up and do some watering in the conservatory and make a space for my pine cone which needs drying a little before I knock out the seeds. All very exciting. The Petits Fours were Baileys and White Chocolate Fudge, Cherry and Chocolate truffle and a Mint Infused marshmallow - all very delicious.
It just kept on raining so I have perused the GW Mag for March from cover to cover. It is huge with the pruning supplement in it and free Zinnia seeds. Lots of ideas for containers which seems to be the theme this year. Fine by me as, although I have a huge garden i use lots of containers too. I liked Christopher LLoyd's idea of displaying flowers in containers at Great Dixter and copied it. I believe it is still a feature there.
Ags meeting tonight so have to go shopping as I have a friend to supper before we go. Tonight is a talk entitled Alpines in the Wild and Cultivation. Weather is dry at the moment so should venture out soon.
The best talk ever at the AGS meeting tonight - Diane Clement on Alpines in the wild and cultivation. Such a wonderful presenter and beautiful slides. it was like reading a beautiful book listening to her. There were some pics when I got home from my friend of the tiny garden, of his crocuses,
which are always lovely at this time of year so here they are.
Cold but dry and bright in Bristol today so may get out in the garden later when it is a bit warmer as the forecast for the next few days is not promising much gardening weather with high winds and lots of rain.
Posts
My goodness I needed two pairs of socks on this morning. My garden was looking so so very pretty and the brilliant blue sky was wall to wall so I did not feel the cold till I started taking pictures. Here they are. The prunus that is just opening its white buds is breathtakingly beautiful when in full flower, the catkins are growing very long and the forsythia bushes are at last opening their buds outside. The crocuses were revelling in the sunshine and my snowdrops are dead gorgeous.
Another sunny day and warmer today so garden here I come. No doubt to the clatter coming from the site where the pub once stood as the building of the new house has started. If I can tear myself away from the garden I may take a walk round to see what is happening.
Post brought me a lovely surprise but i have to tell you the prequel first. Two years ago on a visit to Oxford Univ. Botanic garden my friend took a picture of me with the group under the famous very old Black Pine which predated the Bot, Garden itself which is the oldest in the country. The guide told us Tolkien and TS Eliot had sat under the tree writing and I remember thinking how I would like to sit under it and write a poem. I am the one in the green jacket with hood.
My friend recently attended a do at his old college and sent me a pic of it now. Some musicians had been playing under it and heard an ominous crack which resulted in two large boughs falling, so it had to be felled. He tells me there are plans to keep the stump and put an explanatory plaque on it.
Today in the post I received a cone from it and his Petits Fours in their pretty pink butterfly box. See pic.
I feel sure I can get some seeds from the cone and leave a Black Pine for future occupants of my garden.
A little research and I find the Black Pine lives along side the Scots pine which I have in my garden so looks hopeful. It is raining today but very mild. 8degrees already when I got up. I shall tidy up and do some watering in the conservatory and make a space for my pine cone which needs drying a little before I knock out the seeds. All very exciting. The Petits Fours were Baileys and White Chocolate Fudge, Cherry and Chocolate truffle and a Mint Infused marshmallow - all very delicious.
It just kept on raining so I have perused the GW Mag for March from cover to cover. It is huge with the pruning supplement in it and free Zinnia seeds. Lots of ideas for containers which seems to be the theme this year. Fine by me as, although I have a huge garden i use lots of containers too. I liked Christopher LLoyd's idea of displaying flowers in containers at Great Dixter and copied it. I believe it is still a feature there.
Ags meeting tonight so have to go shopping as I have a friend to supper before we go. Tonight is a talk entitled Alpines in the Wild and Cultivation. Weather is dry at the moment so should venture out soon.
The best talk ever at the AGS meeting tonight - Diane Clement on Alpines in the wild and cultivation. Such a wonderful presenter and beautiful slides. it was like reading a beautiful book listening to her. There were some pics when I got home from my friend of the tiny garden, of his crocuses,
which are always lovely at this time of year so here they are.
Cold but dry and bright in Bristol today so may get out in the garden later when it is a bit warmer as the forecast for the next few days is not promising much gardening weather with high winds and lots of rain.
My first tulips are showing their colour and my Xmas hamper has been given a new role to show off yellow and brown plants.
Those Tulips are way in front of mine Marion! Here in Stoke-on-Trent they are only just poking their noses through! Sunny but very cold here.