Sunday, April 4, 2010

Garden Progress, Weather, General Catch Up

The Deenery

Please click to enlarge any photographs.

I've been so busy blogging visitors that I haven't been able to show much else.

Garden and Land

Jim and I have both been busy outside, when the weather has allowed. We have had quite a few good days, or parts of days. Today, for example, we've had several hail storms but managed to get quite a lot done at the bottom of the orchard. There is a patch of woodland at the very bottom, mostly full of Aspen trees but with some Spruce, one horse chestnut and a lovely beech. There is also a patch of gooseberry and current bushes, which were very entangled with stinging nettles and brambles. Jim tackled the brambles today and I tackled the nettles and brambles. We ended up with 3 big piles of rubbish!

The other job I have been tackling on and off is at the bottom of the Fairy Hill. The builders had bashed into the bed there with the digger and the soil kept spilling over the road. I have stabilised it with some good sized rocks and it's beginning to look better:


It looks a bit wobbly in the middle, but that's where my 'joiner' isn't quite in line. Once I get a few rockery plants dangling over the wall, it'll look much better.

The more I worked, the soggier it all became:

So today I left it to drain before I carry on.

Jim and I have also made a new flower bed up by the gate. There was always a scruffy patch of grass there, so we dug that up and I made a rock edge then we filled it with several barrow loads of our own compost. It looks a bit bare at the moment but things will grow! We have 3 acers in there and the central plant was already there, in the middle of the grass.

Here it is. There is an existing bed behind it already so we just tagged this one on.

As you can see, lots of daffodils are out. Unfortunately, some of them suffered with the wind, hail and snow but there are still plenty left:
Dashed daffodils.
After one of the hail storms, the sun came out and shone on the melted droplets.

Here there are droplets on the acer too. We transplanted this one from our former back garden rockery - now completely gone!

The Spring flowers are making an effort to bloom, in spite of the odd wintry showers. The pretty primula 'Wanda' is always a favourite:

There are primroses and celandine and today I noticed some violets by the stream.
Sorry it's a little blurred.

The first rockery tulips are now out too:


The stream itself has been flowing well:

Weather

Hail
It hurts when it lands on your head.


CloudsI took this joiner from just outside our gate when the sky was particularly varied. It's a bit 'wobbly' in the middle. The water is, of course, Lough Graney.

Snow



Jim brought this snowball in from the garden one evening!

We've had the lot - even some sun!


I think that's enough for one day. Tomorrow I will show some inside shots including our beautiful Amish Quilt and my latest Rag Rug - made for our new bedroom.

I hope everyone is have a lovely Easter. We are.

16 comments:

Ces Adorio said...

First, I love the green.

Good Brief BT! Those are rocks! I will definitely believe they hurt your head. If you were driving it would probably total your vehicle.

You are the mistress of photo stitching! I still need to learn to do that.

I love the garden. It is looking good.

Happy Easter my friend.

Rachel Green said...

Beautiful. I love the clouds joiner especially.

PAK ART said...

I think I'm in love with The Deenery - it would make a fabulous spot for a bed & breakfast. Then I could come visit!

Stampmaiden said...

Happy Easter, Bea! What great pics. I was thinking that hail has got to hurt and then I read that it does. LOL!! I don't know, I'd get out of the way of hail if I could.
Love your blooms and of course reading all that you and Jim have been up to is always a treat. If I was a kid I'd love to hunt for eggs in your garden!
Linda

DK said...

Love the new header momma, rainbow!

Super Deenery pics, loving the rock lined bits, super cool :D xxx

DJ Kirkby said...

Amazing photos as usual, esp the one of the hail! Wow...

HelenMWalters said...

Wonderful photos as ever. Especially the hailed-on daffodils.

BT said...

Thanks Ces, I've emailed.

I liked that one too Rachel.

Hi Patty, you can come and visit anyway! It would be hopeless as a b & b as the road leading down to us is long and full of bomb holes!!

Linda, this is Gina, not Bea, but I think you had me in mind!! lol. I think if we hid eggs in our garden nobody would ever find them!!

Thanks K, I have to give credit for the header to Jim, it was one of his photos. Lovely, isn't it? Glad you like the new garden bits.

thanks Denyse. xxx

Hi Helen, good to see you. Thanks for your comment. xx

Heather said...

You've had everything thrown at you lately by the sound of it Gina. Lovely pics of your garden - it's really coming on now the building is finished. I love the little stream, it is so pretty. Our garden is too wet to work on and anyway I have a tummy bug which is making me feel very weak and flimsy.

BT said...

Thanks Heather, I've emailed you.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

What with that beautiful rainbow on your header I expected to see a pot of gold somewhere on your blog. ;) You and Jim are making such a beautiful garden here BT. I love the stone borders. I bet you found the stone on your property??
Happy Easter to you too.

aims said...

It always amazes me how much work you do gardening - you must have a good back.

Thanks for the fwd. It touched my heart.

word varification - wishifyi

Priti Lisa said...

Super place for an Easter egg hunt.
We garden the same way...I wonder if people would be interested in my little Eden.
Happy Everthing, sweet Gina

BT said...

I think if we hid eggs we'd never find them again Lisa. The dog would though!! lol. I'd love to see your little Eden.

marianne said...

Your garden looks swell alredy and there are lots of spring signs , yeah!!!

Love that new header with rainbow!

have a nice day!

Jason said...

Nice to see your gardening commencing. Nice header.

Very busy Easter, but fun. x

xx