Spring?

On Thursday, a brief break in the relentless rain saw me donning my wellies and making a dash for it – catching a walk in the sunshine before it disappeared again.

Gorse in the hedgerows is always a cheery sight.

I walked straight out across the fields and looked back towards my house across the very soggy land

But I am so lucky compared with the thousands of people who have had their lives disrupted by the floods.

Then, into the woods

I can’t quite explain the sheer joy of seeing sunshine slanting through the clumps of hazel, it made me feel like a woodland sprite skipping over sunbeams.

Look!

Bluebell shoots!

And the sky went all bluebell too

with catkins!

My whole being was soaking up all this light and joy, making up for months of grey, wind and wet.

Peeping through the trees at the fields looking so green in the sunshine

and of course the obligatory photos of lichen – I am so fascinated by this stuff – I am convinced it holds secrets and answers and healing properties as yet untapped

Moss is nearly as fascinating

but doesn’t hold the magic of lichen.

I do hope you have been able to catch some sunbeams in your neck of the woods.

Vase on Monday: Spring is on its way.

Hazel catkins and bay leaves, with houseplants of the week, three tardy hyacinth bulbs – still beautiful though. They promised to flower at Christmas!

All four containers are charity shop finds.

Such a challenge to photograph things well in the gloom, some days it never really gets light at all. I’ve had to ‘brighten’ these pictures quite a bit.

I love the way catkins start as tight little bundles and gradually shake themselves out into fluffy chenille. They will stay looking good for weeks so that one can enjoy spring green leaves bursting forth before very long.

The Bay tree was here when I came to the garden, it has elegantly long thin leaves, smells divine and is currently smothered in buds

Joining in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for her weekly International Vase party.

I joined the party in May and it is fun looking back at all the vases. I can’t seem to make a photo montage here so I have made my own Vase on Monday Pinterest page. It’s great to see them all together.

For a heady visual feast go to Google images for In a Vase on Monday and see so many of the other fabulous vases

GGorrrrrRRRRggggeeeeooouuSSSsssssssssss!

and also joining in with An English Girl Rambles

and

Cee’s Odd Ball Photo challenge

I played with this in iPhoto and used the ‘Fade’ filter – I’m pleased with the soft pinkish glow.

I think it might have been my Granny growing hyacinths in these special glass jars that turned me on to the magic of gardening as a child – the white roots in water with the light shining through never lose their magic…

…and in black and white:

Can you remember what first sparked your interest in gardening?