Happy Easter Vase on Monday

Happy Easter Monday Everyone!

What a blessing a garden is at any time, but most particularly at this staying-at-home time. I give huge thanks every day.

And look who I discovered in mine yesterday, a very welcome resident

I put the photo onto our family WhatsApp group for the children to guess what it is and to give him or her a name. At his second guess, Big Bro got it right and decided it was a male called Walley.

Having found this description on the internet:

“The slow–worm is much smaller than a snake and has smooth, golden-grey skin. Males are paler in colour and sometimes sport blue spots, while females are larger, with dark sides and a dark stripe down the back.

Average lifespan: up to 20 years

Length: 40-50cm”

I think it might be a female, although it doesn’t have a stripe down its back. Amazed to see that they can live up to 20 years.

I am very happy to see her, but wish she would eat more slugs as I am finding masses of the little blighters munching away at my irises and hostas.

My daughter and her children brought me a wonderful food box full of delicious goodies from a local vegetarian cafe called ‘Feed The Soul‘

The box included some delicious cakes, and drinks, boxed mixed salad meals and chia pudding – health in a box YumYum!!!

The children had picked the flowers for me from their field of scented narcissi. My daughter calls herself a beginner gardener and you can follow her progress on her Instagram Page – @newgatenarcissi

You might like to see the fun we had with the narcissi last year – here

This year is different.

How are you doing during this time of lockdown?

So far, I’m loving it. It feels like a gift to me. Time for quiet crafting and gardening with very few interruptions.

I feel extremely fortunate that I have a garden and neighbours who wander past and stop for a chat every now and then. They are all at home, so a close feeling of community is building like never before. It feels like it must have felt about 100 years ago. Everyone working in their gardens or on DIY projects – there seems to be always a power tool whirring away somewhere in the village.

My daughter lives just across the field from me, so she can come over with the children and we can have a catch up across the lawn.

It would feel very different if any of my children were in danger, out there on the front line. Or if any of my family or close friends contracted the virus. But for now the best thing I can do is stay at home alone and I am more than happy with that.

I do hope you found a satisfying way to celebrate Easter and wish you and your families and friends all the very best in the weeks and months to come.

Joining Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for In a Vase on Monday

and

Cee’s Flower of the Day

 

Stay Safe

Stay at Home

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Celebrating Narcissi

From the field that surrounds my daughter’s new home

There is also a cherry tree, so in homage to last week’s vase from Greenway House:

looking good against the colours in the sitting room and adorning the golden locks of the resident flower fairy

Joining Cathy for In a Vase on Monday

and

Cee’s Flower of the Day

In a Vase on Monday

Spring!

These lovely narcissi smell of spring. My daughter’s new home was once a Market Garden and the house sits amidst a field of these gorgeously uplifting bright blooms.

She is currently looking at how she might sell some of the flowers and/or the bulbs, so any hints and tips you might have would be gratefully received.

I have put them with cerinthe from my own garden, which seeded itself last year and survived the winter.

They sit in a metal jug which was made in Yugoslavia and bought for me by my Mum from a market stall. The crocheted pansy doily was made by my step-grandmother who I adored – she taught me many handicrafts including Hardanger embroidery. You can see the culmination of a wonderful Sew-Along over on Kathy’s blog – so pretty.

I am joining in with Rambling in the Garden’s ‘In a Vase on Monday’ meme.

Also joining Cee’s Flower of the Day.

Edit:

I just had to add this from my garden just now

Amelanchier against a blue sky – Sprinnnnggggggg!

Amelanchier

Hurray for Spring sunshine!

and the Amelanchier in full bloom!

Don’t you just love that word – Amel …… anch …… eeeee …….errrrr.

I’m not even sure that’s how to say it, and I can never remember it, but it is a grand name.

With the white narcissi underneath, my garden seems to have a bridal feel to it at the moment.

I wonder what other delicate white flowers I could grow to flower at this time of year, any ideas?

I like the way the cerise cyclamen and bright pink and purple hyacinths of March gave way to this froth of white in April. It will change again into the pinks, oranges and blues of the summer planting. Totally unplanned, but I like it! Serendipity – yes!!!

Post script: I went for a walk round the village this evening, to look for other white flowers in bloom and came across some white Muscari and white Forget-me-nots – they will join the bridal theme next year. Loving the theatre of it. I have never thought of playing with colour in the garden in this way before. Fun!

 

Sprinnnnng!

Loving the white Narcissi the most, their scent ….. the scent of spring, caught here in the early morning light.

But there are other stars in the garden too..

just look at that powder puff centre

And seedlings in waiting. Pippin, the caravan in the garden, is making a very good potting shed at the moment