Soggy garden

A week of sunshine and drying wind and the garden was beginning to recover. I was just beginning to think that I might be able to do some weeding and then it rains - big style and we're under water again. But at least it's not snowing like Scotland and Ireland.

LBJ

Seen in the garden on Friday, a perusal of the books confirms that it's a garden warbler. In yesterday's sunshine a very brave little clump of celandines in the greenhouse garden decided to open their flowers - must get the weedkiller out before it's outlawed!

Bumblebee

Just seen the first bumblebee of the season. A lovely big fat buff tail, buzzing about the flower beds (not many flowers yet) and inspecting the garden wall - maybe a nest site?

Moorlands birds

are returning. Had to pop into town and on the way out at lunchtime saw a beautiful lapwing standing tall by the side of the road and up beyond silla's two skylark dancing in the air.

Sparrowhawk

We've had a male sparrowhawk through the garden twice over the weekend. On Saturday he sat on the back fence just watching whilst the rest of the bird population made itself very scarce. Gave us an opportunity to get a good look, he's rather beautiful - as long as he leaves my tree sparrows alone! Have a chaffinch, or even a gold finch we've lots of those...

Curlew

Just opened the door to take delivery of bird food and heard the first curlew, bubble away as it flies across the Mill Scar. That's it then, it's spring.

f-f-freezing!

Down to -6 last night, even the water in the greenhouse froze solid. it's been high skies and bright all day and now the temperature is dropping like a stone. Another cold one overnight, and the forecast says more of the same for the coming week.

Spring

At last!
Aconites in flower under the hazel and the garden is perfumed with witch hazel - beautiful. Today the sweet peas have gone into the greenhouse and I've sown the first of the annuals. Yesterday I cleared the big flower bed (working off boards but still) and lifted the fleece off fatsia. Whilst I was working in the garden yesterday I heard the owls calling for the first time during the day.