Spring has definitely Sprung

 I know, more gardening photos.  I can't help it - I just love this time of year and when something else is flowering almost every time I step out of the door, I just have to share my excitement.  Above is the little cherry I bought recently, looking beautiful.

 The deep azure blue of Scilla sibirica, grown in a pot, in shade, and still flowering away happily for the second year.

 A viola with delicate hints of amethyst on the very edges of the petals.

 Magnolia 'Susan' with its buds beginning to break and show the rich pink of the petals inside.  It has only just started to flower in the last two days but is being encouraged by the sun we're getting at the moment.

Some of the flowers, enjoying the sunshine.

The inside of a flower, with a fuchsia pink centre.  It also has the most delicious fragrance of lemon which is why I am so pleased it hasn't grown too tall yet, so I can still get close to the flowers.  How can you not feel joyful with all this going on outside?

Another reason I am feeling particularly happy today is because I entered a giveaway on a blog that I follow and have just found out that I am a winner!  The prize is a beautiful floral apron made by the blog author and I'll devote a post to it when it arrives.  I don't win things very often so am absolutely delighted! Thank you so much to Thomasina (Elizabeth) of  http://mrsthomasinatittlemouse.blogspot.co.uk/

Felt making again - at last!

It has been about six months since I made any felt pieces and last week, I finally managed to pick up my carding combs and make something.  The photo above shows the piece in process and I really liked this combination of blues and turquoises and teals, so had to stop to take a photo.

The piece was based on one I had previously made, taking my inspiration from the sea lavender on the marshes at Saltfleetby, on the Lincolnshire coast.  The original one was fine but I decided to make the colours a little deeper in this version. 

The felted piece, showing how the wool exerts its own influence.  The horizon was a bit more dramatic than I would like, but the colours have worked together well and have given the slightly impressionistic effect I was aiming for.  Now it needs to have the embroidery added, to give more definition to the sea lavender.  That's the next job.

The First Day of Spring

 To celebrate the official First Day of Spring, here are a few plants from the garden, looking rather lovely.  I have always liked Grape Hyacinth (Muscari) with their cheerful blue flowers, but they can get a little out of hand.  This rather glamorous version is Muscari Latifolium, which has different shades of blue in the flowers.  I have been growing it for a few years and it doesn't seem to try to take over the garden.  I would be very happy if it did, because I think it is one of my favourites.

Another Hellebore, this time Harvington Picotee which has been in the garden for two years and which has obligingly flowered despite the cold temperatures.

Here come some of the tulips - I'm think these are the multi-coloured ones, but will have to wait and see if I'm right.  These are in a large pot and had no protection over the winter, as I read somewhere that they need a period of cold temperatures in order to flower well.

My other recent purchase was this little flowering cherry (Prunus incisa Kojo-no-mai) which is just starting to tentatively put out a few flowers.  I had one of these a few years ago but gave it away as it was a bit big, then decided I that I needed another one last year, but that one didn't like the situation I had put it in and promptly gave up.  So, this is my third attempt and I hope it will do well.  It is a rather straggly shape, but the little delicate pinky-white flowers at this time of year more than make up for that.

Welcome to Spring!

Latest reading

I love reading.  There is no doubt that if I didn't have to work, I would spend a good part of every day reading.  I usually have a couple of books on the go at any one time and more often than not, several.  The latest ones are shown above.  I have never read To kill a mocking bird until now - I'm not sure why that is - but really enjoyed it.  It totally transported me to that time and that location and the characters were beautifully drawn throughout.  I'm not sure that people have changed at all in their attitudes since it was written, they just have other prejudices to deal with and no doubt, some still have the very same ones. 
I read A Ladder of Years because I was intrigued by the excerpt read by Anna Chancellor on My Life in Books on BBC2 recently.  I enjoyed this second series (produced to coincide with World Book Day) as you discover celebrities' favourite book choices, and through the books, you find out more about them as people.  This book follows a typical American family who go to a beach and then the mother just walks away and makes a new life for herself.  As with the previous book, it is beautifully written and I really felt that these people were real.  The ending was somewhat bittersweet and not what I was hoping for, but very believable.
I have also read a few ebooks too - A weekend with Mr Darcy (which I thoroughly enjoyed, being a huge Jane Austen fan), Three Graces (which was by the same author, Victoria Connelly and which was entertaining) and The Serpent in the Glass by DM Andrews (which had been reviewed as being a cross between Harry Potter and Narnia, which it was, with a touch of Irish legend and fable thrown in.)
All in all, quite an eclectic mix!  On to the next...

Purple is the colour...

...of this beautiful plant, Primula Obconica, which is flowering away on the kitchen windowsill and which brightens my outlook while I am washing up.  It took a while to find a spot it was happy with, but I think the windowsill is the one.

...of my favourite amethyst with an agate pendant, which is my latest jewellery-making experiment.  It has worked well, but I had underestimated how heavy a single piece of agate would be when you are wearing it all day!  However, the colours are gorgeous, so that makes up for the weight a bit.  I have also discovered that I need to take more care when using crimp beads, so that the tiny ends of beading thread/wire aren't left to scratch your neck - I thought I had sorted this, but it seems that a little more experimenting is required.  I do like a challenge!

A perfect Spring Day

 I know that it isn't yet Spring, but yesterday, I think anyone could be forgiven for believing it was here.  The bluest of blue skies (seen above through the silky buds of Magnolia 'Susan'), warm sunshine and a very light breeze all worked to ensure a beautiful day.

 There are leaf buds just waiting to burst out on my blueberry plant, which seems to have come through the winter unscathed.

 What could be more appropriate than primroses? A wild, native one in the front and a modern variation behind.

While visiting Mum and Dad, I went to the local garden centre and saw this lovely plant - primula 'Cheshire Life' which is a cross of wild primrose and wild cowslips.  I think I should be able to divide it into three with any luck, and dot it around the garden.  It really was a perfect Spring Day.

And the award for 'Star of the garden at the moment' goes to...

...the gorgeous Hellebore Harvington Pink Speckled - which was a present from Katy and Alison when we went to Hodsock.  At the time, there had been really sharp frosts, so the plant wasn't looking at its best and I was a little worried that it wouldn't recover terribly well.  However, it is obviously a tough little thing, because as the temperatures have started to rise, it has perked up no end and is happily flowering away in a very glamorous fashion. 

Being a hellebore, it is quite shy and needs a little encouragement to show off the lovely interior of the petals.  It should stay in flower for quite some time and is a sure sign that winter is almost over.

'Bounty' Cake and points of interest from my experience of baking it

I like trying out new recipes (when I have the time and inclination) and this one came courtesy of a blog which I follow.   http://thequincetree65.blogspot.com/  Sue, the blogger, is a very imaginative cook and often puts recipes up.  This time, it was just too tempting!
Here's the recipe:
Cream together until light and fluffy
9 oz (250g) soft butter
9 oz (250g) caster sugar
Beat together in another bowl
4 eggs
Add the eggs a little at a time to the butter mixture, beating well with each addition.
Fold in
4 oz (110g) desiccated coconut
4.5 oz (125g) self-raising flour
Finally fold in
4.5 oz (125g) plain chocolate chopped into pea-sized chunks
1 tbsp milk

Scrape the mixture into a greased and base-lined 8 inch (20cm) loose-bottomed tin.  Bake at 185 degrees centigrade /165 degrees centigrade fan oven for 45-50 mins.  A skewer should emerge from the centre of the cake clean when it is done.

Having baked the cake this morning, there are a couple of amendments/points of interest that I would like to make - purely from personal preference/experience. 
I used a mixture of butter and margarine.
I used granulated sugar (I don't tend to have caster sugar in the house as a rule)
I used a mixture of plain and milk chocolate.  However, I used 70 per cent plain chocolate, which gave quite a bitter taste.  When I make the cake again,  I shall use all milk chocolate, as both Chris and I have a sweet tooth.
The mixture is very sloppy.
The chocolate pieces all went to the bottom of the cake, but I noticed that this also happened with Sue's cake too.
The cake took much longer to cook in an ordinary gas oven - at least an hour at Gas 4.  I kept checking it and did do the skewer test which worked.
Don't neglect the loose bottomed tin or a base lining for the tin.  I thought that just my usual margarine and flour would be fine, but it wasn't.  The cake is extremely moist and sticky!  Trying to get the cake out of a non loose bottomed tin was quite an interesting experience...

 So, how did it taste?  Apart from the bitterness of the dark chocolate (which detracted from the flavour for Chris and me), the cake is moist and sticky with a good coconut taste.  It would make a nice pudding too.

I'll definitely have another go, this time with the correct lining of the tin, and milk chocolate pieces, and then it will be totally delicious!

Things to make me feel cheerful

 Well, it's not exactly 'a host of golden daffodils', but it is enough to make me smile.  I have watched these daffodils growing for the past few weeks and now they are in full flower.  There was even  some sun shining on them too, albeit briefly.

  I have enjoyed my first bit of proper gardening today and it was lovely!  I pruned the clematis and roses, and filled my green bin with all the prunings.  I noticed all the buds starting to grow and it gave me a very optimistic feeling, (even though the weather is supposed to be colder again).  I also potted on some little plug plants (pinks) and planted some lily of the valley, which I haven't been very lucky with in the past, but these are 'giant' ones (it just means bigger flowers) and I'll keep my fingers crossed for success this time.  Lily of the valley always reminds me of Mum, as when I was little and Mum was going out, she would come and say goodnight and I would be surrounded by a cloud of her lily of the valley scent.  Perfume is incredibly evocative.

Spring - just around the corner?

 Here's a sight that cheered me up after the rather grey few days we have had recently.  Owing to the rather unpredictable winter we have had (mild, snow, freezing temperatures, spring-like temperatures, cold), I wasn't sure whether these daffodils had survived at all.  This pot is outside the front door and has had no extra protection during the winter. (I also needed a few subjects for my new camera too).  Nature shows how amazing she is again, as the cheerful yellow flowers unfurl.

One of just a few double snowdrops in the garden looking rather gorgeous too.  Excuse my rather wrinkled fingers as I hadn't put any hand cream on before braving the cold.

Another cheerful face of a viola, planted at the top of a tulip pot.  I did notice tulip leaves starting to push through, so that is encouraging.  I am desperate to get out into the garden; to prune the clematis, buddleia and roses and to tidy up the borders.  I notice new things every time I venture out and this gives me a feeling of optimism that spring is on the way.

Snowdrops and other delights at Hodsock Priory

 On Sunday I had my first garden visit of this year - my annual trip to Hodsock Priory.  The weather was perfect with crisp blue sky and lots of sunshine but with a cold wind too.  However, we were wrapped up warmly, so managed the walk around the woodland with no problems.  It was incredibly busy though, probably due to the decent weather, a craft fair in the grounds and the last day of half term too.
Above is a view of the Priory across the small lake, seen through the brilliant red stems of a Cornus (possibly Sibirica, but I'm not sure).

This is what Hodsock is famous for; the drifts of naturalised snowdrops all around the wood.  Despite there being so many people, there were quieter areas and we were able to enjoy the peace and listen to the birdsong, which was magical.

There were also areas full of Cyclamen coum with their delicate pink and white (and many shades in between) flowers.  They always give a lovely splash of colour.

The elongated flowers of Garrya Elliptica (Silk Tassel Bush) are beautiful, especially when you get close to them. A very appropriate common name, I think, as they do look like they are made from silk. It was a lovely visit.

Visit to Newark, Nottinghamshire

 We had a day trip to Newark last week on the train.  Newark is a market town and has been an important stop-off for traffic going along the the Great North Road (or A1 as it is now known).  The good thing about Newark is that it has retained some beautiful Georgian buildings and it doesn't take much imagination to visualise the carriages stopping at one of the coaching inns that surround the market square.  Although these are now mainly shops, several have plaques explaining their importance in the past and mentioning famous people who stayed there, such as Gladstone, Lord Byron and Queen Henrietta Maria.

We stopped to have lunch at this quaint cafe, and inside we admired the sloping staircase and old doors.  This is where Queen Henrietta Maria was said to have stayed.

 The frontage of one of the coaching inns - The White Hart.  Apparently, there are remnants of its history inside, but we didn't have time on this occasion to investigate.

 Newark also boasts a school of violin making and displayed violins in various stages of construction in the windows.

 This beautifully decorated room was the Ballroom in the Assembly Rooms which also houses the Art Gallery and various rooms for the Town Council and the Mayor.  The decoration was restored and repainted in the 1990s and really helps to add to the atmosphere.

Beautiful friezes and plasterwork adorn the ceiling.  What a wonderful place to hold the Assembly Balls in Regency times.  If you closed your eyes, you could almost hear the murmur of voices, the orchestra tuning up and the swish of dresses...

Mesmerising movement - Daniel Wurtzel

 Browsing the internet, as you do, I found the work of an artist and sculptor called Daniel Wurtzel.  The amazing videos that you can see on his website were fascinating to watch.  There are desk fans placed in a circle which move the air and this causes the sinuous patterns in the material.  It really is relaxing to watch but also magical.  In the one above, called Pas de deux, it is hard to believe that it is just material and air that you are watching.

This one has one piece of material and is called Magic Carpet.  Both of these are worth a look. The link to his website is:
http://www.danielwurtzel.com/air.cfm
Enjoy!

Happiness is...

 ...lots of things, but making jewellery is definitely one of them.  I have been experimenting with some chunkier designs and am gradually starting to use my 'stash' to make into necklaces, bracelets and earrings.  The one above was made using labradorite, lapis lazuli, fluorite, shell, turquoise, blue/green jasper and a wooden flower as the centre bead.  Due to the labradorite and fluorite, it does sparkle in the right light and it certainly adds interest to a t-shirt and cardigan combination!

...buying new gemstones and designing new jewellery.  Above are some purple dyed agate circles which are going to become pendants, with only a few other gemstones (amethyst mainly) around them and the beading wire plaited.  They have the most beautiful patterns on them and it seems a shame to detract from the patterns,  so I shall only add details to the plain coloured ones.  I'm really looking forward to getting started.
I am pleased to say that the snow here has finally melted and the temperatures have finally gone up into the positives by day.  The poor garden is looking very bedraggled and sorry for itself, but hopefully, if we don't get any more snow, things will soon start to improve.

Latest reading - Draykon

I have just finished reading this book, written by my friend Charlotte who has moved to the Netherlands.  It is the first of a series of fantasy novels and she is already working on number three in the series, as well as a new series and writing as part of an author group.  She is e-publishing the books and this is one of the reasons I felt I should get a kindle (as well as all the free classic books available, of course.)  Although this is not a genre that I have much experience of, I found it to be a pacy, well written and engrossing story.  There are two heroines, both of whom I really liked and their stories are told in parallel, following one, then the other.  Charlotte has followed in the great tradition of classic writers by moving between the stories and leaving the characters so that the reader is desperate to know what happens next.  She has created an amazing other-world with various regions and layers to it, peopled by various groups, which she describes with clarity and conjures up the sense of actually being there.  I am just going to have to read the next books in the series to find out what happens next.  (I have also read a preview of the first book in the new series and that is really interesting too.)  Thank you Charlotte, for encouraging me to move tentatively and painlessly into a different genre of reading!
The image above is from Charlotte's blog site: http://www.charlotteenglish.com/2012/02/03/why-im-tired-of-advice/  which is well worth a visit if you are the least bit interested in writing or reading.

The First Snow of Winter

 As with many parts of the UK today, here is evidence of the snow that fell on us yesterday afternoon and last night. Luckily, not as much as we had last winter which is a good thing.

 The cats had bravely ventured out as can be seen by their paw prints. The snow was a very good texture for snowmen or snowballs (as our next door neighbours demonstrated on the street this morning at 08.00!).

 I liked the pattern on the chair - it looked a bit like the face of a cartoon dog.

The world does become quieter and muffled when there is snow and there is no doubt that it is beautiful to look at, but if it freezes over the next few days and nights, it won't be quite so much fun.
I have been busy spending on the internet to cheer myself up - plants for the Spring, gemstones for now and a couple of books (one on felt, one on gardening).  Their arrival will give me something to look forward to over the next couple of weeks and months.

Comfort Food

The winter has finally arrived with a vengeance.  We have had cold nights and cold days (not on a Canada scale of coldness), but certainly cold enough for me.  Now the snow is falling and I feel the need for comfort food.  The fire is lit, the cats are curled up and snoring or purring happily and I just have to have a bowl of porridge.  It really is perfect for making me feel all warm and comfortable.  I have to admit, I like my porridge made with milk and then swirled with golden syrup  - I am not sure how people manage it made with water and salt (ugh!).  I haven't made any plans to go anywhere tomorrow, so am settling down with comfort food, books and films. In my opinion, snow is best when it can be admired from inside a cosy house.