Friday 12 April 2013

An unwanted garden visitor . Chionodoxa and Lots of Seed Sowing

Nothing much has changed in the garden since my last post despite the weather warming up a little.  A few more miniature daffodils have opened but still no sign of the proper ones - they are still tightly in bud and refuse to open.


 But, there is one glimmer of new life

The Chionodoxa have decided to flower I love this colour blue.  The Crocus are still blooming away

I have never known them flower for this long, even the Snowdrops are still flowering, although I didn't bother to take a picture of them as they are old hat now.


The Primmys are still going strong too.  I am just grateful for anything showing a bit of colour at the moment.

I have also been sowing flower seed in the greenhouse Marigolds, Cornflowers and wild flowers etc. really looking forward to filling the flower beds and seeing the results - praying for a good summer. One sad thing is that the Lavender bushes don't seem to have survived the prolonged cold and snow. 

As you can see they are in a sorry state - I think I will have to replace them if they don't pick up - must have Lavender in the garden, no matter what.
Nature Notes 

We had an unwanted visitor to the garden this morning.  A Heron.  Unwanted,  because we have a fish pond, and if allowed he would eat the lot of them.  He did look rather majestic though surveying the kingdom from the top of a tree at the end of the garden.
I opened the back door to shoo him off and he gracefully glided away. 

Just to be on the safe side I have put the net back over the pond.  He was spotted in the village yesterday as well, he must be hungry and looking for food in all the garden ponds.  NOT IN MY POND YOU DON'T.

Paul, the farmer, has let his cows out into the back field behind our house - I love to see animals in the fields again and the first day he lets them out they are so excited running and kicking their legs out - so glad to be out of their winter quarters.


Nostalgia Corner

Here are one or two more photos that I found in last weeks shortlived spring clean (I haven't done anything since - slapped wrists) I have been too busy outdoors.
Another picture of my beloved goats enjoying the sunshine in the field full of buttercups - I don't know where all the buttercups went because these days there isn't a single one - weird that.

And this is me, with my knobbly knees, having a word with Boy my male goat, who got smellier and stinkier the nearer my girls came into season.  Unfortunately he came into milk which sometimes happens with male goats, there is a word for it which I can't bring to mind at the moment.  The vet was baffled, and said he had never heard of it happening before and didn't know what to do about it.  I had to milk him in the end to relieve the pressure that was building up - oh dear, what a job.  Happy days!

A Meal to Make

Smoked Haddock Chowder with crispy bacon

A Book to Read

The Finest Type of English Womanhood

It is 1946, and seventeen-year-old Laura Trelling is stagnating in her dilapidated Sussex home, while her eccentric parents slip further into isolation.  A chance encounter with Paul Lovell offers her the opportunity to alter the course of her destiny - and embark on a new life in South Africa.
Many miles north, sixteen-year-old Gay Gibson is desperate to escape Birkenhead.  When the girls paths cross is Johannesburg, Laura is exposed to Gay's wild life of parties and inappropriate liaisons.  Each in her own world, but thrown together, the girls find their lives inextricably entangled, with fatal consequences.

So that was my week, the cold north-easterly wind dropped and the temperature rose just a little, enough to entice me out of doors and tempt the flowers into bloom, we still haven't had any rain yet, but the frogs are still going bananas in the pond laying masses of frogspawn - perhaps they know something we don't!

Have a great weekend everyone - spring it is a-comin'

47 comments:

  1. We've had a heron a couple of times (not this year) which surprised us as our garden has many large open spaces for it to land/take off. As a result our pond permanently has black strings stretched across which tend not to be noticeable until they get duckweed draped on them or icicles hanging from them.

    Other varieties of mini daffodil are at last stating to open but like yours he first ones are still flowering. Crocuses I planted last year though just haven't even sprouted.

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    1. The heron doesn't visit very often and cos I am at home most of the time I see him before he sees me - I wouldn't mind but we have a reservoir full of fish not far from where we live.

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  2. Lovely post Elaine lots to look at, that crocus is a beautiful colour, glad to see your garden resembling spring now , would love to have the recipe for the Chowder one of my favourites. Saw a heron on our pond the other day sitting on a the NO FISHING sign

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    1. The secret to the Chowder David is to add a tin of creamed corn as well as sweetcorn peas and potatoes after poaching the haddock in milk.

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  3. Now all my daffs are out but I haven't seen a single Chinodoxia in flower yet. How odd that our gardens seem to be doing the opposite from each other!

    Love the goats :-)

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    1. I reckon by the time my daffs open it will just about be summer.

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  4. Oh, those goats are just the sweetest things! x

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    1. I also had some miniature goats but I preferred my milkers - such gentle characters.

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  5. It rained here yesterday and now everything is suddenly happening - tiny leaves appearing on the trees and the perennials starting to grow. Hold tight Elaine, it's headed your way..

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    1. We had rain today - gradually things are beginning to happen - but oh so slowly

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  6. I love the view of the cows outside and of course the goats, you know already I am fond of them. Daffodils are just starting to open their buds now, at last.......And what about herons, I have not a fish pond in the garden, luckily, for we should not be able to keep a fish there are so many herons over here due to plenty of lakes and canals.

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    1. I can understand that Janneke - they can be a bit of a nuisance.

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  7. What lovely Spring flower photos you've shared - always so cheerful looking.

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    1. The ones that are open seem to be lasting for ages they obviously like the cooler weather.

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  8. How nice to look out and see cows in farm fields. We have the roadway to the side of the house, but gratefully the back looks out onto a vacant lot. It must be nice to have some daffodils, crocus and primroses. I can't wait! Your chowder is making me hungry! Fish chowder is something I have always wanted to make, but never have gotten around to. Curious title on your latest novel. The plot sounds very interesting. Have a great weekend Elaine!

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    1. It is great not being overlooked and when it isn't grey and misty the view is stunning.

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  9. A most enjoyable post with plenty of lovely photos, I especially like one of the purple crocuses.
    I've not seen a heron for a while now, which is a bit surprising as one usually frequents the nearby ecology park pond.
    That smoked haddock and bacon looks, and sounds, rather delicious. Flighty xx

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    1. The purple crocus are my favourite too. The chowder was yummy the bacon just tops it off nicely.

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  10. Lovely photographs of your early spring flowers. The heron does look majestic and imposing, but I guess your pond is on its radar now. It is good to see cows out for the first time in the spring; they do love the freedom. And I didn't know that sometimes male goats produce milk; that's fascinating.

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    1. We will keep the nets on for a while and hopefully he will forget about us.

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  11. Our gardens are identical in terms of what's blooming. We still have snowdrops too which is uncanny in April. Your pics are lovely.
    What a fantastic shot of the heron, hopefully your fish will be safe.

    I do LOVE your goats, do you still have them? And....I wish my knees looked as good as yours! Oh yes!!!!xxxxx

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    1. No I don't still have them Snowbird - that was a few years ago now - I gradually had to wind the smallholding down due to health problems - but it was great fun while it lasted.

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  12. Hi elaine, Spring seems to be coming here.. Today ws a beautiful day.. still a little chill in the air.. but we have been told our temp will go up.. i will believe it when i can leave the doors open.
    Love your goats..didnt know you had a farm.. never heard of male goats getting milk, gosh we learn something new every day. He is beautiful
    Your garden at least has some colour. cant wait for my roses to bloom and some colour around here.
    Its great to see the animals about.
    your meal looks tasty.
    book sounds interesting.
    Thank you elaine for your support.. i am hoping that this last blogging hitch will go.
    i will just continue and see what happens.
    happy weekend and good gardening.
    val

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    1. I don't have a farm any more Val they were just some photos I found when I was spring cleaning. I am sure your blog problems will sort themselves out - there is always something going wrong isn't there

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  13. So lovely to see your goats. I had a couple of Saanens years ago. You had a lot of them. Pity about your Lavender. I too love Lavender.

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    1. I had a herd of about thirteen in the end but it all got a bit much for me - keeping all their feet trimmed and all the milking. It was a lot of work but they are great animals to work with - I still miss having them around.

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  14. Hello Elaine, it looks as if spring is finally here and our garden is showing signs of growth every day now. Amazing what a few bright sunny days will do isnt it? The heron is a majestic character isnt he, just a shame he helps himself to your fish!

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    1. It has certainly warmed up a few degrees in the last few days - about time too in my opinion - the long drawn out winter was beginning to get me down.

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  15. Spring is coming....just don't blink! :-)

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  16. Lucky you, beautiful daffodils. Mine froze. I am really hoping that they recover. I love the misty cow photo.

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    1. Luckily, no late snow storms here - yet - I think spring is on its way - we have a lovely morning here at the moment.

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  17. That is just bizzare, Elaine. Did he grow an udder? Dave

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    1. No Dave his nipples expanded - they looked a bit like when you blow up a long balloon when the air doesn't quite get to the end. They bulged. I held off milking him in the hope that the milk would dry up but it didn't and started seeping through the pores. Poor chap. I think it did for him in the end.

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    2. Oh no, that's horrible. Poor chap indeed. Hope it doesn't happen to me. Worriedly yours, Dave

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  18. Well, at least you do have a little colour from the daffs and crocus. They are glorious, esp the ones with stripes! My daffs were a rather weak showing this year. Perhaps they don't want to naturalize here. Do you make cuttings of your lavender in the event they main shrub doesn't survive?

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    1. I took cuttings last year and planted them out - sadly they suffered too over winter - I have one bush left that seems alright so I could take cuttings from that but I won't have much to show for it this year.

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  19. I never heard of Chinodoxia but it is gorgeous! Lovely blog. Jeannine

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    1. I am not sure if it has a common name but it does provide a bright spot of colour in the borders.

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  20. The Chinodoxia are absolutely beautiful. Very spring-ish. That Heron looked a little hungry :)

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    1. My neighbour has just emailed me to say the heron has eaten all her fish - so I was right to be worried.

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  21. That poor goat! Lovely chionodaxa, rapidly going to the top of my bulb list for the autumn. I love herons, though I can appreciate you being protective of your fish.

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  22. Chinodoxia - chionodaxa! I'll have to look it up now - I will feel such a food if I have called it by the wrong name. Oh dear, I've just googled it and you are right Janet - I have been calling it chinodoxia wrongly all these years. I am just off to change the spelling.

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  23. Oh I forgot about the Chionodoxa in my garden! and the first tulips opened this afternoon due to the sunshine today. So strange isn't it to have snowdrops still in flower. Loved your goat photos - you've so many too. I'm sure there are a few characters amongst them too!

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    1. My miniature tulips opened today too no sign of the full sized ones yet though a lot have gone missing due to badgers but the ones in containers are still ok - so far. The goats all had very different personalities but I loved them all.

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  24. That Chionodoxa is a glorious colour of blue, so rich. Yes the crocuses are blooming well in my garden too, they much prefer a bit of sun don't they. My 'February Gold' daffs have just started flowering!
    Its good to see Spring at last.

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