Sunday 23 March 2014

The Lambs Are Growing


We try to go for a walk most days if the weather is anything like. Mostly it's up the single track road to Bridge 41. This one, built of solid red brick, canopies the main Cambrian Coast Railway line. Sometimes you see the train heading  towards Aberystwyth and feel the bridge shake as it hurtles underneath your feet. On the right hand side, almost adjoining the track, there's a field of sheep and lambs. I love to see them and they seem to grow a little bit more as the time goes on.  They've got used to us now and come rushing to meet us at the gate, living in hopes of something tasty to eat, I guess, but they're mostly unlucky.
















Back home along the track,  wild daffodils are all out on the bank at the edge of the stream.









Little bits are starting to come into bloom in the garden


Brunnera. Almost like a forget-me-not. The colour blue a bit more vivid and crinkled bright green leaves.


 Anemone Blanda, the little wind flowers are starting to come out in the front border. Talking about wind ...... we replaced the torn half of the polythene sheet with some spare polythene we had by us. Two days and one night later, the gales blew  and all but ripped it off again. So back to work with spades and Rhino tape. It's holding at the moment. (only just.)


My Camelia bush has made it through the frost. Most years the buds turn brown before they have a chance to open. This year's a bonus.


Masses of lady birds on the Euonymus bush.


I divided a clump of Hemerocallis (day lilies), blue iris, poppies  and planted little bits under the apple trees. The ground was flooded in the winter, but some of last year's plants have survived. Last year's ring of delphiniums are starting to push through. Be interesting to see what grows.

Got a few plants of purple sprouting in the tunnel. The spring cabbages I planted, didn't like the change in temperature and all went to seed so they ended up on the compost heap.


My sister gave me a tub of lettuce seedlings last Autumn - they're looking quite good now.


The broad bean seeds sown in individual cardboard pots have germinated. They'll get planted out in a week or so once the roots have established. One year I had a really good crop of plants, planted them all out only to find that mice had been along the row in the night, scuttled and chewed the bean seeds still attached and left a line of chewed bean tops strewn about as dead as dodos.
Think I might have the gardening bug again, every year at this time it's the same.
Have a good week.

22 comments:

  1. I planted anemone in the fall, and stopped tonight to see if a new little leaf might be one of them. Of course it's a stupid little plant if so; it will just freeze overnight all all the rest of the week. Spring just isn't about to show up here. I'm so happy you have lambs AND spring.

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    1. Your winter has been horrible this year. Hope you get some sunshine soon. I love watching the lambs too.

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  2. It is so wonderful to take a walk in the spring when the earth is coming alive.. How fortunate you are to be experiencing that now, Molly. We are expecting more snow this week and our spring will be painted in white one more time.

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    1. Both you and Joanne have had a real trial of weather conditions this year. Hope that your Spring time is not too far away.

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  3. So good to see signs of spring over there. Sorry to hear about your poly tunnel ripping again.

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    1. My cousin has just phoned from Tauranga. I always think about you when she phones. Tunnel is still surviving at moment.

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  4. Now I know what our big round bush is called; Euonymus. Thank you Molly.

    Lots of lambs and calves here; lovely to see all the cows outdoors again.

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    1. The cattle have had to stay in a bit longer this year because the ground is so wet under feet. There's nothing they like better than to have a jump about outside and it's lovely to watch them.

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  5. Catching up with your news - it's good to see signs of Spring where you are after all the recent weather problems. Sorry to hear about the polythene protection ripping again in the wind, but your veggies are coming on fine and good to have some fresh lettuce. Glad to see your camellia blossoming, too.

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    1. Linda, thank you for your comment. We've had a couple of frosty nights so we've been cutting logs for the Rayburn here as well.

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  6. What beautiful signs of spring!! And I love those lambs. So beautiful :)

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    1. It's lovely when you can just breathe in all that lovely Spring weather, especially after the winter has seemed never ending. I love watching the lambs too.

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  7. The Spring temperatures have collapsed today and it's hovering around freezing again -- so it's nice to see some nice Welsh signs of Spring -- especially the lambs!

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    1. We're back to minus 2 at night, but the sunshine in the daytime is fantastic

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  8. lambs and spring flowers...lucky girl

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  9. Delores,your winter has been something else this year. Fingers crossed that you'll have some respite and a bit of sunshine soon.

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  10. Molly - that gardening bug is very catching - I have caught it and have been really badly bitten - see you soon you two xx

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    1. How's your green house progressing? Give us a call when you're down this way.

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  11. Nothing more tasty than home grown broad beans. My beginner husband planted a few last year and I was addicted to eating them! The small beans we stir fried with the rest of our veg, they were gorgeous.

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    1. We like them too. I've got another packet of seeds which I'm going to sow in April. I used to sow all my seeds in one fell swoop and then it was short feast and long famine or too much of a good thing so decided to spin them out this year.

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  12. It's that lovely feeling of freshness and renewal isn't it. I love spring and every year I'm always full of good intentions in the garden ....

    Your walk looks delightful Molly.

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  13. Your purple sprouting is looking good! I love broccoli, it's on the menu here tonight...

    Those sheep! They're like balls of wool with legs! So much wool on them. The lambs are lovely.

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