Tag: Gardening

Holly leaf

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Watercolour with Arteza Metallic paints for the #bandofsketchers prompt for Tuesday ‘sunlight,’. A holly leaf caught in the sunshine. The painting was done from a photo, I painted it straight away without drawing it out first.

I need to do some gardening at the moment, the nettles are taking over so I need to cut them back a bit. They are good for butterfly 🐛 caterpillars but if they sting you as you walk past they  do need attention. The Holly bushes are a little overgrown too. It’s turning into a bit of a mammoth task, and I’m a bit nervous of taking it on!

Just sat down

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It’s been a long day. I went out this morning and I’ve just sat down at 11.30pm. In that time I’ve been out and then later went and collected some flag irises that someone was giving away. They are now in our pond. We got stuck in traffic on the way to the place, so six miles took about forty minutes to drive there. Then later after doing work around the house I went to a yoga class, came home, went on a zoom meeting about college, then a choir practice. We went out for a walk, then I went shopping and finally cooked our evening meal. So that’s why I haven’t been online much today. The odd thing is my step counter doesn’t seem to have included the walk this evening. I know I’ve walked further than it is showing? Perhaps it’s a glitch. I must get a rest. Sorry for the boring post!

Sunlight grass and flowers

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A warm evening, so we walked along past this grassy area. Unfortunately I’d forgotten I have hay-fever, (it’s just the start of the season) so I walked round with my eyes itching!

I think the flowers are buttercups and dasies, Is there is a song with those words in it? Good to see the flowers though. The bees were buzzing around and enjoying them.

We walked about three miles, we saw a few people and actually chatted at a distance, but it was good to get out.

Aqualegia

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Something to make me happy, aqualegia flowers. Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was happy. They are also called Colombine or Grannies bonnets.

Ours come out in May. They hibridize and come in many forms and colours, with double or single flowers, pale yellow, pinks, reds, blues and purples. Some of them are single colours and others are bi colour. When the flowers fade and the seed pods ripen I collect the seed and scatter it all over the garden so they come up the following year.

Outside

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White lilac
Aqualegia and Welsh poppies

When I come home it’s lovely to see the Lilac in flower, it’s turned from a bush to a tree. I think the Latin name is Syringa? The white is unusual and we have a white buddliea behind it that comes out a little later. The bees and butterflies love it. Then in front of the house on the pavement we have an assortment of yellow and purple flowers including the aqualegia and Welsh poppies. There are also pansies and other plants. Later on the year there will be nasturtiums. I’m surprised we’ve only had one pot taken in all the years that my hubbies been doing this. It cheers me up.

Tulips

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Such nice spring flowers. Bright, colourful, petals like satin. Soft and shapely. It’s no wonder that there was a tulip frenzy a few centuries ago. Tulips with colours that look like flames due to a virus. A single tulip bulb could cost more than a house. I think this was in Holland. My favourites are the dark coloured ones, deep magenta or purple, almost black.

Yes tulips are one of my favourites. You have to remember to plant them deep enough about double the depth of the bulb I think? They tend to fade a bit in their second year but they give a good show if planted in drifts.

Freezias

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Blurry photo in the garden, freezias in a big blue pot. I need to do some weeding, we have too much ivy spreading across the ground and random bits of blackberry bushes that are thorny. Nettles are welcome in the garden for butterflies but they keep encroaching into the flower beds.

Spent the afternoon in the garden weeding and helping drill a hole in our garden gate for a padlock and chain (we are still upset by having the motorbike stolen and want to make it more secure). Also did a bit of college work… Better do more!