Spring

In the current warm spell, many things are blossoming.

Open Gardens

St Michael's Macclesfield is running an Open Garden event on 5/6 July this year in aid of the `Raising the Roof' fund. As part of that our (well Beth's) garden will be open - you can find the full list of gardens (as a pdf) here. Tickets are available on the day or you can get one from me. The photo is of our garden at the moment, no doubt things will be different in July! Hoping for good weather....

View Open Gardens in a full screen map

Crocus

Crocus, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

It feels like spring is on the way - a view of our garden after lunch today. Another photo here

Lilies - i

Lilies - i, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

Even though it wasn't a sunny day, the lilies were out in the garden and I wandered out at lunchtime to see them.

The herb garden

The herb garden, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

We had a bit of snow last night in Macclesfield..today pavements are difficult and the footbridge over Hibel Rd is far too exciting even for me!

Drops of water

Drops of water, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

I'm meaning to take a few more pictures this year for the blog and combine it with a bit of walking - today however the weather was a little too exciting and a garden picture in today's wild weather will have to do! Large drops and a reflection of the trees in the table.

in bloom

in bloom, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

The garden is currently in bloom - not my work!

Purple patches

Purple patches, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

A kohl rabi was acquired from Macclesfield market this week, I took it out into the garden ...talking to vegetables? - and was struck by the variety of purples which happened to be around.

Water butt kitty

Water butt kitty, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

Sid likes to keep above any possible floods - advisable considering the downpour we had at lunch time.

Splashes of blue

Splashes of blue, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

I really was just intending to take the picture of the delphiniums - and the rest of the spread of blue flowers - but Hecate (the cat) spotted a gap in the composition of the picture and helpfully filled it!

Reflections in granite

Reflections in granite, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

Some friends who are leaving the area and down-sizing have kindly given us a patio table and chairs. We spent yesterday afternoon transporting them across town, 5 trips by car and one on foot. Here's the table top with a reflection of next-door's laburnum currently in full bloom. I'm hoping the weather doesn't stay too bright - it's hard to blog from the patio with all the reflections!

Snowdrops

Snowdrops
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

The flowers have started to appear after the winter. As I've just listened to Ivor Gurney's wonderful setting of these lines of Edward Thomas, this picture seemed appropriate.

Snow

In the gloom of whiteness,
In the great silence of snow,
A child was sighing
And bitterly saying, 'Oh,
They have killed a white bird up there on her nest,
The down is fluttering from her breast!'
And still it fell through the dusky brightness
On the child crying for the bird of the snow.

Lilies after the rain

Lilies after the rain
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

The garden continues to blossom especially after all the rain we've had this month! Here's the white lilies which have just opened, there's a couple more pictures on flickr (click on the picture - and see the adjacent images)

Cat in a basket

Cat in a basket
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

Not had a cat picture for a bit- so here combining gardening and cats is Hecate monopolising the clippings basket. If you follow this picture to flickr there's another of her obstructing the actual clippings.

The garden again

DSCF8137
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

Fairly grey day but lightened by the wonderful display of lupins, clematis etc., more pictures in the flickr set

Garden June 2010

Garden June 2010
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

Took this picture of our back garden today where Beth has been very busy over the last twelve months! Just for a comparison this is how it was in June 2009.

..I've got a tricky blogpost I'm working on and this is probably delaying tactics...

Cornered?

cornered?
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

Jasper (the ginger cat) thinks he has the squirrel cornered but lacks the killer instinct, the squirrel is too confrontational and it escapes. A couple more of this mornings wild hunt are here - together with some older pictures.

circles/spirals

circles
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

Photohunt suggests blogging pictures of spirals this week. This has circles within circles, from the pots to the earth in narrowing circles and finally the bulbs with their own expanding growths.

crocuses

crocuses
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

The sun is out this lunchtime - at least it is here - and the spring bulbs are loving it. Our garden comes back to life after the winter!

Mothering Sunday Lunch?

DSCF8056
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

We live in a rather urban part of Macclesfield, so this was a bit of a surprise. The cats were rather keen on it - alas once they got close enough the pheasant realised that flying was rather a good idea!
There's another picture in the set on flickr