A Lovely Spring So Far

Wonderful weather! We went on a walk today, lead by Leader Neville; around the Lumley area near Chester-le-Street. We walked from Great Lumley, down to the River Wear and along past the Riverside Cricket Ground, on and up to the rear of Lumley Castle (now a top notch hotel) and then on through the woods. They smell of garlic from the ransoms, and the bluebells are just coming out as the wild daffodils die off. We carried on across the landscape, now returned to greenery after the closure of the coalmines and railways many decades ago.
The sun shone, the larks ascended, the red admirals flew and there were signs of new birth everywhere. At home the courtyard garden continues to develop. The wisteria in this tub is destined to climb and spread and festoon the front of the house with fragrant fronds every spring. It should take off well because the front of the house faces south-east and gets all the morning sun.

This is the walled south-eastern corner of the garden and is sheltered all day and sunny in the afternoon, so it has the herb garden around the crab apple tree. This was a tumbled patch of dumped earth a few weeks ago but DJ has transformed it into a herb garden. The herbs are already being used on a regular basis in the kitchen. I love, particularly, the oregano, rosemary, thyme and marjoram. Mint, sage and parsley are there too, but I use them less often. Tigger has a passion for the chives.

The external clothes drier needed a secure hole in the ground to hold the hoist and lines. This grand old railway wheel has sufficient weight to control a whole drying load. The socket fits well into the ground and the line spins round. This is the first time I have dried clothes outdoors for a year and a half!!!

The first foals have been born, just around the corner. Usually it is the first of May before foals are dropped. After the long cold winter, this long spell of warm spring weather has helped them to arrive safely.

But even so, some of the plants in our sheltered courtyard garden suffered from the frost two nights ago.
The verdict on their survival is still out.

Cheer for now Gillian