Sprng is such a pretty time in our garden. This year, all three of our wisteria are doing well. One was badly frost damaged 4 years ago but even it is perking up with 4 blooms on the vine. One for each year I had to wait and see if it would survive.
Jos was very busy starting back in February. He relaid all the paths here in the city garden. We decided to use the stones we had at Cranberry Cottage so he had to remove them there and relay paths there too. There are three wider paths now with give order between the cottage garden planting.
We put out our fountains again. I always have them on when I am in the garden and love the sound of water. I also discovered that there are 2 frogs and a toad living in that tiny pond on the right of the photo.
Decorating in the garden is a must for me and now I have a new table to decorate with. Our older table is still on the back terrace but we had a robust table specially made for the terrace closer to the house.
It is a monk's table made with very chunky douglas pine. We both love it! Jos aged the wood with vinager and steel wool so that it would match the chairs and bench we have owned for years.
This special visitor to our city garden is such a treat! For the third year running, this great spotted woodpecker has been visiting us each spring. I was so pleased to get some good photos while he was at our peanut butter feeder. It is a crowning glory to me that he feels safe in our garden. We have achieved what we set out to do when we bought this house 5 years ago...that is to create a little piece of the countryside in the city.
Heidi
Your wonderful photos of the Woodpecker took me back to France, where every year we had a little family of Spotted woodpeckers visit out bird table. We spent hours watching them!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Do you miss France now Barbara? I know you are creating just as wonderful a place for your husband and yourself now back in England.
DeleteGood to be back to blogging and chat with old friends!
You could enter those bird pictures in a competition they are great. That camera sure can zoom. I'm still waiting for all the pictures you took when I was there. You did NOT send them. Jos did a great job on that table. Hard to believe it is the same one you brought home. I love the wisteria. Happy gardening. Love you Mom
ReplyDeleteHeb die prachtige tuin en natuurlijk ook die schitterende tafel gisteren in real life gezien!!!!
ReplyDeleteEeeeeeeeerg mooi!!!!
Die specht heb ik helaas gemist.
Liefs Silvia.
Heb die prachtige tuin en natuurlijk ook die schitterende tafel gisteren in real life gezien!!!!
ReplyDeleteEeeeeeeeerg mooi!!!!
Die specht heb ik helaas gemist.
Liefs Silvia.
Your garden is so pretty! We spent the afternoon working in our gardens; we had to cover the newly-planted vegetables because we have a frost warning for tonight! I worked on pulling weeds from several of the flower gardens; the weeds are taking over already. As I was working, I realized that one of the grasses by our mailbox is probably dead (going to give it a bit more time before I replace it) and our Russian Sage has a lot of dead branches (or whatever you call them). The brutal winter is the most likely culprit. There's still more weeding to do, but isn't there always? My garden on the side of the house looks like someone mulched it with grass clippings; I have a hard time believing it was from the man I have mow my lawn, but I've no other explanation. I'll be raking out what little mulch is left, which will make it easier to pull out all the weeds. What a mess!
ReplyDeleteIf you'd let me borrow Jos for a weekend or two, I'd really appreciate his help!
So good to hear from you again, Heidi! How wonderful that your mom was there for a long visit. Zippo is now 16 years old! He's still healthy and doing just fine. Just a little arthritis in his back legs...but somehow, he still manages to jump up onto the kitchen counter!
ReplyDeleteYour gardens are beautiful...looks like a magical fairytale place. So peaceful. That table is gorgeous. You really scored with that one! And wonderful shots of the woodpecker. We had one that visited the bird feeder all winter.