just trying something

I need to have this picture so I can copy and paste it into my right hand column for a permanant link to Quantum Savvy. I had a wee picture and link before I updated my blog layout.....then all was lost......

whooohoooo!!

here is Abbey waiting for her tea, she has passed her Level 1 with Quantum Savvy, a natural horsemanship programme,

here is our 'front page' with all our assignments 'ticked', whoohoo!! she is a good girl!!

still thriving

I love looking at tree leaves, the way the light shines through them, and the colours of the leaves, It 'does not do it' with a photograph....I think it must be that movement creates a play of light and colour and I cannot capture it with a still photograph.

the bees are out and busy, due to comlete memory blankness the names of plants are totally escaping me today so I may come back later to 'identify'

love the colours, still no memory!

more busy bees

and my much neglected garden is still managing to grow, peas and beans here, there are also courgettes, onions, carrots, beetroot and pumpkin. tomato plants in the greenhouse and think a pepper too. the greenhouse temperatures are between 6 and 35 C. too much variation and too hot!!

this is the poppy produced by the tall, much awaited plant. there are lots of flowers, they don't seem to last long but there are more waiting to open.

and the blue poppy throws out another bloom. I love it.

natures paint palette

I am so impressed with the 'pattern' of this hosta, swirling watercolour effect

and the blue poppy has survived and is flowering just now

more of natures watercolour in the leaf from the wild orchid

firmly labled!!

colour is happening!! weeding is not!!

this poppy has been in 'leaf' for over a year, when I first got it I wasn't even sure what it was! hopefully it will flower soon. and thats where the pasta strainer went to....I maybe went out for salad and got distracted.....

the peony looks a bit reluctant to fully open...as soon as it does the wind will probably blow the petals off....

in the green house this sempervenium is flowering for the first time, funny little plants, they thrive on being neglected it seems!

the double poppy has been flowering for a good couple of weeks, its spreading to make a nice big colouful impact.

quaking grass, luckily neglected enough that I haven't weeded it out...

geranium pheum

also in white, very delicate looking but a tough hardy plant.

columbine

lovely! also known as Grannys Bonnets and Aquliega

my bit...

this is a small part of my friends large and neglected garden, there is beech hedge down one side and some established hostas and grasses. all the little plants are cuttings or splits from my plants so this is 'my bit' and I'll be keeping an eye on it. I've used plants that should look after themselves, its a difficult garden, exposed and windy with a very poor clay soil, and no gardener!! hopefully there will be an photo later in the year showing it all filled in.

and Abbey, my reason for neglecting my own garden.....

Abbey getting chubby...

Abbey has lost a lot of her winter coat, still some to go especially the 'two tone' look on her head. she is starting to get a big grass belly, this will be monitered as I don't want her getting too fat!!

busy days

I love the centre of the primrose

just the ideal subject for 'macro lens'

here is the 'cowslip' primrose. I grew these from seed and they've taken about two to three years to flower, one of those that you forget about and get a nice surprise when they turn up.

erythronuim

and a paler version. not long lasting but special when they are here.

I had a really busy day, house cleaning being the least popular but essential. much nicer time going to see Abbey. manged to fit in cutting the grass, some weeding and potting on in the greenhouse. as usual too many of some things but its nice to keep them growing and find other homes for them. also did some splitting of plants for sharing, easy things like Ladys Mantle, London Pride, some Foxgloves and some Aquilegia....I have a destination in mind for them already, a friends garden in need of some filling of spaces.

busy bee

a very busy bee, I couldn't get him in focus!

the beautiful squares of the fritilary,

just fascinating, it took years for them to grow in the garden, there are about a dozen now. unfortunately when they are just growing they look like blades of grass so I think the first couple of years I weeded them out....so there are advantages to not getting around to weeding!

this pulmonaria was a cutting from a friend

and the pretty littly dodecatheon, with some more flowers to come

single species erradication

too many weeds, too little time! so in order to feel I had accomplished something yesterday I chose to get rid of all the dandylions. I had tome to do it and did not let myself get distracted by all the other weeds......their time will come....

and here's my favourite primrose, Guinevere.

do not adjust your colour...

sorry not the best picture, its a bit dull. I was gifted some lovely fresh eggs this week. the two light coloured eggs are pale blue, they look vey unusual when you are used to white and brown! laid by Crested Cream Legbars. and I can't re-take the photo as they have now been scrambled...

Mastercard and Eden Project Big Lunch Timelapse

http://www.thebiglunch.com/

first....

the first picture taken with a new camera of the first vegetable bed I have planted up this year. its all peas and beans....can't wait!

I badly scratched the lens of my fabulous Canon S2 IS, so its now been replaced with the newer version, a Canon S5 IS.

zoom works well too

and its got a 'movie mode', so Daisy was my first try with this new camera, and the new software allows you to extract a still from the movie, so this is the first one of those too!!

Abbey settles in

heres a picture clearly showing the 'punky' line of hair that never lies over, funny wee pony!
this is a link to a short video on the Quantum Savvy video page, its Abbey meeting her new friends, getting chased a lot and then on day six how chilled they are.
http://www.qsvideo.com/index.php?m=video&v=1531

I have been getting busy in the greenhouse too, a bit late for starting some things, tomatoes etc, usually they would have been started in March but I've been busy playing with Abbey and neglecting my garden! most things should catch up, its been really cold to so there was a reluctance on my part to get out and get things going in an unheated greenhouse...there are signs I've been in there though, a pile of used coffee mugs that I keep forgetting to bring back in to wash....maybe when I run out them in here...