A time away.

 Home again after a few days away in Tavistock, a small market town in Devon. It's somewhere I love to return to with its interesting and individual shops, the large indoor market, and the proximity to the moors.

The Bedford hotel is always comfortable, though I did wish I hadnt booked a single room, as it was very tiny. However, once I'd asked for a comfy chair to be squeezed in, there was everything I needed. Right in the centre, the hotel is opposite the Anglican Church, where I went for a very lovely Easter service. The organist and choir absolutely made the service, with lovely hymns and anthems. I've been humming 'See what a morning' ever since!

The best day I had was taking a taxi out out to The Garden House, a privately owned property about 10 miles from the town. It's similar to a National Trust place, a lovely old house surrounded by amazing gardens. Years ago I brought my mum here, and was happy to recognise parts of the garden that we had loved.

Outside the house there was a pleasant cafe where one could sit on the terrace in the sun.

Just look at this huge Rhododendron, I cant imagine how old it is.

And now home, to find blossom bursting out on my Pear tree, my Cherry and my Amelanchier tree. So much Springtime colour. So much to look forward to. So much to do!

Easter

'Easter is meant to be a symbol of Hope, Renewal and new life'. Janine di Giovanni.

Truro Cathedral will soon be hosting some of the lovely Easter services . As a child I was sometimes taken to the service, but usually we went to our village church.

When I went in this week, one of the local schools was practising for an event. It brought back memories!

Signs of Spring in the first buds on my Cherry tree.

I'm so happy to see the little pink beginnings. As a child I was quite convinced that I could make the fallen petals into a delicious dessert!

The little bird box made by my husband many years ago looks as though it will have residents this Spring. A pair of bluetits are in and out each day.

I am away over Easter, enjoying a few days at a lovely hotel on Dartmoor.

'The great gift of Easter is Hope', 

Basil Hume

Spring

 What a privilege to be able to wander out into the garden and pick a few sprigs of Forsythia to accompany some little daffodils. I'm so grateful for my garden.

Many thanks to those of you who asked about the recovery after a knee replacement operation. It's just six months now, and things are relatively alright, but I still cant bend my knee as much as I should be able to.

This is what my surgeon advised me to buy.

It's a little pedal cycle thing , and apparently the action of pedalling will 'do my knee good'.

I was fortunate to find it in our large Red Cross Charity shop!

The weather here is sunny, which is a welcome change. My Tomato seeds are in, together with Sweet peas and Nicotiana. The greenhouse is beginning to warm up and I have high hopes for some planting and planning, and generally getting on with things.

Rudyard Kipling quite rightly says;

'Gardens are not made by singing 'Oh how beautiful' and sitting in the shade'

That made me laugh!

Camellias in the rain.

I can't believe how long it is since I posted anything. I think it's that seasonal disease of 'haven't anything to say and it's raining, again'.

 However, this is the season of one of Cornwall's most loved flowers, the Camellia. So many of the varieties were brought back to the mild Cornish climate by plant hunters in the late 20th century. The lost Gardens of Heligan holds the National collection.

 Trewithen House has over 200 plants and holds the International Camellia Register.

 Camellias are very much part of Cornwall's gardens. This is in my garden, one of my favourites. Sadly I dont know its name as it was in the garden when we came here.

Each bloom looks as though it has been splashed with white paint. No two are the same.

Just one more..

You can see what sort of weather we are continuing to have. Here's a very wet pot of daffodils.

So needing sunshine!

Catalogue season.

 It seems to be the time for Catalogues. Coming through my letter box with almost daily regularity are many and varied offerings.

Would I like lovely things for my garden? Plants, seeds, beautiful furniture? Definitely!

 What about a new outfit or three? Get out of Winter clothing and splash out on lovely Spring clothes!

Why not book a holiday? And look, we're giving you 10% off, (if you book by this weekend) Special deals to Safari parks, Disney world, Cruises. No thank you.

Food boxes, meal deals, roof cleaning, et al, and that's not to mention the normal Charity appeals that regularly appear.

I do enjoy browsing through brochures, paricularly of the Garden variety. I remember my mother saying, as she leafed through Vogue, gazing at very expensive clothing, 'I get ideas from just looking'.

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Jus appeared in my garden, the first Primroses!

Spring is on her way.

British weather

 I'm being very British and talking about the Weather! January has been a month when very little happened and every conversation was about storms, rainfall and floods.

It was pretty frightening to read of some of the very local flooded roads. Small side roads within a mile of my village were completely cut off.

There were, of course, 'brave' souls who attempted to drive through the huge lakes of water. Most of them had to be rescued.

Local schools were closed, as were some shops. Winds were so high that it was a danger to drive out.

It was a time to stock the cupboards and make soup! Our Church has a little Soup lunch each month, open to anyone. Volunteers made vegetable soup and carrot soup. This month I made a big pan of Leek and potato soup, a lovely greeny colour topped up with a swirl of cream. 

Photo from 'the chef's wife.

There were very few people who made it to the lunch, but volunteers took soup to people at home.

My garden is so wet. But there are the first little shoots of Tete a Tete daffodils showing, a few little snowdrops peeping out, and I even found some new buds on the Forsythia.

As Eeyore said thoughtfully;

The nicest thing about rain is that it always stops. Eventually.

Daffodils

 It's so lovely to have daffodils in the house again. These aren't from my garden, but are being sold locally in aid of the Marie Curie charity, which I do support.

The daffodils in the garden are in bud and it won't be too long before there is a little glow of gold. I have so many groups of the little Tete a Tete daffodils which are showing their first little leaves.

This will hopefully be the scene in Trelissick Gardens very soon. 

At the moment the gardeners are focussing on the devastation caused by last week's storm, when so many of the huge ancient trees were blown out of the ground.

We do need the joys of Spring, daffodils, snowdrops, crocus, the posy of fresh colours to cheer us.