Friday 8 March 2013

A fresh start

I have been rubbish at blogging recently.

I have been in a real flibbertigibbert mood - unable to sit down and concentrate on much long enough to post regularly, or even read and comment on other blogs.   Maybe deep in my head was the thought that if I sat still awhile, I might inadvertently fall into a state of hibernation - it's been sooo cold!

So I have flitted, darted and skimmed my way through the last few weeks keeping busy, but today (in spite of the disappearance of the Spring sunshine we enjoyed earlier in the week) I feel ready to sit myself in front of the computer and attempt to jump-start my blog with a Spring re-launch.

These cheery souls are brightening the view from the kitchen once more...




...following fast on the heels of these...




...and these...




I love the fact that these beauties suddenly rear their pretty little heads, when I have always forgotten I ever planted them!  And just when things are at their grey-est and we're most in need of something colourful.


Talking flowers, we did manage to go for a snowdrop walk as I'd hoped.  It was a while ago, but I didn't manage to download the photos till today.

Here are the best...



We visited Pembury House Garden, in Hassocks which is near Brighton.

The owners, Jane and Nick Baker have been there for about thirty years, creating an informal garden in the three acres surrounding the house.
















There were lots of hellebores to ooh and ahh over too.






After our wander round the garden we headed up the nearby hill to the Jack and Jill windmills of Clayton.




It was a good day weather-wise and once on top of the hill it was good to see so much sky and the rolling countryside of the Sussex Weald.





The Jill windmill has been beautifully restored by the Jack and Jill Windmills charity and is functional, albeit on an occasional basis.





Jack is in private ownership and is an ongoing restoration project, I imagine.  Made me think of a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang childhood, mixed in with a touch of Sleeping Beauty. 





Hassocks, nearby, turned out to be a place of multiple antique shops.  But that's another post...

Have a good weekend!

12 comments:

  1. Snowdrops and Helebores - divine. what a lovely garden which I've never visited though have an aunt in Hassocks !
    I have been up to Jack & Jill many times though - aren't they delightful ? A wonderful place for a picmic when it's warmer.

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    1. What a coincidence, your aunt living there. Good thing my aunt doesn't live there - I'd be visiting and traipsing round the antique centres every week!
      x

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  2. Love your flower photographs! Looks like an interesting place.
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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  3. lovely photo's, looks a nice garden to visit, Josie x

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  4. Gorgeous flower pics - the daffs in my garden are waiting for spring to return - far to damp and cold here in Suffolk today.

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    1. From the weather forecast it sounds like you'll have their little yellow heads coming through snow!
      x

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  5. You've reminded me of Jack and Jill, we haven't been up there for ages and they are fairly close by. I remember that there used to be wild orchids there at one time, I wonder if they're still there.

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  6. That garden looks a delight. As you say, it's great when bulbs come up that you'd forgotten you planted - a lovely surprise - I had that this week, with some muscaris starting to show. Have a good weekend.

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  7. Lovely pictures of flowers....sigh. We still have snow. It will be a while before our daffodils make an appearance although we did have a lovely sunny day today.

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  8. Are those flowers in the third picture iris? What a dramatic colour! Lovely photos. I think this time of the year in the garden is full of surprises - one day I'll make a plan of exactly when and where I plant things but at the moment I am also a 'flibbertigibbert' ! Jane x

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    1. I think they might be! It's funny because I was going to name them crocuses in my blog and then I thought, I'm probably wrong, and of course I am! Yes, most definitely not at all like crocuses and very much like irises. They are gorgeous, and they appeared very early, at about the same time as snowdrops.
      x

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  9. I love snowdrops, I am not a gardener and the plants I like are usually structural rather than floral but I do love snowdrops!!

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