Bluebells

[Janet Swan]

Today I visited my local bluebell woods and how lovely they look and smell. Also saw a couple of small deer, so very exciting. Do all visit your local bluebell woods in the next week or so if you possibly can. They are a joy to behold.

Janet

[gloria townsin]

A small local wood is carpeted right now Janet, as you say they are so beautiful and somehow remind me so much of childhood. I have sepia photo's of my Mum as a little girl and her family with armfuls (I know that's frowned on now but then it was quite normal for wild flowers to be gathered) of bluebells to take back to London after a visit to Chipperfield. We have a lot in the front garden at Bryher and a fair number in the back garden here. But the glory is to see them in a wood where the whole ground is covered. :D

[Kath Mulligan]

There has been a feature tonight on our local BBC news programme about the bluebell woods at Capesthorne Hall which is not too far away from us, in Cheshire. They looked absolutely stunning so I may suggest to Elizabeth that we have a trip out there on Monday since she has a day off work. I should be up to a walk in the woods by then.

The cherry blossoms around us are simply glorious at the moment, but apparently we have some brisk winds forecast over the weekend so lots of it may be on the ground by Monday. Why does that always seem to happen? It's the same with my peonies too; as soon as they are in flower, you can guarantee that we will have torrential rain and high winds!

Kath

[nashie]

The good weather broke here over night Kath with a vengeance and the winds and rain have brought down loads of blossom. That's the way it goes - I planted some fruit trees 3 years ago on some of our higher ground, (despite the advice of locals), and it does look as if we'll never see any fruit as there's always a gale or two this time of year to bring the blossom down.
Some of our lovely bluebells are also out now, but sadly increasingly threatened by the Spanish invaders, which are creeping up the lane.

[Jeniwren]

What lovely visions you've described. I've grown a few bluebells but haven't yet seen them en-mass in a wood. That's still on the to-do list :)

[Kath Mulligan]

http://www.cotonmanor.co.uk/bluebells.php

Try looking at this website, Jen, this is what we are enjoying over here at the moment in England - aren't we lucky?

Kath

[gloria townsin]

Sorry to hear the weather in the far West isn't too good as Eddie has made his way back down to continue working on the bedrooms. I am in Herts. because we have Nina's sister here and I have to be around for a chiropody appointment.

I know what you mean about the blossom being blown to pieces, it always seems to happen to our lilac as well, especially white lilac. My Grandmother used to say the rain made the lilac 'rusty'. Our step-over apple and Minarette was fine the other day, quite a lot of blossom, but whether they will get as far as growing fruit......hmm....have to wait and see. I will transplant them to Bryher when we move as with the flowering cherry that was my Mum and Dad's. Although Bryher has a lot of lovely shrubs in the garden they are quite old and the heathers have grown and grown without being cut back so there is a lot of old wood. I am tempted to take out some of them and plant new but the garden has quite a nice rambling look to it and I don't want to make it all formal looking, I don't think it would suit the area, if you know what I mean. :D

[gloria townsin]

A great link Kath........ :D We seem to be keeping the true Bluebells here at the moment.......shame they are being overtaken in places and hope they won't wipe out our native ones.

[Jeniwren]

http://www.cotonmanor.co.uk/bluebells.php

Try looking at this website, Jen, this is what we are enjoying over here at the moment in England - aren't we lucky?

Kath

Oh Kath....lucky doesn't come into it.....I so wish I was there!!!!!!!!

[Kath Mulligan]

Darn it, the forecast rain has arrived in bucketloads this morning so our planned trip to Capesthorne has had to be abandoned. Perhaps manage it next weekend instead.

Kath

[Jeniwren]

Oh Kath.....it's pouring cats and dogs here tonight too. Hopefully you'll be able to make it next weekend.

[gloria townsin]

Looking on the bright side Kath, it means you still have it to look forward to....:cheer2:

[Kath Mulligan]

True, but next weekend is a Bank holiday so will be very busy on the roads around here, which is why I really wanted to go today. Rain is only just stopping though so no chance of that. May drag one of my friends along later in the week instead.

Kath

[gloria townsin]

I'm hoping to go to Flora Day this year, have wanted to go for years, so hope this will be the year. Last weekend there was a food festival in Porthleven opened by Anthony Worrel Thompson, I really wanted to be there but it was yet another event we had to miss for one thing and another that kept us in Herts.:cray:

[Kath Mulligan]

Good luck with trying to park if you do go to Flora Day, Gloria. Vin and I once tried to see that and got to Helston just after breakfast, only to find that we couldn't get within several miles of the town! After driving around for ages trying to find somewhere to leave the car, we gave up! Mind you, this was about 30 years ago, so they probably have it much better organised nowadays.

Kath

[gloria townsin]

Wouldn't be so sure about 'better organised'. I think you have to be there before the first dance which is around 7am 'ish'........and if you want to see all the dances it's a long old day. At the moment our efforts seem to be in trying to galvanise the builders etc. into action......at this rate Bryher will be in the course of renovation for a while to come. :drag:

[Kath Mulligan]

Still having problems with a 'manana' attitude at Bryher with the builders then?:crutch:(ok I know crutches have got nothing to do with this post, but after my exploits last year, couldn't resist this!!)

Re Flora Day, there may possibly be a bus service operating from Mullion to Helston which would solve your parking problem.

Kath