Wednesday, 24th March

[Sybille Weber]

Sunny all day and the temperature up to as much as 23 degr.! Only ten days ago we had lots of serious accidents on the roads because of icy conditions, and now, all of a sudden, the temperature is too high for this time of year. Unfortunately I had to spend much of the day in the office but Rolf went for a walk and says he has seen some butterflies already. The daffs have also all burst open now. Rain and just 10 degr. forecast for the weekend though.

[Linda]

Yes its quite amazing isnt it! We have wild garlic beginning to appearand our daffs are out at teh same time as others on the island..which is a first! Our bluebells are also beginning to appear. No sign of butterflies yet ...and only five weeks to go before the swallows arrive...!!

[jane jackson]

Very wet gloomy day here in PZ but reasonably warm ~ 23 degr. that's amazing after all your icy conditions. The daffodils are flowering very well now too so everything is looking more like Spring. Our clocks go forward this coming weekend too so it'll be lighter in the evenings. Think our forecast is for wet weather!

[adesmith]

Gosh is it this weekend Jane! Good job you said! It will be nice to have some lighter evenings. It has been a bit drizzly and wet today but our daffodils are slowly opening so the garden is brightening up. Looking forward to a walk in the woods to see the bluebells - we normally get to do that in April.

[Kath Mulligan]

My full size daffodils are still not in flower but I do now have some pretty little Tete a Tete ones blooming and quite a lot more will be out shortly.

Kath

[adesmith]

We have got quite a few Tete a Tete's flowering and I have put a clump in a pot with some polyanthus and another clump in a hanging basket by the back door with some polyanthus and violas. Cant wait to get really stuck into gardening. I have some seedlings that are doing well, now in the greenhouse with replaced cover and some more just starting off in the dining room. My father-in-law repaired the shed floor and roof for me and I have painted in the inside and put up some shelves. I have also ordered a potting bench, most of which was paid for out of my Cheltenham winnings! I did hear on the news that a weather forecaster has forecast a very hot summer. Its not the met office and apparently this company consistently make more accuarte long range forecasts - lets hope so!

[Joan]

When I got home yesterday I was pleased to see that some more of my Tete a Tetes had come out (only one in flower when I left home last Thursday).

It sounds as though you are all set for the gardening season now Adrian. It really does seem as though Spring is finally on the way. I too heard that we are supposed to have a very hot summer - it will be interesting to see if this new company has got it right when the met. office got it so wrong in 2009.

Joan

[jane jackson]

Do so hope that forecasting company have got it right!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Barbara]

Talking about the weather - a couple of nights ago we experienced a few hours of thunder and lightning and a bit of rain. It turned out that Perth (about 200 kms north) had a huge thunderstorm - worst in about 20 years - with torrential rain, strong winds and hail the size of golf balls. It caused quite a bit of damage and even some land slides. It was the first big rain of the season so the earth was pretty well baked hard from our long hot summer. I happened to tune into Sky News U.K. and they even had a report on it. It's still pretty fine at the moment and very humid - actually, I'm looking forward to a bit of cool weather.
:rain:

[jane jackson]

actually, I'm looking forward to a bit of cool weather.
:rain:

Just as we're looking forward to some warm if not hot weather ~ funny old world isn't it? That sounded like a very extraordinary thunderstorm, hope it didn't do too much damage.

[Janet Swan]

Came home to find some tete a tetes and a few tulips and hyacinths in bloom. Just one (full size) daffodil in flower so far. Was also pleased to see a little clump of anemonie blanda (?) flowering - they disappear each Summer and I thought I'd lost all of them. Took a photo of my pretty helibore and will upload it now!!!

Janet

[adesmith]

Hoping for a bit of nice weather as we are off to Devon (Torquay) tomorrow, to stay with my Mum. It will be a nice way to get the Easter holidays underway and Rachel is picking me up straight from school. I think that they have promised us a bit of sunny weather on Saturday.

Janet, what does anemonie blanda look like? I am going to have a look at your helibore now.

[Janet Swan]

Janet, what does anemonie blanda look like? I am going to have a look at your helibore now.

They are sort of daisy shaped, with a yellow centre and longer, usually mauve, petals. The leaves are a bit like herb robert, which is why I've only got one clump left now!

[adesmith]

In the National Trust shop at Coleton Fishacre they had some plants and guess what, they had Anenomie Blanda! They were only small pots and just £1.50 so I bought one. Looked a bit sorry for itself after a night in the car (my Mum said to take it out and put it in her garden but I knew I would forget it!) and the journey home today but I am sure it will revive. Wish I had bought two now because I have spotted a couple of places where I would like to plant it. Anyway when I saw it I thought I must buy it after Janet it talking about it!

[gloria townsin]

Our daffodils are well out now, all miniature. Polyanthus seem to have refreshed themselves and pansies are doing well. Lots of buds on the flowering cherry, which was my Mum and Dad's so will be transported to Bryher. All in all the garden is looking tons better but if we have more snow they will be buried.........

[Janet Swan]

In the National Trust shop at Coleton Fishacre they had some plants and guess what, they had Anenomie Blanda! They were only small pots and just £1.50 so I bought one. Wish I had bought two now because I have spotted a couple of places where I would like to plant it. Anyway when I saw it I thought I must buy it after Janet it talking about it!

They really are nice little plants, Adrian, and open and close depending on the sun shining - they like the sun. It will grow bigger in time. But do put a label near it when planted out, because I started off with half a dozen, did not label them and now I'm down to one clump! They seem to disappear after flowering.

Janet

[Liz]

. But do put a label near it when planted out, because I started off with half a dozen, did not label them and now I'm down to one clump! They seem to disappear after flowering.

Janet

I've lost a few in my time as well Janet. I tend to forget they are there when I'm weeding especially when the summer flowers overshadow them. I bought some more fleece this morning and have covered my plum which is just about to burst into flower. Fortunately it is an espalier so its fairly easy to attach the fleece to the fence and cover it.

I heard my first sky lark of the year singing its heart out high above this morning - now I know summers on the way! :dance:

[Janet Swan]

Skylarks soaring and singing beautifully around the Charlton area in North Hertfordshire too this afternoon, while I was out on a very muddy, showery group walk. I was too muddy and wet to stay for a drink in the pub afterwards - usually I never miss out on that! But it was worth it for the skylarks alone.

Janet

[jane jackson]

. I bought some more fleece this morning and have covered my plum which is just about to burst into flower. Fortunately it is an espalier so its fairly easy to attach the fleece to the fence and cover it.

:dance:

I had a lovely vision of you up a ladder trying to cover a large plum tree with a fleece!!!!!!!!!!!

[gloria townsin]

You're much more active than I am at present Janet.......I have felt somewhat unwell since returning from Cornwall. Feel like I have mild flu.......but it's probably the change of seasons 'illness' that I have always suffered from. Odd that it happens but my Dad used to complain of it as well, so who knows why it happens, but it does it at every new season.

[Barbara]

Sorry to hear your feeling unwell, Gloria. Hope you pick up soon. I wonder if your particular malaise is where the term "under the weather" comes from.

[adesmith]

Sorry that you are feeling poorly Gloria. I am sure that the sun will be back soon with some more spring weather! Dont forget the long hot summer that I am predicting (my guess is as good as anyones and probably better than the Met Office!). Its the Easter holidays in Wales and so I have my usual aches and pains of the holidays - I am too stressed and cant relax very easily! Hopefully the Easter weekend will be relaxing. Rachel is back at work so its just Rupert and I at home today. We are planning a trip to the playground and the garden centre then we are going to come home and make something for Easter - paint some Easter eggs to decorate the house (there are loads of templates and ideas on the Internet). Tomorrow we are going to do some Easter baking and decorate some Easter branches.

[Kath Mulligan]

Most of the schools around here don't seem to be breaking up until tomorrow which is very late. Mind you, they are better off in school, we don't have the snow today but we do have heavy grey skies, rain with just a hint of sleet in it and a cold wind, so nothing to tempt me outside!

Adrian, I have said it before but Rupert is such a lucky little boy to have you and Rachel for parents. You find so many different activities to do with him, I really enjoy reading about them and seeing photos of the results. Good for you, hope you have as much fun with your egg decorating and Easter baking as I'm sure Rupert will.

Kath

[jane jackson]

You sound as though you and Rupert are going to have a fun time while poor Rachel is working! I'm sure she'll appreciate all the Easter preparations though.

Hope you feel better today Gloria, not fun when you feel under the weather. I hope the problem isn't too much to do with the changing seasons as we seem to be changing them day by day at the moment if not hour by hour. It was so windy last night and early this morning with sleet and rain but since 10am the sun is out in a blue sky and the trees have stopped moving. No doubt Easter is going to bring more wind and rain according to the forecast. I have a friend coming for Easter with her dog (but no children this time) so we'll probably be dog walking and then hibernating by the fire with books and chatting. At least it will be simpler without the kids although I'll miss seeing them, as only us 2 to please. Bryan leaves us to it as he always says he doesn't know who or what we're talking about. I met Linda in 1977 while doing my BHSAI at Porlock so we go back a long way with lots of horsey memories. Funnily enough when Bryan and I got married in 1993 Linda was there and recognised Bryan's brother-in-law Frank who had been the maintenance man at Porlock Vale Equestrian Centre when we were there. He used to bring the hay, straw etc down to the yard we worked on with the tractor and link box. He and I hadn't made the connection before probably as I was only there for 3 months whereas Linda was not only at the Centre for a year but her home was in Porlock too. So I'd watched his young children playing not knowing that they were going to be my nephew and niece in-laws.
Funny old world!

[Brenda]

Most of the schools around here don't seem to be breaking up until tomorrow which is very late. Mind you, they are better off in school, we don't have the snow today but we do have heavy grey skies, rain with just a hint of sleet in it and a cold wind, so nothing to tempt me outside!
Kath

Well, here's a change to note! Kath, imagine your mentioning snow at this time of year, while I am able to say that we have a sunny morning and are expecting a temperature of 16C today! Although our spring is not nearly as advanced as it is in some parts of the UK, my tulips are up about 6". Meanwhile...back at Skinner's Pond, the ground may just be starting to thaw out (if the snow is even all gone: unlikely) and I wouldn't see a hint of spring flowers for at least another month.

Brenda

[Kath Mulligan]

Don't know how Linda is faring today but some areas of Scotland and Northern Ireland are being really hammered with blizzards, gales and power cuts, Brenda, so thank your lucky stars for your Spring sunshine. We also had heavy snow forecast for today, but that was revised to sleet and that is what we have got. It's not the first time we've seen snow at Easter. Years ago we went to a cottage in Coverack for a week at Easter, we left home in a blizzard, drove through blinding snow on Bodmin Moor (in fact we stopped at Jamaica Inn for a while until it cleared), had very mixed weather all the time we were there, and then to cap it off, we drove through another complete white-out on the motorway near Birmingham on our way home. Oddly enough, I never suggested going away at Easter again!!

Kath

[Liz]

I had a lovely vision of you up a ladder trying to cover a large plum tree with a fleece!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that really would be something to see!

Me and ladders don't see eye to eye at the best of times but add wind and a fleece to the equation - the mind boggles! :shocked:

[Janet Swan]

Sorry you're feeling poorly, Gloria. After all the stresses over Bryher, it must have finally hit you. Hopefully with lots of tlc, the promise of sunshine (eventually) and progress on Bryher, you will soon be feeling better. Take care and do as little as possible (well, I guess you'll probably ignore the last, but thought I'd say it!). Get well soon.

Janet :grouphug: (for Gloria)

[gloria townsin]

Thank you all for the get well messages........it isn't anything I can completely put my finger on other than not feeling quite right. Went for our usual outing to B&Q today........and met a cousin I haven't seen in a long while......standing chatting I felt very swimmy and would have loved to be able to sit down. So it's just that odd dizziness that comes with not feeling up to things. Not so bad once home.
Adrian I do hope you will be o.k. too much stress in your job it seems to me. By the time term starts again you will have only just started to relax. Maybe you need a different job altogether. Easy words............After a few eggy paintings I reckon you will begin to feel less taut and strung out. Baking your own Hot Cross buns could be fun......when I did it with our two eldest boys many an Easter ago, they were the best I've ever tasted. Do you know that was a terribly cold Easter, my Mum and Dad went with my Aunt and Uncle to their static caravan near Bournemouth and when they went I felt really fed up and left at home............but in the end I was happy to be at home. Eddie, as per usual, worked through the holiday and the two boys and myself kept warm indoors. It would have been around 1971/2.........Matt was a few years from being born.
Life is a funny old thing Jane - often things happen and it makes you think 'if only I'd known that at the time.'