Time flies. . . . .

I cannot believe another week has gone by already since my last posting.  Before we know it the clocks will be changing again.  Well, at least the weather has improved. We had beautiful warm sunshine today.  The mild winter does seem to have brought some things on in the garden way ahead of time.

 

My flowering cherry is breaking into blossom and the  brunnera (looks rather like very tall forget-me-not) is flowering.  Neither of these two usually flower here until end of April beginning of May.  The hawthorn hedge one side of the veggie patch is also coming into leaf.  Crazy.

 

I have broad beans planted in trays (second go at them – the mice lifted the cover of the first lot I planted and ate  all of them, just leaving the shoots).  The new planting has a heavy stone weighing the cover down!  I have put potatoes to “chit” on the attic window sill.  I meant to buy mange tout seed today  when I was in town and completely forgot. (senior moment )  I think I may be struggling to get the veg started off this year as in April I have 4 days away on a painting course and a series of friends and family coming to stay and in  May I am going to be away from home quite a bit.  I think I  will have to concentrate on the easy stuff  that can be left to get on with it  in the veg patch and be a bit neglected.  Anyway, if my planned trips come off I’ll fill you in in due course.

For a while now I have been trying to find an art group or courses locally. I really do not want to travel far especially in the winter.  I did eventually unearth a group who meet quite nearby, but when I enquired the group was over subscribed.  However, low and behold, the organiser remembered me and last week got back in touch to say someone had dropped out of the group and would I like to come along.  So last Friday afternoon I joined for my first session, which was lovely, the other members were so welcoming.  We have a “theme” this term to work with if we want, so that we can participate in an exhibition towards the end of September.  So the theme is ” the local area through the seasons”.  Below is my first effort – from a reference photo and and previous botanical sketches of my own.  Hope you like it . . . . . . .

I am really looking forward to the next session this Friday.  Only I have been inspired as yet what to tackle next:  unless I do this picture again in another format