Lock down!

Well this is odd!

Frankly I'm not enjoying it so far. Twin 2 (my twins are post-teen for those that don't know so no home schooling needed) is already climbing the walls and we've had days of cancelled flights, changed plans and misinformation around Twin 1 who is stuck in Australia. She and her boyfriend are now booked on a flight home tomorrow and should be home (I'll only believe it when she walks through the door) on Tuesday. The stress levels are high and we are longing not to have to think about it any more!

But we are all healthy and managing to get out for walks and haven't lost the plot quite yet.

All the lovely art and gardening I thought would fill my days of leisure haven't happened at all! I wander about the house and garden aimlessly picking at jobs and not settling to anything. Others have sorted and cleaned their houses and manicured their gardens already - not me!!! I'm hoping this might change once the family is back together but I'm not convinced.

The weather is still good here which is lovely and the garden is really bursting forth despite the continued neglect.

Delicate Epimediums (those old leaves should have been removed weeks ago!)

Brunnera

Dappled Pulmonaria

Favourite flower #2 Snakes Head Fritillary

Not entirely intentional Crocosmia - this spreads everywhere but this new growth is beautiful back-lit by the sun.

My gorgeous Hellebores are still going strong.

The freshest of new growth on my Fig tree - perhaps this year it will have fruit.

Swathes of self seeded primroses glowing in the sun.

I have also started taking part in a social media challenge started by my other half who is trying to find ways of keeping his photography students engaged.
It's about creating photo-grids from the things around you, in your confined space. If you want to follow or join in find me on Instagram here or look for #stillsfromaplace

So far I have done corners of my home...

and corners of my desk.

I feel like corners of my garden should be next - or maybe corners of my shed! That would be full of spiders, broken pots and recycling - well it is meant to be a challenge!!

So there we are - almost a week of lock down and that's all I have to show for it. Not very impressive but that's ok - I think it's important to be easy on ourselves at the moment. The next couple of days will be tricky for us here waiting for the home comers but hopefully once we are through those we will be slightly more settled.

Stay well, stay safe and stay at home.

Until next time
xxxx

...and breathe!

I can't believe it's been a whole year since I posted in the garden blog. I suppose life got busy and I felt a bit like I was just repeating the same old thing each year and not saying anything new.

Now in the current climate of isolation and lock down however, the same old, same old is very much what I crave. Things are changing so fast each day that the slow, calm, constancy of the garden is something to focus on in the rising anxiety. I know I'm not alone having far flung family but I have parents in Liverpool and London that I can't get to to help and a daughter travelling in Australia who we are trying to get home - calm is what I need!

The smallest of silver linings is that this isolation coincides with the garden bursting forth with spring action! 

So in the spirit of sharing, and to help my own sanity, I'm back. I can't guarantee that I'll be reliable, interesting or particularly useful - but I am conscious how lucky I am to live in Cornwall surrounded by coast, and to have a garden to potter in (although frankly it needs a great deal more than pottering in at the moment!!!). My poor Dad lives in a small flat with no outdoor space at all and has been told not to leave for 4 months! Beautiful sunny days are so difficult for him - itching to get out.

So here's some colour from the last month or so - very much photographing around the debris of the winter and uncleared dead stuff, and even weeds now the sun is out!

My very favourite crocus - Vernus striped, planted last autumn and glorious for a day and a half between hail and high winds. Those stripes and those centres - they made me very happy either side of the front door!

The wonderful Clematis alpina apple blossom, flowering beautifully even though half of it blew off the utility room roof and had to be hacked away this winter. The day I shot this was the first day I noticed lots of buzzing insects - particularly on the Clematis.

Probably my very favourite things in the garden in early spring are Hellebores - hence I've got a few!

The previous post is last years visit to a local Hellebore Day at Bosvigo House and most of my collection come from there. I didn't get there this year - I can't remember why, but it was sad not so see their fabulous collection (and not to buy any more!!).

And lastly a close up of an Anemone Blanda - I didn't get many this year - just a few in a pot I'd forgotten about (this happens a lot with my spring pots) but their cheerful faces do gladden my heart.

I'm conscious that this post makes it look like we've had glorious weather down in Cornwall when in reality we've had precious few sunny days until about a week ago. One of the reasons my garden is looking so unloved is that it has been so wet that I couldn't get into it without compacting the soil hideously or creating a mud bath - neither of which is what I'm going for!!

Anyway, thanks for popping by and do stay safe and well.

I'll sign off with a picture taken this weekend as Twin 2 returned from Uni and we escaped for some fresh air to a deserted (almost) beach.

xx