The coming of the Spirit

24^th May

My resolve to post weekly updates has been well and truly blown! Apologies.

The coming of the Holy Spirit is sometimes depicted as a descending dove. Reflecting on this some years back, I realised that to draw a dove as children we were taught to use our hands as a template. I now prefer to think that the Spirit is the hands of the Father reaching down to us and resting on our shoulders. The birds are busy round the feeders, including a magpie who empties one feeder of mealworms, which were favoured by the newly fledged sparrows last year.

I have now had two doses of vaccine and I hope we will all gradually be able to more back to a more normal life.

So much has been happening in the garden. Flowers are emerging everywhere. My hedgehogs have been active and we are expecting hoglets before long! The fox also visits regularly and helps himself to the hedgehog food – if there is any left.

I bought some lilies for myself and my children and we re seeing whose hits 2 metres first! Mine have suddenly had growth spurt!

The gardens at front and back of the house are quite wild and green with a variety of flowers.

Take care,

Chris

He is Risen Alleluia

 

6th April 2021

Easter has arrived! he is Risen Alleluia

The weather has varied between freezing and mid twenties during the past week or so. The flowers have been bringing more colour to the garden each day. The bluebells are now well established and make a contrast to the celendine.

The Snakeshead Fritillaria have emerged and here and there honesty has appeared.

The larger pond has a floating clump of Kingcup.

The world is slowly opening up and we are allowed to meet in the garden. Today it is cold with occasional sleet showers. Wallflowers are in flower in the front.

I have purchased some more climbers and some additional lily bulbs to distribute among the family.

Chris

Hedgehogs and Tadpoles

 

26th March

As we approach Easter new life is appearing all around. In Zambia it is before Christmas that the world is transformed. Dust is replaced with grass and plants and everywhere becomes green and luscious - almost overnight. Here the transformation is more gradual, but the world also turns vibrant green. my front garden is full of green foliage and I wait to see what flower wsill follow.

Celendine is brightening my gardens with golden yellow. The blue flowers of the forget me nots - poignant particularly after the past year - are gradually emerging,making a nice contrast.

The aubretia is now looking good with its purple-violet flowers.

Wildlife is returning. The frogspawn is turning into tadpoles and the hedgehog has returned after his winter slumber.

As predicted the Forsythia is now in full bloom and the first bluebells
are coming into flower - they will make a lovely display over Easter.

I am awaiting my lillies to appear - maybe among the foliage they are pushing through. I should also have some fritilleria.

Looking forward to Easter and the hope it brings.

Wiith love and prayers,

Chris

Post Caps and Dandelions

12th March 2021

Lent is a time for reflection. One of the meditations in a book I have been reading refers to Brother Lawrence, a monk who realised he could worship God in everything he did - while he worked in the monastery kitchen. I can relate to that. This week one of my prayers has been fashioning some post caps from a branch of wood I cut off a tree in the garden.

Spring is still developing in my garden slowly. Each week I expect an abundance of colour, but I need to be patient. Easter is 3 weeks away. I am sure by the time of the Resurrection things will be very different. The daffodills are in full flow now.

The crocuses are just moving beyond their peak.

The celendine are appearing, but will become more prominent this week. I love the yellow and blue in my garden created by a carpet of celandine, dandelions, forget me nots and bluebells. I look forward in anticipation.

The forget-me-nots are just beginning to flower, as are the dandelions. I remember another meditation which concluded that you will never get rid of dandelions, so you should just love them! As well as being food for birds and insects dandelions are edible and used in cuisine around the world!

The aubretia, grown from seed last year, is coming into flower. 

 Hyacinths are popping up throughout the garden.

My ponds are also coming to life. As well as frogspawn, lily pads are appearing and the king cup leaves are rising out of the pond.

The forsythia is beginning to flower and should develop into a brilliant yellow display during the next week.

Let's look forward with hope.

Chris

Spring is gradually revealing it's face

 

5th March 2021

The Spring flowers have started to appear. Daffodils are now abundant.

Crocuses are also well established.

Another tree which appeared a couple of years back has developed blossom this year.

My mind never goes far from from Zambia. I am longing to get back and catch up on my many friends There they are getting ready for the harvest. At the church I attend they planted some seed I was able to provide last year. The result is 5 hectares of Sunflowers!

I went for a walk during the past week and found the parks and roads nearby are generally ahead of my garden - with daisies, celendine and dandelions showing their faces.

 

The local council tubs are cheering us up with a good display

My forsythia is now coming into flower. i expect a good display this week whern the weather warms a bit and we get a bit more sun.

Chris

The Frogs are Back!

24th February 2021

I have been fighting technology over the past few days which is my excuse for a delay in writing this blog. The cold weather has given way to a mild spell. The daffodils have taken advantage of a bit of sun to come into bloom.

The crocuses are also developing and multiplying.

We have entered into Lent - a time for taking stock. I find spending time in the garden a great opportunity to be with nature and God - this is my prayer. A robin joined me as I repaired my compost bin and returned the rotting vegetation.

I planted some muscari in the rockery at the end of last year and these are about to come into flower.

On 21st February frogspawn appeared in the pond. This is perhaps a couple of days earlier than normal but it has become very predictable event. I first introduced frogspawn into my pond in 1989 and the frogs returned in 1991 - they have returned regularly over the past 30 years to lay frogspawn in the same corner of the pond!

The frogs are still very busy in the pond.

Chris