Out & About… Spring

Spring has sprung in these parts – with the garden awakening…

…blossom on trees…

…ferns unfurling…

…daffodils in flower…

…chicks on the canal…

…bluebells in the woods…

…and lambs in the fields.

It’s a wonderful time of year, with signs of new life all around us.

Out & about… February

We’re a bit tardy with our Out & about post for February.

It began with snow (again!!) – it’s as if winter keeps reminding us that it’s still here at the start of each month.

February isn’t always the best month for walking, but there’s no choice with Fudge looking expectantly at you.

Once we’re outdoors, it’s fine – fresh air & exercise – time to chat or think… and there’s always something to see.

With no leaves on the trees you tend to notice things like bark, moss & lichen.

These old pack horse routes criss-cross our local area – slightly above the valley floor which was once flooded & marshy.

We also come across many of these disused barns and farmhouses – some of them have beautiful views.

It’s easy to imagine them restored – many even retain wonderful original features like stone steps, beams and mullioned windows.

Towards the end of the month we got the first signs that spring was approaching…

… with buds on the trees…

… daffodils and bluebells emerging…

… and planters around the town filled with crocuses & other early flowerers.

It’s nearly time to dig out those shorts & t-shirts!

G is for… Garden

Our small Pennine garden has woken up – well, started to at least! We’ve been out at the weekend sweeping, potting up seeds, planting strawberries and some colourful annuals.

We have lots of shady corners, so hostas and astilbes do really well.

Ferns like it here too – we’re really fond of these little ones which self-seed and sprout from the old stone walls.

This is another self-seeder. It can take over a bit if left unchecked, but if it’s restricted within pots and cracks between paving it looks wonderful – the bright green leaves and pretty white flowers really lift the shaded areas… and it’s always good to get plants for free!

We have a little project for the summer, renovating this little, old greenhouse which was about to be thrown on the tip. It’s a house in the loosest sense of the word – being only about 4 feet wide. We’ll try not to lose any of its shabby charm, but if it doesn’t get some TLC soon it will fall to pieces.

We love these bits of metalware in the garden – old dolly tubs, buckets and watering cans.

Also the drainpipe hoppers which look lovely when the flowers start to spill over.

We’ve got our seating arrangements sorted out, picking up a Victorian cast iron bench over the winter.

Also a more portable 1960s metal & plastic weave chair… and this fab 70s floral lounger.

The birds are well catered for…

Although its about time they started to find their own food now.

We’ve made a good start, but there’s plenty left to do… and Fudge is always happy to supervise proceedings.

It’s nice to be able to sit back and survey work done so far though… and plan the next move from our strategic headquarters.

Flower power

Following on from our recent themes of fish & birds we continue to look at the influence of nature on artists & designers. This week it’s the turn of flowers.

_{detail from a vintage chopping board}

_{vintage fabrics – pillowcases, curtains, tablecloths etc.}

Initially we were going to combine fruit, flowers & foliage but felt that they each deserved their own space. We’ll return to the other two soon enough.

Wining & dining – everything gets given the floral treatment…

Mismatched plates look great together.

Cups, saucers, bowls, jugs, tureens, egg cups, tea pots, coffee pots etc…

Again, we’re using items from our vintage collection predominantly from the 1950s, 60s & 70s. We particularly like the stylised treatment given to flowers during this period. You’re not likely to see any of these flowers in your florists, gardens or hedgerows!

_{small vintage Hornsea pots}