April garden.

April makes my heart sing when I wander around the garden.

Colour, form, growth. It's all coming alive.

My Camassia plants have doubled in size and are a beautiful blue mist.

Clematis Montana is doing her best to cover a long fence at the end of the garden. Sadly she is over so quickly. I have to make the most of her while she is at her most lovely.

The greenhouse is full of babies.

There is no room for the tomatoes to be planted until the weather is warm enough for all these little plants to go out.

There are Cosmos, Phlox, Argyranthemum, Arctotis and more.

I always wonder which rose will be the first to flower. It looks as though it could be Peace, but Zephirine Drouhin will be a close second, I think.

And finally, in a little wildish corner under the apple tree, grow my Cowslips.  Not many, but still treasured. Next to them is an old favourite, London's Pride, I remember it growing in my grandmother's garden. 

So many of my plants nurture the sentimental side of me.

I hope your April gardens are giving you pleasure.

Easter wanderings.

The front of Trelissick House.

We followed a glorious Easter Church service with a visit to Trelissick gardens, our local National Trust House. The sun shone, the day was warm and the tourists were out in force. We had a delicious lunch in the Barn restaurant and then rolled the wheelchair around the part of the garden that is accessible.
Did my camera come too?
Sadly, no.
So any photos are from the NT website.
But this is exactly how we found the gardens, bathed in sunshine, glowing with colour.

Bluebells misted the paths, with wild garlic and primroses amongst them. Little paths seem to lead off into secret woodland areas.

At this time of year everyone goes to Trelissick to see the giant Rhododendrons, and the Azaleas.

We wandered down this very path, stopping to feel the Azalea petals which looked just like tissue paper.

I think some of the Rhododendrons must be many years old. The Copeland family brought some plants from Bodnant Gardens in the 1930s when the gardens were remodelled. Sadly one of the largest  ones with spectacular scarlet flowers fell last Autumn in one of the storms.

We have such a wonderful place to visit, and the best thing is that it is only a couple of miles from our home.
We have been NT members for over thirty years, keeping on our membership through the years that we were living in France, simply because we believe it is good to support the care of so many national treasures.

Stuart Townend - The Power Of The Cross

Sung this morning in our Easter service at Church.

Easter Sunday.

At last, we can say, with joy......

1 Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

2 Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

3 But the pains which he endured, Alleluia!
our salvation have procured. Alleluia!
Now above the sky he's King, Alleluia!
where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!

4 Sing we to our God above, Alleluia!
praise eternal as God's love. Alleluia!
Praise our God, ye heavenly host, Alleluia!
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Alleluia!


Happy Easter!

Good Friday

There is a green hill far away,
outside a city wall,
where our dear Lord was crucified
who died to save us all.

We may not know, we cannot tell,
what pains he had to bear,
but we believe it was for us
he hung and suffered there.

He died that we might be forgiven,
he died to make us good,
that we might go at last to heaven,
saved by his precious blood.

There was no other good enough
to pay the price of sin,
he only could unlock the gate
of heaven and let us in.

O dearly, dearly has he loved!
And we must love him too,
and trust in his redeeming blood,
and try his works to do.

Maundy Thursday

Today is Maundy Thursday in our church calendar. It's also known as Holy Thursday, remembering the night of the Last Supper when Jesus was betrayed.

Today our Queen will be at Leicester Cathedral where she will hand Maundy coins to pensioners. This follows the tradition of giving alms to the poor. The Queen is 90 so there will be ninety ladies and ninety gentlemen to receive the money.

 Maundy Thursday 2014.

These are the coins they will receive.

They are legal tender but I can't imagine anyone wanting to spend them!

And the name, Maundy?

It comes from the Latin 'mandatum, meaning a commandment.

At that Last Supper Jesus gave his disciples this commandment;

"Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

John Ch 13, v34

How wonderful if our world could live that verse.

Easter Flower

This lovely Pulsatilla has developed over the last three years into a nice round clump. I put it in as a tiny plant.

It's known as the Pasque Flower, or the Easter flower,

because it comes into flower round about Easter (Paschal) time.

There is a white version and also a purple.

This deep red seems to glow in the sun.

It brings hope of the new season.

Palm Sunday

When Stockholm has been attacked, when Egypt has been bombed, what does this little Palm Cross signify in the wake of such hatred and terror?

The donkey on which Jesus rode was a symbol of peace. Those who rode a donkey proclaimed peaceful intentions.

The laying of palm branches showed that a king or a noble was arriving in triumph.

We can only pray, longingly, desperately, for peace in the world,

remembering that our Lord came to bring that peace.

My new garden 'toy'

I could not resist this.

Is there an inner Barbie struggling to emerge?

And there are more possibilities....

 Mm, maybe not....

I think I'll stick with my elderly spade, fork and trowel sets!

Seedlings.

We are very small now,

but one day we will be tall tomatoes.

One day.