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Gardening

Joys of Spring

(541 Posts)
bagitha Mon 09-Jan-12 16:52:36

Tramping up the hill
In the deep dusk
To shut the henhouse for the night,
I saw, even in the dim light,
Light buds on the apple tree
And, with the light of my torch,
A budding fresh greenness
At the ends of the flowering currant.
The bird cherry tree buds
Are swelling with new life
And the gorse looks sturdily leaved,
Ready to flower before too long.
If the bees have survived the winter in the chimney,
(the honey has stopped dripping),
They might come out for that.
smile

jeni Fri 06-Apr-12 20:17:09

soop capers what a good idea! I will make caper sauce to go with my slow roasted lamb shoulder! smile

bagitha Fri 06-Apr-12 20:08:49

There's a wonderful hoopoe in Salman Rushdie's children's story ^Haroun and the Sea of Stories*. Great story too.

yogagran Fri 06-Apr-12 19:58:54

Annobel I read soop's post as "impish" too, we must be pre guessing what she's thinking!
Butter's birds are absolutely fantastic, how exciting to have those in your garden, beats blue tits and chaffinches any day

bagitha Fri 06-Apr-12 19:35:47

soop, the Mysterious Beings at GNHQ will help you. just ask them. smile

Annobel Fri 06-Apr-12 19:01:25

Ah, then I can look forward to hearing that very evocative call in just over a week!

Butternut Fri 06-Apr-12 18:47:36

Hoo poo pooo! Yes Annobel. grin

Annobel Fri 06-Apr-12 18:46:34

super, I read that as 'impish'! So thought, 'no change there!' However, now I've read it correctly, I hope you feel a lot more like yourself tomorrow - in other words, 'impish'. smile

Annobel Fri 06-Apr-12 18:34:56

We used to hear hoopoes in Kenya. They went: hoo poo pooo. Do they do that in France, Butter?

supernana Fri 06-Apr-12 18:32:20

Last night's capers have left me limpish. I'm about to take a sit-down shower, slip into some cool cotton jimjams and put my feet up. Can't stop giggling when I recall that party...hilarious grin

supernana Fri 06-Apr-12 18:27:51

Butter What a BRILLIANT bird. Can I have one for my garden - please.

supernana Fri 06-Apr-12 18:26:25

Lovely wee lad. This was attempt number nine. I loved the challenge. Will do better next time. Should I change my name to soop? I like it. Is it a difficult task to perform? I'm inclined to get into a right tarrididdle...

Annobel Fri 06-Apr-12 18:22:54

What a bright, cheerful wee boy that is. And super's portrait is just excellent.

Butternut Fri 06-Apr-12 18:20:37

Captured perfectly. smile

Butternut Fri 06-Apr-12 18:19:07

I am getting ideas.......for when soop is feeling better!

Butternut Fri 06-Apr-12 18:16:27

www.google.fr/search?q=hoopoe+bird+pictures&hl=en&safe=off&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=pyR_T86WF4WIhQeon8i_Bw&ved=0CCIQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=633

bagitha Fri 06-Apr-12 18:15:42

As a tiny baby he looked very much as his mum had at the same age. smile Have just put up three photos, including the one soop did the painting from. Isn't she clever? Thank you again, soop. I love it.

Butternut Fri 06-Apr-12 18:14:03

Here it is - the wacky Hoopoe!

[http://www.google.fr/search?q=hoopoe+bird+pictures&hl=en&safe=off&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ByR_T9H1Io6DhQej4PzFBw&ved=0CCIQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=633]

Butternut Fri 06-Apr-12 18:12:19

I suspect the spelling is wrong - but I'll link a photo for you.

Just seen your fab. painting of bagitha's happy grandson. Now I wonder where he gets his twinkle from? wink

supernana Fri 06-Apr-12 18:07:36

butter what on earth is a hoopo?

Butternut Fri 06-Apr-12 18:06:20

Adore wild garlic. I make a pesto out of it which is great with pasta. Almost free food. Reminds me I must go woodland shopping again.

Saw our first hoopo yesterday - such a comic bird.

Here's to Spring! sunshine

supernana Fri 06-Apr-12 17:45:13

The smell of wild garlic is marvellous. We pick the leaves and toss them on just about anything. We also have two pairs of courting bullfinches in the garden. Mr ans Mrs oystercatcher are back on their rock. Lots of activity brewing. I believe we have what is called a wild orchid in the garden. Will photo it when up and out. About to add image of bagitha's delightful grandson in my photos. He really is a charmer...smile

bagitha Fri 06-Apr-12 17:38:59

Isn't Spring lovely? Last weekend we even saw wood anemones on the tops of hills (the smaller Ochils NE of Stirling). Seems they don't just grow in woodland.

artygran Fri 06-Apr-12 17:25:54

Had a lovely walk through local woods today - swathes of wood anemones, celandines, wild garlic and just-coming-into-flower bluebells; kingcups in the marsh. Woodpeckers, chiffchaffs and courting bullfinches! Spring is sprung!

Butternut Fri 06-Apr-12 17:17:45

Sounds wonderful, granj.

granjura Fri 06-Apr-12 16:26:00

Here in the Swiss Jura, our garden still had snow until a couple of weeks ago. But since then - it has truly sprung into life. Snowdrops are practically finished, but we have tulips, daffoldils, pulmonaria, scillas, wood anemones, and so many more. Our field around the house is full of wild crocuses, both white and purple. Must go and see if the Daphné is in flower up in the woods behind.