PEAR TREE LOG

pear tree log: I started this blog to keep my younger son, Jonny, in touch with life in Lincolnshire, while he spent a year working in China. That year turned into five! Now he is home and training to become a physics teacher. This is simply a patchwork quilt of some of the things I enjoy - life in rural Lincolnshire, our animals, friends, architecture, books, the gardens, and things of passing interest.



Saturday, 27 April 2013

Knocking on Fairy Doors

Spring-like weather has finally arrived, and our little woodland is bursting in to life.








Last weekend George and I worked like crazy to feed all the fallen branches, sticks and twigs into a large shredder.
Ear defenders, face visor, hard hat
were required, along with long-sleeved tops and protective gloves.
It can be dangerous work!

Many hours of labour produced several mini-mountains...


These  mini-mountains of chipped bark (44 heaped wheelbarrow loads) have now been scattered on the vegetable garden pathways in a satisfyingly deep layer.




My dear old Toby supervised the procedure, from the comfort of his bed.    Age is catching up with him.





Now that the rubbish has been cleared away again,  I have been able to enjoy the sight of all the spring flowers, including sweet violets (with their oh so beautiful perfume),   masses of lesser celandines which form gold-spangled pathways,  and plenty of bluebells are beginning to show - just as the primroses are beginning to fade.  Everywhere is beautiful.   The woodland is full of birdsong and full of growth and life.



Best of all, the lily of the valley has returned - just one clump out of the three which had taken last year -  they  are heavily perfumed and utterly beautiful.         I love them for their beauty, of course, but most of all I love them because they were my mother's favourite flower.

In the last few days the cow parsley has shot up to waist height, no flowers as yet, but it won't be long until the woodland is a froth of white, for a few weeks.

It is such an exciting time.


I found this fairy door slightly ajar,  I knocked, but there was no reply...


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13 comments:

  1. Lynne27 April 2013 at 20:05

    The fragrance of the Lily of the Valley is scrumptious. I am planting some in my woods this year.

    What is Cow Parsley? Is it like a May Apples?

    Today is our first weather in the 60's. I just took a water break from my outdoor cleaning. I like the idea of a shredder. We accumulate so many small sticks and branches over the winter. Great mulch for you!

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    1. Elaine28 April 2013 at 07:47

      Hello Lynne, Cow parsley is also called Queen Anne's Lace; beautiful, but invasive. We often lose animals and grandchildren in it, for it grows up to five or six feet tall! I'll do a post and show you some photographs when the flowers come out.

      It is such a busy time of year - spring cleaning indoors and outdoors - thank goodness the energy levels are increasing with the longer days and milder temperatures! Good luck with the lily of the valley.

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  2. Molly27 April 2013 at 20:31

    Toby has the right idea - 44 barrow loads of tree bark, (phew) that will do good. The flowers are lovely. I've got some Lily-of-the valley just poking through - no flowers on it yet though

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    1. Elaine28 April 2013 at 07:55

      Hello Molly, Those little flowers have become so important to me. I kept checking for them and began to despair...then we had a few days of good weather and the magic happened!

      My darling Toby is on the decline, he likes his day bed to be taken wherever we are working. He is content to snooze.

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  3. Scarlet27 April 2013 at 21:14

    I love lily of the valley - it's my favourite flower too. I had it in my wedding bouquet, and my Grandma was called Lily. Watching your woodland wake up must be truly magical.

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    1. Elaine28 April 2013 at 08:11

      Hello Scarlet, Oh how wonderful! Wedding bouquets often look good, but have no perfume. Yours must have been a delight.

      The woodland is a magical place! It provides us with fuel for the stoves, mulch for the gardens, a place for the hens to roam freely and for our grandchildren and their friends to charge around.

      I have to remind myself how useful it is to justify all the hard work we have to put in. Then I look at the flowers, and watch the young ones having fun, and I know it is worth it.

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  4. Ms Sparrow27 April 2013 at 22:33

    What a lot of work that must have been! I hope your lily of the valley does better this year. It's so nice that Toby got to go out in the woods with you. Dogs seem to love those smells so much!

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    1. Elaine28 April 2013 at 08:14

      Hello Ms Sparrow, You are right about old Toby, his nose is still fully functioning, even if the rest of him is crumbling. He loves to amble and sniff.

      The lily of the valley is making slow progress, but at least it is still there! I shall continue to encourage it. The trilliums are not showing at all - they, too, shall be encouraged. One of these years there will be a triumphant posting on them, just for you.

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  5. Cro Magnon28 April 2013 at 05:18

    Lily of the valley is given to friends and family on May 1st over here. In fact it's the only day on which individuals are allowed to sell things on the streets of Paris without having a permit. How kind they are.

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    1. Elaine28 April 2013 at 08:21

      Hello Cro, How lovely, I wonder whether I could get my children to adopt that tradition.

      Toby must wonder at me as I kneel and sniff those little lily of the valley flowers!

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  6. Jan28 April 2013 at 11:37

    You've been busy! We're planning on spending the rest of today in our (much smaller) garden. It's so nice to have a bit of sun! Jx

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  7. Elaine29 April 2013 at 07:56

    Hello Jan, I hope your gardening went well. A bit of sunshine makes the world smile - we do seem to be on a bit of a stop-start spring at the moment. I keep thinking about your beautiful throw - I think you may have inspired me to pick up my crochet hook! x

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  8. Doc29 April 2013 at 17:09

    I love the smell of Lily of the valley, I have them planted in my palm bed next to the garden entry.

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