Hurrah for the sunshine

A very welcome sight

Ice plants mid pruning

A job well done, and a foot

Daisies

 The last day of February and a strange and wonderful sight is spotted. Hurrah for sunshine, and as I am off work today I decided to spend some time tidying up the garden, with a bit of light pruning and weeding. I tend to leave a lot of my pruning till spring as I think the old, (dead) growth gives the garden height and interest in winter as well as protecting the root stock.

The garden suddenly looks so much better once tidied ready for spring.

Rather surprisingly, considering my recent moaning about the cold snap we have had, some of the plants do not seem to have been aware that winter has not yet finished. Daisies and the scabious blue plants should really be dormant at the time, but both are flowering.

Scabious Blue

Also sometimes winter just does something frankly rather beautiful. I just love the way the petals on the hydrangea plant has rotted back, leaving the xylem veins still in tact. They look almost magical and the light dappling through onto the soil below is amazing, (though impossible to photograph).

Hydranger leaf detail

Iris

Iris detail

 I think the reason February is the shortest month, is because as the last month of winter it is annoyingly cold, so we just want to see the back of it by about now. It has been so foggy and bitterly cold the last few days that going out and taking pictures is not only chilling but the resulting pictures dull and rather flat.

Signs that better things are to come though are evident. These miniature iris from my garden are so vibrant and their petal detail so intricate and beautiful that they promise warmer days to come.

I spent a pleasant five minutes today stuck behind a tractor that was cutting the hedges. Not only was it fascinating to watch but having realised the tiny hamlet I was passing through was called Bearswood I have decided it is the perfect place to come back to and explore with a picnic in the summer, though of course, "if you go down to the wood today- you would need not only a disguise but thermals.

Hedge cutting vehicle

Suckley bridle path walk

View of the hills above Suckley

A stream along the route

Mistletoe balls in distant trees

Yesterday I went walking along a bridle path in Suckley. Suckley is a small village, and quite flat so easy to walk in. Hills above it meant that it wasn't quite so windy and cold there. The weather has been very cold recently. There are a number of different public paths, and the bridle path in particular is nice and clear, and an excellent surface with pleasing views.

Path over bridge along route

Suckley village church

Cold weather, but still beautiful

Worcestershire Beacon

View of Sugar Loaf Hill in distance

Frozen stream near St Ann's Well

Path below Saint Ann's Well

The first blossom I have seen. If you know what type it is please tell me.

The weather has changed, and the last few days we have had to endure a cold snap. I spent a few days curled up in front of the fire with a good book. but today- even though the temperature is still so low, braved the hills. The following pictures were all taken around the Saint Ann's Well area, and Worcester Beacon.

Sunset

 Today is quite chilly, so I thought I would share some pictures I took on Tuesday. In the summer and autumn here we have the most spectacular sunsets. Winter and spring though the sky is usually quite unremarkable. Tuesday evening we had the first decent sunsets of the year. There is just twenty minutes between the two pictures. The last shot is one I took during the day during the walk at British Camp. The blue of the water is so vivid it almost looks unreal,

Reservoir as viewed from British Camp

Ledbury, Herefordshire

One of the narrow Tudor side streets

17th Century Market House

 Ledbury is a delightful market town, on the Herefordshire side of the Hereford/Worcester border. Much of it's architecture is Tudor, There is a museum on Butchers lane, and there is a 26th Century Painted Room in Church Lane and a 27th Century Market House on the High Street. These are open to the public, (free of charge) weekdays 11-4 during the summer months, and 2-5 on Sundays and Bank Holidays during the summer.

Ledbury library and clock tower

The Tinsmiths shop

Shanti-shanti and Hus and Hem

Hus and Hem

The area's architecture hasn't stood still, as the Tinsmiths shop in particular demonstrates. A fascinating building looking rather like a metal clad recumbent Stegasaurus.

My two favourite stores however are right next to one another. Shanti-shanti sells an eclectic mix Moroccan lights/ incense/ jewellery and a hundred things you never knew you needed. Hus and Hem in contrast sells Scandinavian textiles/ candles/ home ware and fancy goods. 

After spending rather more than I meant to on absolutely vital things I never realised I needed I went to Ice Bytes, the Internet cafe for coffee/ ice cream and cake.

Today was a rather dull looking day but I think I made the mo of it.

British Camp, Malvern Hills

My friend and I

Looking north west along the hill ridge

Today I went for a walk along the lower path on the west side of British Camp hill. We were playing with the panoramic feature on my phone. The west path follows a very gentle gradient towards the top of the hill. We then went down the steeper eastern side of the hill. Today was the first really warm day, and windless too. The walk could not have been more idyllic.

Looking West towards Colwall

Looking east towards the reservoir

Colwall visible in distance

Looking west up hill

Malvern Hills Outdoor Center and Fields

Outdoor Center

West Malvern Allotments

 Today I walked down the road past West Malvern Allotments and the Malvern Hills out door center. Thje road is designated a public footpath and bridalway.

One of the climbing courses

Main pathway

View across fields

Sugar loaf hill and West Malvern viewed from path

 Once past the outdoor center you have a choice of taking Sabrina Way walk,which is to your right, or heading left across the fields towards Croft Bank Farm. I headed left towards the farm. This pathway is quite muddy at the moment but the spring sunshine was delightfully warm. Everything is so very green at the moment. It is an almost florescent green, as then buds ripen and ready to bloom.

After all the snow and cold weather it was heavenly.

Tree detail

Maghull and Melling

Entrance to Balls Wood

Path through wood

 Spent the weekend mostly in Maghull and Melling, near Liverpool. Walked through Ball's Wood, to which many trees and landscaping have been added. A football pitch and childrens play area surrounded by picturesque woodland.

View from top of hill

Weavers Lane, Melling/ Maghull border

Weavers Lane

 From there I crossed on to Weavers Lane, which run's along the border between Maghull and Melling. In the distance in the first Weavers Lane picture a square roofed building is just visable. This is Melling church, which can be seen in the last picture.




The area also benefits from walks along the tow path alongside the Leeds to Liverpool canal.

One of my favourite things about this country is that you are never really all that far from somewhere beautiful. Liverpool itself is a great city, and it is surrounded by some very picturesque places,

Leeds/Liverpool Canal

Melling Church