Botanics, the floral side

 

C likes the traditional bright yellow eschscholzia. I quite liked these pale yellow ones, and it was odd that only a handful were dotted so copiously with small flies.

We were lucky to be at the right time to see the handkerchief tree in full bloom.

This was a tall palm-like "tree" in the temeperate zone glass house, with leaves something like banana tree and a bloom amazing like Bird of Paradise, only much larger and less colourful. 

Farmleigh - photo heavy

 After a dearth of photos all year, I finally have some. We were awake fairly early on Saturday, and while the weather wasn't as beautiful as Friday, it was still quite sunny and we decided to head to Farmleigh. The biggest treat was seeing some little grebes - we couldn't work out if there were two or three because they swim underwater for such distances. Hard to get a good photo because of their smallness and speed, but I did manage a couple. There were plenty of tufted ducks and coots, a couple of moorhens and of course mallards. The photo of the mallard was a fun one, because the water was so still and clear that we could see his feet paddling away as he moved along.

Apart from that, the photos are Spring flowers, a ladybird C spotted on a dead leaf on an echium, and my new jumper, hot off the needles. I used a voucher from my brother to buy a new book of Aran patterns, and a gift cert from work to (mostly) buy the wool, which is merino with 5% silk and 5% cashmere, and has a lovely feel. It's not actually Aran (worsted/sport) weight, it's double knitting so it's not as heavy and I'll probably get more use out of it. 

Cowslip

The early thrush catching the worms - and maybe a caterpillar

Botanic Outpost

 We took a trip today to Kilmacurragh gardens, which is described as an 18th century country estate, part of which officially became part of the Botanic Gardens in 1996. I think all my visits there pre-date that, though I've only ever known the house as a ruin. One of my first outings with a proper "grown-up" camera (an old range-finder, nothing even as fancy as an SLR) was there, so it holds fond memories memory. I still have most of the photos from that visit. 

We had missed what they describe as a carpet of crocuses and other wildflowers in the meadow in front of the house, but were at a good time to enjoy the rhododendrons. 

The "Broad Walk" is described as being wide enough for two Victorian ladies to walk side by side in their hoops and crinolines, and alternates yew trees and rhododendrons - all now massive. I imagine they looked much more orderly 200 years ago.

I had thought this looked very like laburnum, but being now under the auspices of the Botanic Gardens many things are well lablled, and it is in fact a Sophora cassioides.

This old trunk was always a favourite of ours, reminding us of Lucy M. Boston's Green Knowe books.

Someone told us they had seen a woodpecker. Sadly, we didn't see it, but we did see a red kite soaring overhead. 

These and a few more photos (25 in total) are in an album HERE. It also includes a short video snip of a little mallard chick. Last Sunday, or maybe it was Monday, we went for a walk along the canal looking for ducklings. All we found was one single solitary duckling with its mother, which was a little sad really, I'm sure it means the rest of the brood were predated as I've never seen only one before. 

A Miscellany

 I think I might have mentioned last year that a new sculpture was erected near the entrance to the park. I have been meaning ever since to take a photo of it - but in the morning I'm just focussed on getting to work, and on the way home I'm on the wrong side of the road. And when I go for a leisure cycle in the park, I go a different route. But I finally made the effort to stop the other morning, while the daffodils were still in bloom. It was a grey overcast morning - the previous week would have been more spectacular with dense fog and the sun breaking through.

Today was an intermittent bright and showery day. When we were sitting down after dinner and C was wondering if he'd get a break in the weather for a walk, we saw a beautiful rainbow. It got brighter and brighter - sadly was already dimming by the time I got to the front door with my camera. It's hard to get a good photo because of houses all around, so I settled for zooming in.

Since I have been proofing my boules in a glass bowl lined with a floured cloth ever since Christmas, I finally splashed out on a couple of banneton proofing baskets. I didn't attempt yet to make my bread directly in it, but used the lining cloth. Better than chocolate, C said. I also attempted some ciabatta for the first time, which turned out pretty well.

And I'll finish off with three photos from Farmleigh. Sunday was a sunny day if still on the cold side, and I persuaded C onto his bicycle and out to Farmleigh while the bread was rising. 

I forgot to change my header the other day ; that has been updated so we now have a photo of magnolias in Farmleigh from last April.

And now it's time to see if File History is working in Windows 11, so far I have had three failed backups and I don't like being without one. I might have to resort to third-party software.