Schneeglöckchen and saffron

No snow, but snowdrops and lots of rain here in Yorkshire. Yesterday was sunny for a change and all the crocuses in our garden opened up. I love these first harbingers of spring.

Did you know that the spice saffron is dried stigmas of crocus sativus, which is also grown in England.
My crocuses are a different variety, but I am tempted to experiment using them for dyeing textiles.

Still snowing

Yorkshire, you have been particularily beautiful today, with that fine coat of snow, covering your hills, crowned with colourful skies.

Castle Hill and Yorkshire skies.

♪♫ Du du du, looking out my back door window. ♫

Possibilities and facts

The possible flowers have turned into real flowers,
the possible garden has turned into our garden
and the old printworks, well, John signed the contract last week and we will turn the old printworks into our living and working space.



Taking the sign down.

Possible flowers

Possible flowers for the possible garden.

The vegetable high bed

We were building a raised bed for vegetables at the possible garden yesterday.

We built the wooden frame on Thursday evening and went back yesterday to fix some polythene to the inside. Then we started filling in twigs and sticks for the first layer.
Next layer will be cut grass/turf and then maybe some horse manure.
Then straw or hay and then a thick layer of leaves,
then compost and finally topsoil.

The frame is 240 cm long and 160 cm wide, which is a bit wider then recommended but I will still be able to reach across.

Can't wait to plant my seedlings outside! Meanwhile they sit here at the studio at the window cill.

The Mysterious Tree and Buttercup Meadows

There is a huge tree in the Possible Garden and for weeks we did not know what it was. Now, finally, the leaves came out and we were able to identify it.



Apperantly it is a Robinia pseudoacacia also known as Locust Tree.

The German name is Silberregen, literary translated silver rain. In a few weeks time it shall be in blossom and we shall see why.

At the moment it's got very bright green young leaves that looked amazing against the clear blue Yorkshire skyes yesterday, so John took this picture.

It's been sunny and hot and we've done a short trip to the garden, only to find that we do not have to water the plants as the snails have already eaten most of them.



On the way back to the studio we passed meadows that were blazing yellow.



Buttercup meadows in West Yorkshire.

Places with a past

I like places with a past. I like to be inspired by what was there and then find what might be.



The entry to the former metioned "possible garden" is not a beauty [yet]. But when you are there, you see all the potential and all the possibilities and then, somehow, you can almost see and feel that something special has been there before. A truly loved garden.



This photograph of the very same spot was taken in the fifties or sixties. Imagine what this may look like in colour!

Brambles

Been in amongst the brambles again today. Finally bashed and hacked my way through to the bottom end.
Tonight I'll be working in the studio. There is an Art Market coming up soon!
Oh, and I have to upload some new stuff to my Etsy shop. Today I have been showing off my top items at the Etsy Showcase "Gift Guides".

Don't forget: It's Mothers's Day soon!! [not here in England though]

Possible Garden

Underneath these brambles lies a garden. Maybe.



A few hours later. The most wonderful surprise: There are little dry stone walls!!
When I saw the place we could maybe, possibly, turn into a garden, I said I would love to have dry sone walls on the side, to seperate the garden bit from the grassy bit. At that time you could see nothing but brambles, and I did not know that they were already there. So happy.