Today on this most glorious Spring afternoon, looking out over our enchanting garden, I decided to start my blog, even though my website is not quite ready to go live. I have been working on it non-stop for days, at the expense of getting outside to enjoy the lovely Spring weather, but until it is finished I can think of little else. Fortunately as my desk looks out over our garden, it forms the background to those thoughts. It is, after all, the environment that nurtures me as a painter and underpins all my creativity.
In the end I couldn't resist taking time out to wander round the garden. Roger had been busy mowing the lawn and the combination of the smell of new-mown grass and the outpouring of birdsong was intoxicating. In the last couple of days the crab apple leaves have unfurled and look especially magical with the sunlight streaming through them.
I love the patterns of the eucalyptus shadows on the gleaming grass in contrast with the sparkle of the jewel-like daffodils.
Close up, some of the daffodils are becoming a bit battered, but that of course is the price one pays as other things emerge, and the few tulips now coming out compensate a little.
The combination is perhaps a little unsubtle, but I love the cheerfulness of the yellow, red and green together. The collage below was not done this year, but looking out at the display reminded me of it, though it was created in celebration of a gift of cut flowers that brought great cheer to our home during rather less lovely weather last year.
For now, what a pleasure to be able to sit outside so early in the Spring for a few minutes before returning to my desk.
Our garden is a few miles from the lovely town of Beaminster, almost adjoining Powerstock Common and midway between Powerstock and Toller Porcorum. From our field you can see the flank of Eggardon Hill, and from Eggardon in Winter you can identify where we are by the red stems of the willow trees that we planted as whips over 20 years ago.