Posted in Gardening, Nature, Uncategorized, tagged Gardening, Nature, winter on April 8, 2013 | 16 Comments »
Native ivy (Hedera helix) on a wet ash-tree trunk in March…
The cold weather persists, so I feel there is still time to enjoy the ivy, which stays luxuriant and green throughout the snowiest of winters but is so often forgotten when nature is in full, colourful bloom in the warmer months.
Ivy in December…
There is wild native ivy on the trees in the wooded part of my garden, and several “cultivated” ivies in the tamer part, planted by myself over the years but (more…)
Posted in Gardening, Nature, Uncategorized, tagged Gardening, Nature, Spring, winter on February 3, 2013 | 26 Comments »
Lemon yellow flowers of Mahonia – this is a later flowering variety, while my others flower in early winter…
Suddenly it’s February and the gradual lengthening of the days has become noticeable at last.
Recently we have had rain and hail and sleet and snow and gales. But yesterday for once we had clear blue skies and the temperature felt almost balmy at 6 degrees Celsius. Just for one day it felt like Spring was on its way.
The sunshine makes (more…)
Posted in Birds, Nature, Uncategorized, tagged birds, Nature, weather, winter on January 19, 2013 | 25 Comments »
Song thrush (Turdus philomelos) in the snow…
Snow is a rarity here in Cardiff, as it is a city warmed by trade and industry on the soft south coast of Wales. So when we do get snow, I am soon out in the garden with my camera – even though there is not a lot to see.
The snow fell yesterday, but I saw it in the garden only as (more…)
Posted in Art & Design, Uncategorized, tagged art, design, winter on December 7, 2012 | 12 Comments »
The Wall – concept art for George R R Martin’s The Game of Thrones…
It’s that time of year when the first snows fall in the United Kingdom, especially in the Highlands of Scotland or the high Pennines of northern England. And I listen out for those portentous words, “the snow gates are closed”…
In reality, the news refers to something like (more…)
Posted in Gardening, Uncategorized, tagged flowers, Gardening, winter on February 1, 2012 | 3 Comments »
Choisya ternata in full flower in the garden in January 2012
There is absolutely no doubt about it, my Choisya ternata should not have been in flower throughout January, but its blooming is a fact I can’t ignore.
We have had a very (more…)
Posted in Gardening, Nature, Uncategorized, tagged Carmarthenshire, Gardening, winter on January 27, 2012 | 10 Comments »
Low winter sun over the Cloister Garden at Aberglasney
I always try to visit Aberglasney House & Gardens in Carmarthenshire at least once in winter. This January it was just (more…)
Posted in Birds, Nature, Uncategorized, tagged birds, Nature, wildfowl, wildlife, winter on January 18, 2012 | 13 Comments »
A bust of Sir Peter Scott at the Slimbridge Wildfowl & Wetlands Centre
Over Christmas I thought I would miss my usual trip to the Llanelli Wildfowl & Wetlands Centre because of the miserable weather, but as it turned out we found a break in the weather on New Year’s Day and went instead to the Slimbridge Wildfowl & Wetlands Centre over the Severn Bridge in England.
This is the original (more…)
Posted in Gardening, Uncategorized, Wales, tagged Carmarthenshire, Gardening, Wales, winter on January 11, 2012 | 9 Comments »
The National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2012 - early daffodils...
While Mediterranean flowers were in bloom in the Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in the first week of January, outside there were a few colourful surprises so early in the year.
These included daffodils, which traditionally just about manage to appear in time for St David’s Day, our national day in Wales, on March 1.
As well as these signs of spring, there were also still some of last year’s autumn leaves as well as the more usual winter Hellebores and Daphne. Three seasons in one…
The National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2012 - 'autumn' leaves?
It has, of course, been (more…)
Posted in Gardening, Uncategorized, Wales, tagged Carmarthenshire, flowers, Gardening, winter on January 9, 2012 | 6 Comments »
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in early January 2012 - on a mild day of sunshine and showers...
Oh dear, as time goes by I find I am repeating myself. In early January I usually visit the National Botanic Garden of Wales at Llanarthne in Carmarthenshire – partly because entry is free all month.
And for a second year I am sharing my pictures, first from the Great Glasshouse and later from the outside garden. Here is last January’s glasshouse blog post.
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in early January 2012 - Leucadendron (thanks to South African gardener Diana Studer - Elephant's Eye - for the identification)
Nothing ever stays the same in a garden, and (more…)
Posted in Birds, Nature, Uncategorized, tagged birds, wildfowl, winter on January 1, 2012 | 10 Comments »
Pochard (Aythya ferina)
Between Christmas and New Year we usually visit the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Centre at Llanelli, but this year it has been very dark, wet and miserable.
So I thought I would (more…)
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