Easter Art and Sculpture Festival

This afternoon we visited this festival at the Bristol University Botanical Gardens. I have been to this before but it was interesting to see different exhibits this year. The art work is displayed throughout the gardens and glasshouses. Today I will show a range of the exhibits and save some of the flora for another day. Some pieces I would be envious to own. Others, well let's just say they wouldn't suit our garden!

                                   

I would need to develop a fernery for this one.

                                 

I am always attracted to the stained glass work which happens to be made by an ex colleague of mine who has set up her own business called Lucian Stained Glass.

                                     

I would happily see this on my lawn but what Monty and the cats make of it?

There were a lot of these masks scattered around the garden. Could help with crime prevention perhaps?

                                                                        

A lot of the ironwork was quite appealing. I could find room for these.

    

       

5 in 5 in the Lambing Shed

Now that the 5th of the month is here it is time to join in with Sandie's 5 in 5 where you take as many pictures as you can in 5 minutes and then choose 5. I took a trip up to the lambing shed to see how the girls were getting on. I certainly managed to pick a busy 5 minutes when the sheep were being  fed. The girls were busy feeding and putting down bedding.

The ewes were waiting not so patiently for their rations.

Meanwhile new life is emerging.

In no time mum tends to both of her new off spring.

Further over a mum checks on her slightly older lambs.

And only 5 minutes has passed.

Easter Greetings

                     A very Happy Easter to you all! Have a lovely restful day.

                            

Everyone busy

Most of my day has been spent in the kitchen making preparations for visitors. Afternoon tea is ready for tomorrow even if lunch is not!

This is my first attempt at crystallised flowers...... 

Then for the chocoholics 

Meanwhile the girls have been kept on their toes in the lambing shed.

There has been a steady (or not so steady) flow of deliveries all day. Triplets, twins and singles. These two are a couple of days old and will soon be outside.

More on lambing another day!

Easter Begins

This year I made some Hot Cross Buns several days ago and popped some in the freezer. They were back out and ready for breakfast this morning. I have managed to perfect the pastry cross a bit more since last year.

I was keen to use my new cutters so having already made my Easter Cakes I guessed it was time to make some shortbread.

Only one bunny head fell off in the cooking and no guesses where that one went!

The Kindness of Bloggers

When I started my blog last year which incidentally was on Good Friday (April 18th), so not quite a year ago, I did not anticipate the friendships I would make. My first intention had been to keep in touch with my sister who is living in the States for a few years. I enjoyed reading her daily goings on at Juliet's Washington Postings and hence decided with her encouragement to start my own blog.
It was not long before I gained some blogger friends and I was totally unprepared for their kindness and generosity.
In no time at all I received a gift from Sian at High in the Sky. Some lovely stationary which I am still enjoying using and you can read about here. Then I have received a lovely postcard from Miriam. 

                  

   

I strongly recommend that you take a look at some of her beautiful photography. 

Then today completely out of the blue I received a gift from Ella at the Flowers of Progress in exchange for a bottle of Oil of Cassia I had sent her. 

               

   

Thank you so much for such an appropriate gift. I am looking forward to using them!

Next month I have been given the opportunity to meet up with some fellow bloggers which I am really looking forward to. Thank you to all of you!

Hellebore Pairs

I couldn't resrict myself to a set of two photos for Helena's Pairs this week. I am following on from my blog post yesterday of some of the beautiful flowers in my mum's garden. She has a very impressive show of hellebores so I have decided on a series of pairs.

Left and right borders

Pink and White

Zoom in. Zoom Out.