Waxwing

Waxwing
"To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour."

From "Auguries of Innocence"

by William Blake

Saturday 9 March 2024

Recent Reading and Flowers in the Garden

 

Recent Reading

I do enjoy the Mitchell and Markby series.  Sadly, I think there is only one more book to read in this series although I will check out other books by Ann Granger.



The Jackman and Evans books by Joy Ellis have been brilliant. This does seem to sadly be the last in the series for now. I am just hoping the author writes another one!  I do have some of her other books to read such as the Matt Ballard series on the kindle  and of course there are the superb Nikki Galena books and I am hoping she will write more in that series too!




The Lost Bookshop was one of the best books I have read in the last year.  It was totally spell binding and magical. I just could not put in down.  




I went a wander round the garden a few days ago to see what was in flower.

Bergenia - much loved by early emerging bumble bees. Mahonia is in flower  too but I forgot to take a photo!



Periwinkle - it seems to flower all year!




Both the camellias are in flower - we have a white variety and also a red one.









Snowdrops and Primroses are flowering.  I seem to have lost one of my snowdrop plants - I only have two!  Snowdrops never seem to do that well here.



Daffodils and Primulas






Blue Tits have been investigating the nest box and we have a pair of robins nesting in the laurel.


I hope everyone is staying safe and well.


All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).


8 comments:

Rustic Pumpkin said...

Plenty of colour starting to show up now. My pink camellia is out, my red one still in tight bud yet two of my neighbours' camellias are well over. They have been flowering since early December.

Ragged Robin said...

Rustic Pumpkin - Thanks so much. My neighbour's red one usually flowers well before ours but not this year. I would love a pink one:)

Rosie said...

Lovely Spring flowers in your garden. I must check if our Bergenia is in flower, it grows up by the pond. We had loads of Periwinkle in the garden but it seems to have disappeared over the last few years. The Lost Bookshop looks interesting, I'll have a look at the library catalogue and see if I can reserve it. I can't remember if I mentioned that I'd read that the Jackman and Evans books were going to be made into a TV series. Don't know when. I read her books so quickly. I recently read a Mitchell and Markby novel about murders in the churchyard near their home in the old vicarage:)

Ragged Robin said...

Rosie - Thanks so much. We have a couple of Periwinkle plants - but as you say plants can disappear so easily :( I think you would enjoy The Lost Bookshop - I hope you can reserve it. That is interesting re Jackman and Evans and a tv series. Sometimes these workk better than others. I didn't really get on with Shetland or Vera. I think that is the Mitchell and Markby I am currently reading!

The Wessex Reiver said...

As already mentioned The Lost Bookshop does look intriguing. I've just had to have a clear out of physical books, luckily a friend works in a charity bookshop. It's like losing old friends though.

Ragged Robin said...

The Wessex Reiver - Thanks so much. Perhaps you recommended The Lost Bookshop to me as I wasn't sure why I bought it.

You have my sympathies over a clear out of physical books. OH finally let me have an ikea bookcase set up which covers one wall completely floor to ceiling. Once that was full I couldn't buy any more books!!!! So moving all my books from various bookcases scattered all round house! I didn't have enough space so like you had a clear out. Mainly old paperback fiction but some non fiction too. All went to charity shop (they collected them there were that many!) I have so regretted getting rid of some of those books since! You might know I can't stop buying new ones either mainly non fiction or nature writing as fiction I now buy on Kindle so piles are building up everywhere again!!!! I also managed to commandeer a couple of shelves in a unit in another room!!! Where books are concerned I am both a hoarder and compulsive buyer of them!!

I still have all my OU stuff for a science degree I took but thankfully most of that in a big storage box in the garage!

Millymollymandy said...

Your flowers are looking lovely but it is a shame about losing a snowdrop. Talking of which, I planted some snowflake bulbs and the first flower has appeared after 3 years! Most of the mixed daffies I planted at the same time are blind. It's really annoying!

I don't have any primroses (or snowdrops), which I used to have galore in Brittany, but then I have orchids flowering in the lawn here, so I must stop complaining. :-)

Ragged Robin said...

Millymollymandy - Thanks so much. I hate losing plants and I seem to have lost a few over the years especially perennials :( I love those snowflakes - glad flowers finally appeared!
I would love to have orchids here Mandy - such a treat to have in the garden.