31 May 2013

My trip to Denmark.

I feel like I don't know what season we are in ! It will be June in a few days and I'm still wearing winter clothes. I've told you before I love my garden, but when it's cold and raining everyday I would rather be indoors doing something else.
Which means  I've made  very little progress in the garden. Usually by this time of the year all my hanging baskets and balcony troughs have filled out and everywhere is looking colourful, ready for the summer.
I have to tell you I had most of my plants hardening off ready to go in the baskets and we had a severe frost overnight and it nipped the tops of most of the plants, , the weeds are growing like mad, they don't mind the frost.
Although I've been busy planting my baskets ready to hang when we get some warmer weather, I thought I'd wait awhile  until  they are worth showing you. So how would you like to see some of the things I saw on my trip to Denmark at the beginning of May.
If you've ever visited Denmark it would probably be Copenhagen , which is a beautiful city, however my son and his family live in the North of Denmark, so it was a family visit, with some sight seeing.


Here's a taste of some of the things I loved seeing
and a few of my favourite places we went to.







After looking through the window on a rainy day, I could see that the Forsythia needed pruning.
and I know they don't have the time for jobs like this, so I went out with secatures. 



This is what I did with all the pieces I had pruned.

I just pushed the cuttings into the ground. I can't say planted as their ground is so soft. I hope they take.

I have a very good friend, who just shoves bits off plants in the ground and they always grow.
If she reads this she'll know who I'm writing about !

Where I live it's very stony ground, so I'm not always successful.





Bikes can be seen everywhere.
I think even I would ride around on a bike if I lived there as it's so flat.
I loved this pink/white one I saw outside a super market with a wooden box on the front
 for those small things we always forget when we do our weekly shopping.



This one looked so pretty with a large basket decorated with silk flowers.




Bicycles in the nearby city of Aalborg.





 Some of the flowers at the supermarket.
Which I thought were a better selection than I have here in France.








Our son lives near the Fjord/sea and 
we always like to take a walk at the harbour.                       










Half timber modern houses at the harbour.






We spent a lovely weekend at our daughter in laws parents
 summerhouse on the North west coast.




There was a special reason that this piece of architecture was hung here.
 it was to warn you there was a step.
I loved this idea.
 Each time everyone goes for a walk on the beach they collect pebbles with holes in
 so they have been threaded onto a cable.






A sheltered corner.





Our walk on the beach.





I just love the coast, even when it's windy
and as you can see so do my grandchildren.



we walked on to the cliffs and saw lots of birds.


 Some of the Kittiwakes.

They  build their nests on the very narrow ledges of the cliff.





I always love to visit this chateau, as it's so different from the ones I see in France.









These colourful houses are in the northern tip of Denmark



This  circular maze was amazing.
It was designed by a Dane and built from planks of wood.
It was an echo maze, the echo came back 4 minutes after the sound.













A familiar sight over Denmark.


Now we're back to where we started
nearby the local church.





Hope you enjoyed seeing some of Denmark from my visit.

and you'll join me again soon on my next trip .

.Until next time



à bientôt
Barbara Lilian.



21 May 2013

Wisteria in full bloom



I just wanted to show you this beautiful Wisteria I pass on the way to my daughters house. 








I'm so glad hubby told me about it and we dashed to take these photos.
 We've had so much heavy rain this past week, I doubt if there's much blossom left













Enjoy your gardening.



 

à bientôt
Barbara Lilian
 
 





.

01 May 2013

Happy May day.

I almost forgot to wish all my friends
 a Happy May Day.



A pretty posy of  Lily of the valley.


Take a look at my old post

   A posy 'du Muguet.'

for the story of my first experience of receiving a posy of Muguet from my old friend Leonard 



à bientôt
Barbara Lilian