Just Looking

 It's not very often we take this route, but how happy I am we did. 

Joy for my eyes , look what I found .

It's only a 25 min. drive south from where we live
but it's amazing how much warmer it is.
The temperature is always a few degrees higher.
which means the blossom is more advanced than where I live.
.

Then we took a detour to our daughters house and I was even happier
as we found a garden center which had opened last year
I spent most of my time inside .
I was in awe of the beautiful Camellias.

I hope you like Camellias, as there were so many I couldn't stop clicking.

and before I realised that the battery was running low

 on my camera, I had spent all my time photographing them. 

Outside were rows of shrubs,
Each row had a sign showing the type of shrub and where to plant them.

Easy to grow.

Climbing plants suitable for walls and arbours

I was very tempted to buy a Clematis, but as I hadn't done any research
on them, to know which one to choose, I resisted temptation
for the next visit, which I know will be soon.

So a few more different Camellias to show you.
I hadn't realised there were so many varieties.

My only disappointment with these flowers
is they don't last very long.
If they get caught by early morning frost they turn brown
and they don't like wind and rain.
Which seems to have been our type of Spring weather

I have one in my garden which is struggling,

apparently due to all the things they don't like.

Now after the expert advice I was given by the owner

 of the garden center, I need to move it, after it's finished flowering.

It was planted last year, when my heart was not into gardening.

I thought I'd chosen a good position for it, but apparently not.

Also we do have very acid soil, due to the hundreds of pine trees

that were growing here when we bought the property.

So I need to correct that, when I find a suitable place to replant it.

But not just yet, it will have to wait, as I have climbing roses 

waiting patiently to be planted and grow up the new arbour.

If it's stopped raining tomorrow, I'll take a photo to show you.

It will be like  ''before and after.''

 What ever you are doing in your garden

Enjoy your planting.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

It hasn't stopped raining, but I did what I said I'd do.
I took this photo, to let you see my pitiful Camellia. 
As I say I'm not a gardener and we all make mistakes.
It wasn't a plant I bought myself, as  I know all the difficulties
of growing a good plant  (it was a prize ) from our Floral competition.
Yes you did read that correctly  a prize. But I do grow lovely
hanging baskets.
.

The flowers were battered even more during the night

This is my Camellia looking very sad, waiting to be moved.

Nearly there

 It's Spring I'm talking about.

If the only way I can see blossom is by forcing it,

why not, give it a try.

Last week I cut some branches of Forsythia

put them in a tall vase and placed them on the window ledge

to force the flowers to bloom.

It certainly wasn't the sun that did it,

as we didn't see much of the sun this past week.

It must have been the warmth in the house.

I love the way the flowers appear before the leaves.

Something new to me, quick painting wet on wet

with a textured finish to the back ground using cling film.
I like it. I'll certainly do some more of this.

I used Winsor & Newton  12x9 in.

Cotman 300 gsm/140 lbs Cold pressed/Not

and W & N watercolour paint.

Still on the board, not quite finished.

Then I colour washed it.

I have Photoshop, but can't for the life of me master it.
Does anyone have step by step instructions ?
something like the books you can buy for 'Dummies'

Then I did this using Picasa.

Would you like this painting for a card ?

Time to reflect on where I'm going with my painting.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian