1st Splash of Colour

I know Spring has well and truly arrived

when the garden is popping with yellows and purple.

The back of our house has sun all day and is sheltered 

from the severe frost we've had this winter.

Even when it's cold if the sun is shining this is where we sit.

Making plans for what we need to do in the garden.

The garden was neglected last year due to my back problems and 

now Mr France has recently had surgery on one of his knees

we make sure we both stop for a rest.

Mr France and I have been busy in the garden today.

We knew that the arbour needed a repair job. However when 

we cut back the old Honeysuckle, we found it was past repair. 

So it's gone and will be replaced with a new one.

I'll show you later when the new one is in and we have been to 

our local ' pépiniériste '  and chosen some new climbers. 

I've managed to save a few long strands of Honeysuckle. I'm hoping 

they will throw out some new shoots & will mix in with the new climbers.

Not sure yet what to replace the old ones with.

I think I'll take a look at my rose book.

Any ideas Shane you are a rose expert, if you don't know Shane 

take a look a her lovely blog, her Roses are beautiful.

I've tidied up my potting bench.

and added a few more hanging baskets planted with miniature daffodils.

I have three hanging baskets full of dwarf daffodils.

All of these bulbs had been stored in a box in the shed 

 for two years and forgotten about. 

I planted them in this basket to see if they would flower

and they are as good as the new ones.

I cut a few flowers and brought some inside.

No fancy arrangement just popped them in a small glass tumbler

and placed them on the dining table,

I know they won't last long, but they look pretty.

These other Daffodils have been in the grass for a long time.

I notice over the past few years, there are fewer blooms.

We have an abundance of voles so I think they must be eating the bulbs.

After a beautiful weekend of warm sun,

this is the first pale yellow one to come out in bloom this afternoon. 

I don't know variety, but the trumpet has a frilly look about it.

 These are new bulbs planted in Autumn under an old apple tree

 by Mr France , he planted the whole bag in a small area.

  so they will look much nicer in a few more days, when they are all in bloom.

In Autumn I planted a few  Crocus bulbs in a basket,take a look here

Now I can move it around to give a splash of colour where I want it.

By mid morning the flowers have opened 

and

 the Bumble Bees have already been visiting. 

Another Bumble Bee  collecting pollen.

My grandson took this photo on his phone yesterday.

and sent it to me last night.

I hope you enjoyed your time in my garden.

This is where I'll be spending my time.

Come back again soon

there will be lots more to see .

Thank you for visiting 

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

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

Painted Pansies & Primulas.

At this time of the year Primulas and Pansies can be seen in all
the garden centers. Their colourful heads shouting out
 to be bought and planted to give some instant colour
Whether you choose vibrant colours.
 


or these pastel pinks.

When I first learnt how to paint in watercolour in 2008
I was terrified learning the technique of wet on wet, especially for flowers.
I learnt how to let the paint run along the paper I had just wet,
not realizing that the paint would only run where the paper was wet.
After a few mishaps, I loved what I was able to do, knowing I was in control.

 I continued my painting at home using books I'd bought and one
I borrowed from a friend written by a French artist Maryse de May.

One of her pansy paintings from her book.

She paints in a style I particularly like and fortunately in her book there are lots
of diagrams so I am able to follow the technique and adapt it to my style.

I have seen some of her paintings at an Aquarelle Exhibition which is
 held every year in a small town not far from where I live.
St Yriex Aquarelle Exhibition.
 Exhibitors  come from all over the world.
I have the date set in my agenda, as the previous two years
I arrived on the last day about half an hour before it closed

I used the Maryse de May  'L’aventure avec les fleurs ' book as reference
 and practiced a lot that winter.



I remember only too well, as we had a long cold winter
 so that was when I mastered the way of painting wet on wet.

 At that time, I gave everything I painted to family.Then when I got a bit
 more confident a gave them to friends.This weekend while visiting my daughter
 I asked if she still had the painting of the pansies I had given her.
Well here it is for you to see. (I didn't remember it being this good)
I feel quite proud of myself.



Which has given me the push I needed to get back into painting
instead of just dabbling .

So now my paints and favourite paper are out

 ready and waiting for ME.

I think these Primulas would make make nice painted cards.

These  are still in their plastic pots
but look a lot nicer in these decorative metal holders on a tray
which I've put on the wide window ledge, waiting
 to be planted in the garden when the ground warms up.

I have promised myself and Mr France I will do more painting.

 I'll be showing more frequently 

So if you like to see my sketches / paintings please come back soon.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

Guess what I'm Waiting for ....?









 

 

Yes  Spring.

A few days more of sunshine and we should have some more signs of Spring.

 





 

I love the formation of the petals on pansies.

When I first started  watercolour painting I enjoyed learning the technic



of  wet on wet watercolour painting and painted several pictures of pansies.

I gave each one as gifts to friends and family. At that time I didn't take photos of my paintings.

 



 

A few little spring flowers in an eggcup.

 

 

After last weeks cold frosty mornings it was a pleasure

to walk around  the garden today in the sunshine

it thrilled me to see lots of new growth,

This vintage egg basket is full of cones with Sedum growing through them.
 

 

Bright red shoots on the Photinia ( Red Robin )

 

 

and the catkins or what we call lambs tails on the Hazel trees.

 





  .

The birds are flitting about singing their courting songs.

Then I found a discarded blackbirds nest from last year.

 



 

 These Sempervivums always survive the cold frosts.
Some will die off but I always manage to keep enough to

 replant them in small terracotta pots. Then I can move them around

to fill in an empty space while waiting for plants to resurface after the winter.

 

 

 

I see lots of my followers are still having snow storms.
How are you feeling ?
You must be more impatient waiting for Spring.
 

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

 

 

The Winner of my Give away gift is........

What a time to have Gremlins in my Laptop !!!!

That's why I'm late announcing the winner of my gift.

Everyone who left a comment on my

post

Grow Your Blog 2015

were all numbered  1 to 53

put into a hat

and Mr France

who is hobbling at the moment due to surgery on his knee 

kindly offered to pull out the winner.  I couldn't be sending this to a nicer friend.

I am so happy

We met way back in my early days of blogging.

I love reading her posts.

We have such a lot in common.

She loves the wild life and shows photographs of some of her wildlife visitors.

She also does the most wonderful watercolour paintings of them.

Has anyone guessed yet who she is?

Well it's Debbie Nolan

of 

View from Harmony Hills.

If you are new to blogging please pop over to visit her.

You won't be disappointed.

So congratulations Debbie

 please send me your address

and 

 I will get my gift posted off to you 

' tout de suite '

I would like to thank all of you who took the time

to leave a comment on my blog.

I hope you will continue to read and enjoy my posts.

 I'll leave you all with a sincere thank you.

and look forward to your next visit.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian