Marginally better

Definitely looking a bit tidier now...

... than it did a couple of days ago.

I wonder how long it will last this time!

 

Stand off!

Half way down my garden, tucked behind the small pond, where the ground begins to slope, is a broken fence panel. It's one of the ways the foxes come in.

This furball knows better than to come through while I am watching!

Carefully selected corners

This is the time of year when my garden is at its best; when the bulbs and blossom are out, but the weeds have not yet grown to swamping level. Once the weeds do take hold, it is a constant battle for me to keep up with pulling/digging/burning them out.

This is part of the wild area (which fills quite a large proportion of the lower half of the garden). The cow parsley is coming up nicely. I love to see it when the white flowers are swaying in the breeze.

The flowering currant bushes are all at different stages. This one is in full bloom. I love the deep pink.

The spirea brightens up this shady corner beautifully. Two summers ago, I dug over this 'bed', covered it in weed matting and planted the spirea, a euonymus and a small hebe. I finished it off with a layer of bark chippings. I was pleased, both with the effect and with the reduction in the area requiring weeding. Overnight, the foxes came to play. Oh well. At least they didn't dig up the actual bushes.

I might try again this summer and weigh the whole lot down with some big chunks of rock!

My severely lopped hawthorn tree is leafing nicely. It will be much stronger for losing all of its dead branches. Eventually, old age will win the day, but for now it has a new lease of life.

And in the very bottom corner, under the shadow of both the sycamore and the leylandii hedge, this kerria seems to thrive.

Ullswater

This is Ullswater on a slightly more sunny day than last time I visited.

Skiddaw

To the best of my knowledge, the first time I ever visited the Lake District was when I was about 11 years old. Up until that time, most of our summer holidays had been in my mum's friend's caravan which was by the sea in Norfolk. Norfolk is flat!

As I recall, I was going on a school residential in the Lakes, from Monday to Friday, but my family went up there a couple of days early because my parents were taking the opportunity for a holiday while I was away and had hired a little Volkswagon Dormobile.

We camped in a caravan park in Keswick and I remember quite clearly, standing beside this dormobile and being totally intimidated by the size of the mountains. I felt extremely small and a little afraid. Isn't it funny how some memories stick?

As an adult, every time I have visited Keswick, I have looked up at the fells and wondered how they could have instilled such fear, but maybe it is not such a bad thing. These may not be in the same league as the Alps or the Rockies or the Himalayas, but get lost up here in the fog or the dark and these fells can still kill. They should always be treated with respect.

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The dominant mountain around Keswick is Skiddaw. Standing at 3,054' (931m), Skiddaw is ranked number four in height in England. The fell is pretty much conical and comprised of slate. It boasts a series of peaks along its top of which High Man is the actual summit.

Because of its shape, it is considered one of the best fells for a beginner walker wanting to attempt a mountain. Ironically, it's one of the fells which I haven't climbed. I gather that, on a clear day, the view from the summit is impressive; sometimes even stretching as far as the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland (120 miles away).

Passageway

I rather liked this narrow passageway leading away from Keswick market place and opening up to the distant fell view.

Gardens

Day 3: Gardens

I'm sure most Universities have gardens. These are dual purpose because they are a peaceful place to find a bit of personal space or to chill with friends, but also provide a working classroom for FE students training in horticulture or garden design.

I'll leave you to enjoy a few photos.