signs of spring

At last it feels as though spring is about to spring! 

There are a few brave flowers battling the weather and I actually saw a Peacock butterfly basking in the sun next to the clump of crocus yesterday. It flew off before I could get a photo. 

A quick walk round my garden this morning before the rain started in earnest again showed some glimmers of hope amongst the scenes of devastation. The tulip bulbs are shooting up as are the crocus and daffodils. Also the rose cuttings seem to have survived so far. The kaffir lilies are going over now but the hellebores are just starting. I divided them last year and the babies have survived although they are not as far advanced as their parents. The elephant's ears are in full flower now doing a valiant job diverting attention from the timber yard covering the front lawn. I think it will take the next 10 years to cut all the wood especially if this rain doesn't stop soon, ,electric chain saws and rain do not mix.
In the back garden I have completed the devastation by demolishing the arch which was collapsing under the weight of the clematis. Unfortunately the clematis decided to take the pink jasmine with it so in order to save the clematis  the jasmine had to be sacrificed. I intend to rebuild the archway when the weather permits.
There is a lot of weeding and tidying to do but it is just too wet to do anything yet, it's all very depressing out there at the moment but at least it's not under water like so many houses, gardens and farms are at the moment. My thoughts go out to everyone who has so much more water to worry about at the moment.

This poor collared Dove was sitting on the shed roof watching the sparrows on the feeders trying to work out how to get to the feast.

Strange apparition

Found this in the garden when I went out this morning. It appeared overnight and is made from hair from my horse's mane and mud. I left it alone even though it's in a very exposed position by the front gate. 

Has anyone got any ideas who made it? So far it has been suggested that it could be a wren or a harvest mouse or a dormouse but as you can see from the picture above it is really small and I will be really surprised if I have a dormouse in my garden.

bribery and corruption

I'm using the stump of the Ash tree as a bird table now. Got to bribe the birds to stick around now.

weep for the willow

When they cut my poor Ash tree down they did the Willow in the back garden as well. I have been trying to get them to do something about it for almost as long as they have been trying to do the Ash tree as it was shading half the garden and interfering with the telephone lines. Finally they agreed to do it and it was a good job they did as it was going rotten inside. The children climb in it in the summer when they think I'm not looking, just imagine if it had fallen on them .

 I know it looks a mess now, but hopefully it will shoot out again in the spring and I can plant a clematis to climb up the stump.

The whole character of the back garden has changed now as well. I hope I can get the magic back again.

devastation!

This was my Ash tree last week.

 This is what the council have done to it now. All because my next door neighbours didn't like it. No matter that it was perfectly healthy when Ash die back disease is sweeping the country. No matter that it was home to a whole host of native wildlife. No matter that the sparrows found shelter in the ivy growing up it at a time when we are supposed to be helping protect them.

 I tried to put a preservation order on it but the only response I got was that they wouldn't go against another government department.
Now my garden has a big gaping emptiness in the corner and a lot of homeless birds. My house is depressing as the light is harsh and unfiltered whereas before it played through the leaves and made moving shadows on the walls. It is also un protected from the weather and feels vulnerable.
I will no longer be able to sit in bed on a Sunday morning with my cup of tea watching the birds flit amongst the branches. Instead the sun will shine straight into my eyes and dazzle me.
But it's alright. .....my neighbours are happy!

Has anyone got any ideas how I can put the magic back in the garden? ?At the moment I am feeling rather dispirited.