Saturday 20 April 2019

Spring at Home

Spring has well and truly sprung during the time I was in Yorkshire, and now it is so far advanced that it almost feels like early summer. 
Temperatures jumped up this week from a very cold last weekend (frosty nights and wearing a coat on my way to work) to somewhere around 24 Celsius yesterday, today and for the next few days. It has all been rather sudden, as is often the case in April in my area, and believe it or not - people already complain about it being "too hot" :-D

For my part, I am looking forward to a first trip to the icecream parlour, and I very much enjoy NOT having to wear a coat.

Here are a few pictures from just after my Yorkshire holiday.

April 1st, view from my kitchen window. Notice the buds on the twig.
April 15 - no buds, all blossoms!
The 3rd of April, magnolia tree in my neighbourhood. It was still really cold that day.
A Sunday walk in O.K.'s area, with orchards just coming into bloom on April 6th. A chilly day, but spring can not be stopped.

There is more to come. We've been to the palace grounds last weekend, and yesterday (Good Friday), my sister and I drove to my parents' allotment with our Dad - it was warm enough for wearing shorts for the first time this year, and I went on a walk and took some pictures, too. But these will have to wait for another post.

Happy Easter to all of you!

18 comments:

  1. Happy Easter to you too. It is lovely to see all the trees in bud and the beautiful shrubs and flowers bursting through. We are probably not as warm up here as you, only around 19C, but that is good enough for me!

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    1. Thank you! It was really warm here yesterday; we were having coffees and cake on the balcony for the first time this year, and then walked around in shorts and t-shirts until sunset.

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  2. Your Dad will still do work at his allotment. I am glad! We haven't seen photos from the allotment lately...just saying! We have had hot weather too but tonight, it might be in the 40's! Happy Easter. 🐇

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    1. I'm afraid my Dad won't be able to work the allotment anymore, Kay. He simply hasn't got the strength, and since it is unlikely he will be able to drive again (it is quite a journey by public transport and involves a walk of about an hour uphill), the allotment will probably have to be given up. Sad, but we have to be realistic and focus on what he can do.

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    2. Focus on what he can do, absolutely! Richard is an expert at gardening in pots, I bet your Dad could grow quite a bit in pots! We have had good luck with banana peppers and small salad tomatoes. Richard is a great gardener like your Dad, I bet.😊 Now, if he is not able to do garden in pots, then you can grow things in pots and then share with your dear parents. See, I am determined you all have fresh veggies!

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    3. You are so sweet and funny, Kay! Don't worry - we get plenty of fresh veggies with good markets and even great produce at our local supermarkets here :-)
      My sister has actually already suggested to plant a few tomatoes and herbs on my parents' balcony, which is something my Dad could probably handle quite well. We'll see.

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  3. I still have your trip photos to catch up on!
    And I so look forward to allotment pictures. I wouldn't mind a weekly allotment photo (as Kay writes, "just saying")
    Often our spring days will be like yours - cold to cool to hot in no time!!

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    1. Thank you for taking the time to cath up! As for future allotment pictures, see my reply to Kay... it is impossible for us to keep it going with my sister and I working full time and only one of us with a car.

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  4. It is all beautiful! I thought I had commented. Perhaps I forgot to click on "publish". I am so glad you Dad was able to enjoy his allotment where your family has spent so many happy hours.

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    1. Possibly blogger acting up; Friko said in her comment to my previous post that her comment disappeared, too...
      It was a nice afternoon, and we think my Dad enjoyed it, but it was also rather exhausting for him. Just walking from the car park to the allotment is quite a feat for him now.

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  5. What a beautiful place! What sort of orchards are in the last picture? Apple?

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    1. They could be apple trees, but I am not sure; in O.K.'s area, all sorts of fruit is grown, apples, pears, cherries, damsons, plums... It is also an area of schnaps and liquor making.

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  6. It's a beautiful time of year. You know by now that spring has arrived up here as well, and our trees and daffodils etc are competing to catch up with the views I've already seen on blogs from Germany and England :)

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    1. There have been years when "your" and "our" springs were happening almost at the same time, but this year we seem to be quite a bit ahead; the daffies have largely gone and now lilac is in full swing, sending clouds of scent in the air when one walks past like I did last night on my way home from the train station.

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  7. Happy Easter to you too! It has certainly been chilly in England, (or so I have been told, I was in Spain) and yet strangely the flowers are blooming rather early this year. Perhaps it was that warm spell that set them off, about a month ago, or the last couple of warm days here. Wonderful to see the blossom out and I love the bright green leaves at this time of year too.

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    1. While my sister and I were in Yorkshire, it was not too cold, and sunny most days so that the flowers had plenty of motivation to come out.
      Yes, that wonderful first green! It is not yet as dusty and tired as it can look later in summer after a long dry spell.

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  8. It seems to be am especially good year for blossom and over the Easter weekend it was delightfully warm. Yes, the shorts are back in action!

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    1. I have read somewhere that in England, it was the warmest Easter weekend on record. It certainly was warm here in Germany at 27C on Easter Sunday!

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