Not a morning cloud as we only have steel blue skies this morning and sun, which I find rather boring. I like my day to start with a bit of a show in the sky. I took this photo yesterday afternoon which I found quite an original design. Yesterday the weather report was telling of rain on Thursday and in some higher placed regions there might even be a little snow. I think they call that April weather.
Today is April fools day but I decided not to play any tricks on Mr. Swiss. I somehow think he would not appreciate it. He already dropped a box of sweetners on the floor this morning: those little round tablets you use in the coffee and tea instead of sugar which make a mess when they get wet because they begin to dissolve. By the time I arrived in the kitchen he has already cleared them away and is now again hugging the bed.
Things are growing at an increased pace in my garden. I have never had such a successful clump of chives before. The gardener planted them last Autumn and they were producing stalks until January when they decided to have a winter sleep. In February they were returning and I must say I have never had such a productive chive plant. I usually cut a small bunch with the scissors and snip them into my salad sauce, or use them for a garnish, also by just snipping at the stalks with the scissors. I planted parsley next to them and my gardener said it is surprising because usually the two plants do not get on well together. They now seem to be battling it out together. The chives are in the winning team, but the parsley not far behind. I seem to have a magic garden.
Grill time is also now approaching and our neighbour seems to have a new grill and wa trying it out yesterday. I do not think she was actually grilling anything, just making a trial run to see how it burns, and it was burning. First of all we had clouds of smoke and then flames. In the meanwhile the neighbour in the next garden also put his grill outside: one of the king sized types. This all happened yesterday, but the grills are still standing in the gardens and are now probably here to stay for the summer. It is supposed to be a man thing, but yesterday I only saw the females doing the work. Me? no thanks. We once had a small grill but too much messing around and stress and Mr. Swiss did not really consider it as a man thing. I grill my meat in the frying pan or oven, it tastes just as good and the surroundings do not have a smoke screen.
Whilst the Spring weather is continuing I noticed that the cathedral steps in town are again becoming a popular place for sitting and observing. It is a sure sign of good weather.
I spent yesterday afternoon on the porch with my computer. I actually intended to bake on of our Swiss apple tarts, but forgot the idea. It was so pleasant outside and peaceful. I even wore my shorts. I stopped wearing socks a couple of weeks ago and now am gradually getting into the summer wardrobe, although currently you see a mixture of clothing on the streets. Some are not sure and still have a nice warm jacket and others go the whole hog. I am on my way to the whole hog and debating whether to now wear my three quarter length trousers when I go for a wheelie.
My poinsettia indoors is still bearing up with its red leaves which is quite astonishing. I bought the plant at the beginning of December and is now producing new green leaves. I hope to keep it throughout the summer and perhaps I even manage to encourage the red leaves again for next Christmas.
I should now really move on. I finished my breakfast, am drinking the remainder of my tea and should get busy doing a few bits and pieces. I will be on my way this afternoon in the store to stock up on food, the plan has already been made.
A new week and things to do, although we golden oldies have nothing really important except for a doctor’s visit perhaps. I have to take Mr. Swiss to the dentist some time this week.
Have a good week, may it be successful and enjoy. I leave you with a flowering bush I noticed on my way along the river bank. No idea what it is, perhaps a hawthorn, but it was teeming with small bees buzzing around the flowers.
Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss 
It is always fun to go on your morning walks. I hope Tony knows the flowers in the last photo because they are very pretty.
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I hope so as well. It may be a little early for the hawthorn
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It looks like a hawthorn to me, but it if it is too early, it might be a flowering pear. The bloom is too similar to distinguish from this picture. If the trunk is handsomely rough and furrowed, it is likely a hawthorn. If it more symmetrical with a more uniform pattern of ‘checkering’ on the bark, it is more likely a flowering pear. Hawthorn tends to produce a more irregular and angular canopy, while pear tend to bey more symmetrical and rounded. As foliage develops, pear will have simple rounded leaves; while hawthorn has those distinctly lobed leaves.
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That grill looks very old. My parents had the same back in about 1976. There was a tortoise who came out of the orchards and parked right under it. If the grill was moved, the tortoise would move with it. After going through the lawn and eating the dandelions, it parked under the grill at the end of the day.
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Must have been waiting for some food remainders
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There was never anything under there. We thought that it thought it found one of its own. I mean, the grill sort of looked like a tortoise on very long legs.
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Love the Poinsettia – it’s done really well indoors! I like the cloud too – quite unusual shot. 🙂
It looks more like an Ornamental Pear to me – the flower petals have a ‘lined’ look while most hawthorne are more of a plain ‘cup’ looking petal. They are identical to pics i posted last November of my neighbours O.P. 🙂
Why does your neighbours grill have snail eyes?? 🙂
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The poinsettia is doing well. I have a hawthorne next to my garden and that is not flowering yet, so this one is probably something else. I have no idea about the grill. but I think the snail eyes are attached to something in her garden, just a trick of the camera.
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Ahhhh… thank you!
I bought a tiny, shrunken looking poinsettia seedling from a Supermarket post-christmas sale (around New Year!) for 50 cents, unsure it would last more than a day or two. I kept it watered (this was over our hottest part of the year but the plant had 3 or 4 red bracts on it) and it seemed to be recovering so i put it in a bigger pot. It’s now over a foot tall and is covered in healthy green leaves – I’m hoping they’ll start to turn red now our cooler months are coming (It’s still in the high 20’s C currently).
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You need to write a book about how to keep your garden alive. I can’t seem to keep anything alive, well except my kids but that’s another story. I love that you have so many herbs and beautiful plants flourishing around you. You are the definition of a green thumb!
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Thanks, but with help from my gardener.
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I just checked my pictures and I don’t think it a Flowering pear. It looks more like my picture of a Golden current except the color. There are other currents that white flowers and they would be blooming at this time of the year.
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Inhaftiert a look at my plantsnap app and itbseems to be a blackthorn
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I am not familiar with that plant.
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Hi Pat, check this out. I once kept my poinsettia four years, blooming each autumn, but it does take a bit of care;
https://www.bhg.com/gardening/houseplants/care/how-do-i-care-for-poinsettias/
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Thanks. Sounds like a full time job, but I might just try it out. Summer is no problem, but winter.
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I discovered today that not only do we have real, live crocuses, but we have big shoots coming up which I suspect are going to be daylilies. It’s not spring, but there IS hope!
Whatever that tree is, it is lovely. Looks like a fruit or nut tree of some kind.
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My crocus are now finishing, but the daffodils have taken over, with the tulips slowly arriving. My peonies are also making themselves noticeable
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