Mist and Magic.

This morning I woke to a secret garden, one shrouded and ethereal in its cloak of swirling mist. This was no gothic landscape though as even through the dense shifting blanket swathes of blue forget-me-nots and cherry blossom umbels sweeping on laden branches over the pond gave far too cheery a feel to the atmosphere to suggest mystery and chill. Now the mist is lifting and I wonder if I imagined the secret land outside the kitchen window as it returns once more to scenes such as these...



Something shifts at the end of the garden, its sleek black head searching for prey (or more likely a place to sleep).



A panther stalks deep in the grasses beneath the little orchard, the scarlet tulips blowing lazily in the breeze under the twisted branches of an old gnarled apple tree. The blossoms are beginning to break and the panther collapses in a patch of warm sunlight to rest his weary bones - and I am being ironic here as Fatty Arbuckle is far too lazy to ever stalk anything.



All around the fruit trees are wreathing themselves with confetti blossom, the contrast with bright new leaves giving the impression of light even when the skies are dull.



I so love this time of year and all the different blossoms it produces. Our fruiting cherry tree is huge and old. This year it is flowering profusely after a few years where it needed a break it seems.



Just so very, very beautiful and it fills the view from our kitchen window almost making the washing up less of a chore than a pleasure...almost



The ducks - the very naughty ducks, but more of that in a moment - have made a nest of woven beauty and I discovered several large eggs once Biscuit waddled off for a drink. I took them inside and left her three to sit on, but already she is bored and has abandoned them in that way of ducks. Not the best of sitters really and eggs are better hatched with a broody hen if need be.



And why naughty? Well, they were busily ambling through the garden when I looked out just now. Hmmm...



Not for long I might add!



The beds are beginning to fill with peonies and chives, oregano and poppies, muscari and yet more tulips, the myriad colours pleasing me in a way I used to dislike. It's strange how we change our ideas of things isn't it?

.

So much colour



and this one only planted at the end of February.



As a change of scene, the river this morning was just wonderful with boats emerging from the mist on milky water.



Still, quiet, magical.



Little Dennis peeped its turrets out of the shroud further along the river at the mouth to the estuary



and lime greens stood out in the strange light.



Altogether a pretty day.

Bye for now x