It has been a week of battling to breath and looking out through windows for most of the time......But the view is good.

 From the main bathroom after some severe pruning has taken place and it is lovely to have light flood in during winter.  I may be far more inclined to have blinds down against the afternoon sun come summer time.

And a little along to the left on that narrow side of the house Magnolia Soulangeana can be viewed if you look out the window of this room.
That is if you can see past the piles of "stuff" on the window sill.

My end aim is to replace the back door with one that has clear glass panels and a blind so that this and the climbing rose 'Ophelia' can be viewed from inside.  The current frosted glass is worse than useless.

Last year I pruned the centre stems out and had them inside for some weeks.  It has encouraged the tree to spread out more rather than just dive for the skies.  Since it is on the Western edge of the house it probably reaches for the morning sun over the house.

 

 This is my current kitchen window view, or part thereof and I am enjoying watching the daffodils bloom.  The violas were good value for color as are the primulas.

 To the right the Prunus is bursting forth into blossom and has beneffited from a severe pruning to clear out a cluttered centre and a lot of overhang from a nearby tree.
And looking further to the right and further back in the garden is the stand of Japonica which has been glorious and the very severe pruning of the Salvia which had a lot of dead wood has allowed it to be seen more clearly

 Then at the side of the house where there is a sliding door, first secure cat, then seek to escape via the door!!
It is the most hazardous route out of the house as madam feels it is her total right to wander out and toss her tail in the breeze.

 She sits and guards, she watches, she slides around legs and woosh..off she goes.

That tail has been said to be giving her Mother a message.

At least she eventually eats grass and is catch-able.  I really meant to point out one of my new hellebore s from Post Office Nursery.  Lovely healthy plants.

And soon there will be visions of blue in the pots of the same color.

It was actually Tues Aug 5th when I wrote this in my diary and took the photos a day or so later.

Father of all Creation,
I gaze out of my bedroom window and marvel at the majesty of the morning sun as it shines glory and hope into this new day.

White Magnolia Stellata petals which always remind me of flannel flowers, are beginning to wither and have fallen as snow to the ground over the last windy week.
Beside them are the emerging mauve of Magnolia Nigra seem to hold tight to their buds and their little furry caps as they emerge against the bare wood of the tree.
There is something special in Your creation of flowers against bare branches.

It is tempting to want to rub the satin of the petals and the furry little caps.  But they need to emerge in Your time and Your way.

Then in the middle of the lawn are the bare branches of the flowering apricot with pink buds which emerge as knobs until they grow and open into flowers.

The tree groans in it not yet pruned tangle ...this is a good task for the next week.

I can bring the pruning into the house and place them in a vase to watch the flowering process unfold.






While this tree only shares it beauty for around a month it is has earned its space in the pre spring blooming.

What a privilege to lie in bed and see such beauty and yet a greater privilege to share in His glory with my Heavenly Father.

The first tulip came into flower this week

 Bold brassy lady!!

 The Camellias are flowering well and going brown in the rain which is not ideal but I will accept the color and beauty and rain and live with the side effects.


I have a flowering apricot or peach in the middle of the front garden and as you can see it was long overdue for a clean up pruning to take out all the tangles in the centre.

I have done this since these photos were taken and put the cutting into a vase inside to allow them to open more quickly.

 Magnolia Nigra is blooming in the front garden.

Whilst Magnolia Stellata has suffered from the harsh winds and lots of petals have dropped and now the greenery is taking over.

Japonica and more Camellias out of the bathroom window.

Miss Moggie ponders it all.